The classic guide to working from home and why we should embrace a virtual office, from the bestselling authors of Rework
“A paradigm-smashing, compulsively readable case for a radically remote workplace.”—Susan Cain, New York Times bestselling author of Quiet
Does working from home—or anywhere else but the office—make sense? In Remote, Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson, the founders of Basecamp, bring new insight to the hotly debated argument. While providing a complete overview of remote work’s challenges, Jason and David persuasively argue that, often, the advantages of working “off-site” far outweigh the drawbacks.
In the past decade, the “under one roof” model of conducting work has been steadily declining, owing to technology that is rapidly creating virtual workspaces. Today the new paradigm is “move work to the workers, rather than workers to the workplace.” Companies see advantages in the way remote work increases their talent pool, reduces turnover, lessens their real estate footprint, and improves their ability to conduct business across multiple time zones. But what about the workers? Jason and David point out that remote work means working at the best job (not just one that is nearby) and achieving a harmonious work-life balance while increasing productivity.
And those are just some of the perks to be gained from leaving the office behind. Remote reveals a multitude of other benefits, along with in-the-trenches tips for easing your way out of the office door where you control how your workday will unfold.
Whether you’re a manager fretting over how to manage workers who “want out” or a worker who wants to achieve a lifestyle upgrade while still being a top performer professionally, this book is your indispensable guide.
Hallelujah. One thing of note up front: I read the Audible version of this, so I have no way of knowing how well documented it is - and given its almost memoir-based approach, those tend to be on the lighter side of documentation. But again, because of the form I consumed this book in, I just don't know.
This caveat understood up front, this text is absolutely phenomenal - and will have any office worker in 2023 scratching their heads over why virtually *any* of us are constrained to a physical location we must report into x number of times per week. This book is a decade old this year, released *well* before certain worldwide insanities led to a (sadly temporary) shift to very nearly 100% remote work for a time, and yet lays out the case for fully remote work *even with that era's tech* so clearly and so completely that one will be left wondering why any business person would ever consider forcing their staff to work in a physical office space, unless that business person happens to own said space outright and can't offload it because everyone else is going fully remote.
For those of us who love(d) working remote, this is absolutely preaching to the choir and having them sing its praises from the rafters. Even for those more opposed to remote work... read this book and try to find a reason the authors here haven't already addressed, up to and including your own personal preferences and management styles.
Indeed, the most irritating thing about this book is how long it has existed and how few business leaders in 2023 are heeding its lessons. Particularly business leaders who spent 2020 and 2021 praising their teams' increased productivity while fully remote.
So read this book. Learn why remote work really is the best work for everyone whose jobs don't involve physically touching some widget or another. And then go and spread the message ever more.
Very much recommended.
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14 June, 2023:
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