Working remotely

I strongly believe that three engineers in one room can accomplish far more than six engineers working remotely. This isn’t just about communication bottlenecks—it goes deeper than that.

I've been working from home for ten months now, a significant shift after spending nine years in an office with my colleagues. Even during COVID, I worked from the office most weeks, with only a few exceptions when a new wave hit.

Years of working led to countless brainstorming sessions that truly moved our projects forward. The energy, spontaneity, and real-time collaboration made a huge difference.

Working alone is hard. Staying motivated through long, lonely work hours - especially when most of my colleagues are across the ocean, shifted 12 hours.

I wouldn’t say working remotely makes me less efficient, but staying motivated and generating new ideas is much harder. However, I’ve found ways to leverage it.

I can now fully immerse myself in deep work without constant interruptions. I start by clearly defining what I need to accomplish and then focus for 2-4 hours straight to get it done. This kind of flow was almost impossible in an open office—where people sat close together, talking to themselves or on Teams calls.

Working remotely has given me more time for my fitness goals. Instead of commuting, I get to run or climb for an hour each day, which keeps me both physically and mentally strong. An added bonus? In fall and winter, I can catch some sunlight during the day, instead of squeezing in a workout before or after work when it's dark.

Like anything, fully remote work has its pros and cons. Bell Labs got it right—you need to make space for both brainstorming and deep work sessions. Striking that balance is key to making remote work truly effective.