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I Only Work Remotely

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Re: I Only Work Remotely

#41

Post by krosaen »

Employers need to take folks like this into consideration when setting their workplace policies, such as to what degree to allow flexible hours.

There are always trade offs. Thinking specifically about workplace hours, having at least some amount of time everyday where you know everyone will be in the same place physically has some major benefits: knowing you'll have a chance to pair with someone, having some overlap where you get to joke a round while making coffee, perhaps eat a meal together, draw on a whiteboard (each of which have virtual alternatives that aren't as good IMO). But if having any such constraints at all means you miss out on 5-10% of really smart creative people, is that too large a cost?

Re: I Only Work Remotely

#42

Post by justinlaster »

battlebot wrote: post #29
kdelano wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For my part, after taking THC(tincture) I "get creative" on architecture solutions, new feature ideation, and things like that. I generally keep any code I write during this time in a separate branch to code review while sober before merging in - it's the ideas that are most important, not the actual code.

Maybe try not using drugs as a crutch? It reminds me of a perverse version of what athletes use steroids for. Be your own man, not some chemically altered monster.

We are anything if not constantly chemically altered. From the food we eat, to the drinks we consume, to the things we inhale.

Re: I Only Work Remotely

#43

Post by AckSyn »

justinlaster wrote: post #38
billirvine wrote: post #36

As a founder of startups, I take a bit of exception to the tonality. Yes, lots of inexperienced founders/leaders drink deep of the open office koolaid and do it wrong. But doing it right (allowing flexibility, having private spots, etc.) yields better overall results because people are more creative in groups. The chance serendipity of investigating new ideas with your fellows will always result in a better work prod…

I strongly disagree. In fact, I'm of the opinion these days that if you can't communicate effectively and proficiently over text, you're in the wrong field; at the very least I'm going to question how much you are "with it." There is nothing stopping a completely remote company from having "jam" sessions between developers. Is there any solid evidence that working in an office together yields a better work product? W…

Only anecdotally. My initial hiring is for three months in the office minimum. That's for acclimation of the kind of workflow/procedural stuff they should learn and general SOP for the company. After that, we offer working from home/remote on a per person consideration.

Some make the cut, other's can't handle it.

Re: I Only Work Remotely

#44

Post by matwood »

bitwize wrote: post #18

Don't you just love it when someone with zero direct reports thinks he can tell managers how to manage? It's a job , it's not a fucking Montessori school, or a correspondence course. If you don't want your employability to dry up once rockstar ninjas become commonplace enough that the demand bubble for them pops, you will cultivate the essential skills of showing up when and where your employer demands and otherwise…

Dependability is getting your work done on time (this includes attending meetings about said work, etc...), and being able to quickly address issues when something breaks. Everything else does not really matter. As a manager, I don't care if someone is on Facebook or playing a game every time I see them, as long as their work is getting done. The logical conclusion is that remote is just an extension of that philosophy. I'm not in the business of babysitting adults and never plan to be.

I wonder if the people who are so against remote work, are the concerned they don't have the skill set to only be judged on output?

Re: I Only Work Remotely

#45

Post by justinlaster »

bitwize wrote: post #18

Don't you just love it when someone with zero direct reports thinks he can tell managers how to manage? It's a job , it's not a fucking Montessori school, or a correspondence course. If you don't want your employability to dry up once rockstar ninjas become commonplace enough that the demand bubble for them pops, you will cultivate the essential skills of showing up when and where your employer demands and otherwise…

>Showing up at the office on time is a first-line test of dependability.

If you truly believe that, your opinions are severely lacking some level of realistic perspective.

Re: I Only Work Remotely

#46

Post by brookside »

mileycyrusXOXO wrote: post #34
battlebot wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe try not using drugs as a crutch? It reminds me of a perverse version of what athletes use steroids for. Be your own man, not some chemically altered monster.

Does Adderall count as a 'crutch' or make someone a chemically altered monster?

As somebody who takes Adderall. Yes, it does count as a crutch in my book.

Re: I Only Work Remotely

#47

Post by bitwize »

battlebot wrote: post #31
bitwize wrote: post #18

Don't you just love it when someone with zero direct reports thinks he can tell managers how to manage? It's a job , it's not a fucking Montessori school, or a correspondence course. If you don't want your employability to dry up once rockstar ninjas become commonplace enough that the demand bubble for them pops, you will cultivate the essential skills of showing up when and where your employer demands and otherwise…

I get what you're selling, and I agree to a point, especially about the "being dependable" part, which is why I have been that. On the other hand, my experience with my own creativity is that it peaks around midnight. I wrote my doctoral dissertation over many, many nights . I was never creative in the morning, and I think many people are just like me and don't even realize it. Thus, if you really want the best I hav…

Thought HN was full of health nuts for whom the effects of blue light on circadian rhythms, endocrine function, and brain function are second only perhaps to gut microbiota in terms of actionable health breakthroughs?

Point being, have you considered that your "night owl" tendencies are an artificial condition caused by too much electronic device exposure late at night, and that a change in lifestyle might do you good?

Re: I Only Work Remotely

#48

Post by throwaway2016a »

So to provide another point of view...

I worked exclusively from home for two years. The cabin fever was so bad I couldn't take it anymore. I may be in the minority for programmers but I need other people around and I need the energy of an office.

From a management standpoint. A good whiteboard session goes a long way to kill communication issues on projects that are creative or not 100% straightforward. Although, of course, you don't need to be in the office "every" day for that.

Re: I Only Work Remotely

#49

Post by _nalply »

I wonder how this collides with the inane recruiting. Do you keep your mouth shut till you have the contract, then declare that you will only working remotely?

Re: I Only Work Remotely

#50

Post by freehunter »

battlebot wrote: post #29
kdelano wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For my part, after taking THC(tincture) I "get creative" on architecture solutions, new feature ideation, and things like that. I generally keep any code I write during this time in a separate branch to code review while sober before merging in - it's the ideas that are most important, not the actual code.

Maybe try not using drugs as a crutch? It reminds me of a perverse version of what athletes use steroids for. Be your own man, not some chemically altered monster.

How about you don't judge someone you don't know?
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