Lessons from 2 months of remote working • Hacker News Board

Re: Lessons from 2 months of remote working

#11

Post by pla3rhat3r » Mon, Nov 25, 2013, 5:22 PM UTC

I've been remote for the past 5 months and I love it. I'm more productive and I feel like I work more just because the convenience of being at home.

Also, I'm starting my own company and reading this helped me understand how others do it. I'm glad this is working out and hope that more people figure this out.

Many companies I've worked for have this outdated mindset that you need to be in an office together in order to make things work. The reality is you don't. Yes, you miss out on some of the local stuff that an office can provide. Like drama, politics, and petty bickering. But I would rather bitch about someone from home......in my jammies. :)

Re: Lessons from 2 months of remote working

#12

Post by benmorris » Mon, Nov 25, 2013, 5:32 PM UTC

I don't really work remotely but at home for myself for the last year. The biggest challenge for me in a given day is lack of social interaction. It is nice to have a quiet place to work, but hard to deal with (some days) not speaking to a single person all day. Frankly my last job had many downfalls, but I did enjoy some of the people I worked with.

Re: Lessons from 2 months of remote working

#13

Post by mixmastamyk » Mon, Nov 25, 2013, 5:53 PM UTC

buttsex wrote: post #10

Kind of on topic, but I'm a web developer who is partnered with a designer in NYC. I'm already working remotely (a few hours away) and it is really great. I'm in my mid 20s and don't have kids or a relationship at the moment. I've always wanted to travel and I'd rather do it while I am young. I've been thinking of taking 6 months and going around the world, staying at any location for 2-4 weeks. I want to continue wo…

Yep, you can do a lot evenings and weekends, much better than nothing. And to be honest, it's not hard to save up a bit and live more cheaply in another country every few years.

Re: Lessons from 2 months of remote working

#14

Post by nicholassmith » Mon, Nov 25, 2013, 5:56 PM UTC

bhartzer wrote: post #3

Is it just me? Do you find that working remotely you can get more work done than being in the office with coworkers? The days that I'm in the office working I don't seem to get as much actual work done, because I'm spending most of the day in meetings.

I'll generally get more done in 2 hours working from my home office than I would in 4 hours in an office, let alone if there's a meeting as well.

Re: Lessons from 2 months of remote working

#15

Post by shuzchen » Mon, Nov 25, 2013, 5:59 PM UTC

buttsex wrote: post #10

Kind of on topic, but I'm a web developer who is partnered with a designer in NYC. I'm already working remotely (a few hours away) and it is really great. I'm in my mid 20s and don't have kids or a relationship at the moment. I've always wanted to travel and I'd rather do it while I am young. I've been thinking of taking 6 months and going around the world, staying at any location for 2-4 weeks. I want to continue wo…

Look around for hackerspaces or co-working spaces. They are generally inexpensive, and put you in working proximity with local talent and like-minded road warriors.

Re: Lessons from 2 months of remote working

#16

Post by gio » Mon, Nov 25, 2013, 6:17 PM UTC

Shameless plug:

We (getblimp.com) are currently working to consolidate real-time chat with task management in a very unique way. This will allow remote workers to collaborate freely on chat and then move those conversations to a more persistent form, a task with context.

http://blog.getblimp.com/2013/11/blimp-needs-more-bandwidth/

Re: Lessons from 2 months of remote working

#17

Post by possibilistic » Mon, Nov 25, 2013, 6:20 PM UTC

buttsex wrote: post #10

Kind of on topic, but I'm a web developer who is partnered with a designer in NYC. I'm already working remotely (a few hours away) and it is really great. I'm in my mid 20s and don't have kids or a relationship at the moment. I've always wanted to travel and I'd rather do it while I am young. I've been thinking of taking 6 months and going around the world, staying at any location for 2-4 weeks. I want to continue wo…

That sounds ideal, but I share your concerns. I suppose I would use the heuristic that the amount of latitude/free time you have now will roughly equate to the amount you have overseas. Add or subtract additional time per any logistical issues (network access, syncing with your team, acquiring rent, figuring out groceries/cooking, etc.).

Re: Lessons from 2 months of remote working

#18

Post by shin_lao » Mon, Nov 25, 2013, 6:24 PM UTC

I work a lot from home and what I can say is:

- you're definitely more productive when working from home and it saves a lot of time

- communication is much harder

- traveling and working is difficult and I would not recommend it

- working from home is a bit depressing over time and you can easily lose touch with the team

For me what works best is a mixture of the two.

Re: Lessons from 2 months of remote working

#19

Post by mrcsparker » Mon, Nov 25, 2013, 6:25 PM UTC

I have been working remotely for 7 years now. I love it, but it is not for everyone.

I remember a few months in when it really sunk in that I was actually working out of my home. My house was my office and my office was my house, and everywhere I went I could not get away from work. I had a sudden feeling that the walls were closing in. Lucky for me that went away, and I find that I get more done and am able to be more focused than I was in an office.

A few pointers to those starting to work at home:

1. If you are like me and tend towards being a work-a-holic, working from home can mean turning your normal 8-10 hour workday into a 24-hour workday. Set limits and work by them get...

2. ... a home office where you do your work. Make sure it has a door which closes and treat it like an office. You don't have to work in it 100% of the time, but it helps me to have a place I can leave my work. My office is great - I have a big desk, a couch, music, big windows. It is the office that I would like to work in.

3. Get out of the house. Not to work, but to play. Get around people. It is going to happen - you are going to have a crazy project and find yourself locked in your room for a few days. This is pretty normal, even in a normal office. It can easily become your life since there is no one telling you to go home.

The perks of working from home are great - no commute means more family time, and the you get a personal bathroom and kitchen. If you need to take a 20 minute nap no one is stopping you, and going for a jog is as simple as opening the door and taking off.

Re: Lessons from 2 months of remote working

#20

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