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InVision has no physical headquarters and all 700 employees work remotely

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11–20 of 231 posts

Re: InVision has no physical headquarters and all 700 employees work remotely

#11

I underestimated how high the competition is for remote work. All my attempts failed so far despite having well customized application materials. I didn't submit to hundreds maybe around 20. Most of the time I never even reached a technical test at these companies which I thought would be the hardest part.

I think the way to get a remote job is to start with a non-remote job and slowly convert it to remote. Haven't pulled it off successfully yet but it seems like a much easier path, so long as you're willing to put in the time.

Re: InVision has no physical headquarters and all 700 employees work remotely

#12

I underestimated how high the competition is for remote work. All my attempts failed so far despite having well customized application materials. I didn't submit to hundreds maybe around 20. Most of the time I never even reached a technical test at these companies which I thought would be the hardest part.

Everyone is different but having actually worked for this company is the reason I won't ever work remotely ever again.

Re: InVision has no physical headquarters and all 700 employees work remotely

#13

I underestimated how high the competition is for remote work. All my attempts failed so far despite having well customized application materials. I didn't submit to hundreds maybe around 20. Most of the time I never even reached a technical test at these companies which I thought would be the hardest part.

Why is remote such highly requested? I work remote but, not cause I HAVE to. My team is just all fully remote.

Re: InVision has no physical headquarters and all 700 employees work remotely

#14
post #9
post #4

While this is no doubt great I don't really believe a statement "But most importantly, Frein said, it helps InVision build a better product". Under what metric? I don't believe that people who are forced to cooperate with video and screen sharing options can deliver a better product than these, who can walk up to a colleague and ask them in person or use a whiteboard to explain their problem. In the end, remote worke…

[meta] Hey, all of HN? I'll risk a bit of karma on this question: Why are any of you downvoting klohto's comment? klohto's requesting specific information and providing one's own impression of (or perhaps anecdotal experience in) a remote environment. I can't think of a single good reason to downvote, and it's really irritating seeing good discourse being suppressed in this manner. [/meta] As for the question about r…

Thank you for support eqanist! My comment might not have sounded to others like you're describing. I have added an EDIT.

Re: InVision has no physical headquarters and all 700 employees work remotely

#15
post #4

While this is no doubt great I don't really believe a statement "But most importantly, Frein said, it helps InVision build a better product". Under what metric? I don't believe that people who are forced to cooperate with video and screen sharing options can deliver a better product than these, who can walk up to a colleague and ask them in person or use a whiteboard to explain their problem. In the end, remote worke…

I have worked both remotely and in-office. In-office is good for collaborating on how to architect code, in the early days of a product. But as the organization matures, you have an established architecture, style, etc., and are adding or tweaking features. When you get to that point, remote work is excellent. You are able to slice off work to people who can sit in their corners and execute on those smaller pieces of the vision. They are not interrupted by others, they can both focus and relax as works best for them. It works. (And, FWIW, when we did major architecture work, we did fly into a shared location for a few days to hash things out together.)

That being said, people are all different - specific people may work better in one environment or the other. You may just personally fit in well in an office.

Re: InVision has no physical headquarters and all 700 employees work remotely

#16
post #3

I underestimated how high the competition is for remote work. All my attempts failed so far despite having well customized application materials. I didn't submit to hundreds maybe around 20. Most of the time I never even reached a technical test at these companies which I thought would be the hardest part.

You're not competing with your locality but with an entire country, or more. You need to stand out somehow.

How is this any different than a job at Big Tech in SF or NYC?

Re: InVision has no physical headquarters and all 700 employees work remotely

#17
post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've remote worked for decades, and that isn't my experience. Video/screensharing meetings are far more productive in my experience, but only if everybody is using the tool. Its frustrating to hold an in-person meeting at the office, and try to add remote folks. The local ones shut out the 'voice on the phone' and start drawing on boards and paper and it breaks down. I spent 10 years in a company that had all meeting…

> start drawing on boards and paper Sounds like important brainstorming activities. How do you deal with this when you're remote?

For me, Wacom tablets or tablet-with-stylus kinds of devices.

Now it's not only a whiteboard, but I can take screenshots, collaborate with countless others, undo, search, zoom and pan infinitely, etc...

And they can be had for around $100 or less.

Re: InVision has no physical headquarters and all 700 employees work remotely

#18
post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've remote worked for decades, and that isn't my experience. Video/screensharing meetings are far more productive in my experience, but only if everybody is using the tool. Its frustrating to hold an in-person meeting at the office, and try to add remote folks. The local ones shut out the 'voice on the phone' and start drawing on boards and paper and it breaks down. I spent 10 years in a company that had all meeting…

> start drawing on boards and paper Sounds like important brainstorming activities. How do you deal with this when you're remote?

Using whiteboard and notepad features of the collaboration tool. Which are legible and visible to everyone all the time, not just if you're looking over somebody's shoulder

Re: InVision has no physical headquarters and all 700 employees work remotely

#19

I underestimated how high the competition is for remote work. All my attempts failed so far despite having well customized application materials. I didn't submit to hundreds maybe around 20. Most of the time I never even reached a technical test at these companies which I thought would be the hardest part.

Why is remote such highly requested? I work remote but, not cause I HAVE to. My team is just all fully remote.

Working on great products, great money (compared to local offers) while I don't have to restart my life in a new country.

Re: InVision has no physical headquarters and all 700 employees work remotely

#20

I underestimated how high the competition is for remote work. All my attempts failed so far despite having well customized application materials. I didn't submit to hundreds maybe around 20. Most of the time I never even reached a technical test at these companies which I thought would be the hardest part.

Everyone is different but having actually worked for this company is the reason I won't ever work remotely ever again.

How come?
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