Ask HN: What's your experience with remote working? as employees/employers?

I have to disclose I am a remote worker for JonAtkinson.

I believe set estimates are not the best way to approach this problem because how do you estimate it? If you are in new territory then what seems trivial to one person may require some research and extra understanding by another. Also when you set a deadline it becomes more of a target for the individual action and instills a time wasting mentality.

It's especially difficult when a new employer enters the company as they feel under pressure that this is the expected deadline. One of the most helpful things Jon has done to elevate this situation when it arises is allow honest conversations without any fear which come from I guess a personal understanding/experience.

I also don't believe this problem is specific to remote working, it's simply a managerial problem within the industry as I am willing to openly admit this (having a problem and not speaking up) also happened at my previous job but the openness didn't exist hence a lot of dodging and ducking was performed until the task at hand was accomplished.

I can't talk for TDD, BDD, MDSD. But after working with git/hg on all my projects for half a year, I'd flat out refuse to work on anything that used SVN now.

A couple of years ago, I was working for a very bureaucratic company in a low-walled cube, being forced to ignore unpleasant distractions around me, and I hated the commute. I was one of their more productive developers, so I asked them to let me work from home. They sort of went for it: they agreed to two days in the office, three at home. I really enjoyed those three days at home, and I was way more productive. I eventually had to quit that place, because it just got too horrible, but I've been trying to get another remote job ever since. In the last few months, I finally succeeded.

I got myself hooked up with a contracting company. They find iOS jobs for me to do, then subcontract my time to other companies. And I get to work from home 100 percent. I had to take a severe pay cut to make it happen, but for me, it's worth it.

I enjoy that I can make a better environment for myself than any office I've ever worked in. I have lots of space, a window, a door that closes, and a huge Apple monitor. A whole bunch of quality-of-life things I couldn't ever convince employers to give me. I can take an hour off here or there to take a nap or walk the dog. And there's no commute. Eventually, I can move somewhere cheap, to make the most of my income. This is the life for me.

I admit that there are inherent communication problems. As other people have mentioned, you have to be a fiercely determined self-starter to make this work. But looking back on it now, the stuff typical employers expect you to go through -- for me, there is no comparison. You'll have to pry my remote job from my cold, dead fingers.

Freelance translator here. 4 years working at home in a few countries for companies around Europe.

. Perhaps it is largely personality based, but I've always enjoyed it. Deadlines keep me on track and side-projects fill the spare working capacity. So work does get done and, as others have said, more besides.

. Productivity is not a problem, especially when you learn to down-tools when you feel you need to, rather than waiting for your set break times. You'll probably find yourself working more efficiently.

. Socially you do need to adjust, and make the most of opportunities to meet other freelancers/people where possible. I initially missed the office banter, but less so with time. As with most things, if you accept it will be different and don't resist that, it should be easier.

. As mentioned elsewhere, those around you at home will indeed sometimes forget that your body and mind are often separated (i.e. body at home, mind at work). Prepare to have many thought-bubbles burst, unless you have a good home-office solution. A semi-hack for this problem is to simply take more notes.

. Energy wise, if you care, I've seen studies for and against the savings made by remote working. Heating 25 whole houses in winter compared to a single office, for instance, doesn't guarantee an energy reduction. But then there would be 25 times less CO2 emissions. Swings and roundabouts. Never really been a key issue for me, but perhaps worth consideration.

I'm now moving into a more involved 'startup-style' phase this year, with no deadlines to keep me on track and no team around me I'm going to have to adapt to a new style of remote working. Tips welcome!

Now wait - I'm a freelance translator, too, so naturally I am curious to know how you're avoiding deadlines...