Remote Work is Bullshit
Hire anyone from anywhere! Work from anywhere! Remote work is the future!
There has never been a time when the global playing field has been so even.
We’re sold the benefits of remote work— more and better talent at cheaper prices…
And this is true.
If you are a startup located in SF, your talent pool is bigger than just the tens of thousands of software engineers, account executives, and marketers in the Bay Area.
Remote work gives you access to hundreds of millions of folks everywhere.
You can hire anyone from anywhere, and with more supply comes higher quality.
But— this is a trap.
While remote work gives better talent access, there are real benefits to working in person.
You create a strong culture, build lifelong bonds, and reduce employee churn
You bounce ideas off your team, leading to new innovations
You have higher accountability, it’s harder to slack off when your team is with you
In a startup, you should be spending as much time with your team as you can— without going crazy.
Working together, going out together, and even— living in the same house.
Remote work does work, but it’s not the way to innovate.
Don’t just take it from me…
In the Paypal days, Peter Thiel gave employees an extra $1000 per month towards rent if they lived within walking distance from the office.
I’ve built a startup where everyone lived together in one house— and also tried remote.
The data from personal experience and fellow founder friends is conclusive.
Remote startups are not successful because they are remote, they are successful despite being remote.
If you want to run a mediocre business— hire remote.
If you want to build the future— live together.