HACKER Q&A
📣 zeroremote

Who isn't doing remote work (and is still based in the Bay Area)?


Some people like remote work, but I can't get into it. I can't imagine that I'm the only person in the same boat. Sitting at a desk working in a silo with only digital communication with strangers is one of the most depressing things I have ever done. I would probably find it different if I had been at a job for a while before going remote, but establishing friendships and comradery remotely just isn't the same.

I want to feel the energy of being in a startup office again. The early day energy, the conversations that happen in the breakroom, the unlikely friendships that lead to amazing new projects and great ideas. What companies and startups are still doing work primarily in the Bay Area where people go into an office and work together for at least 3 days a week?

At some point, I wonder if having an office and having everybody together is going to be a competitive advantage for the companies that can manage to pull it off, at least in the early days before things get too corporate no matter what.


  👤 codegeek Accepted Answer ✓
You are not alone. I am in the same camp even though I am a founder of my own business. I just hate working alone in my home office even though I probably have one of the best home offices you can imagine. But I like working WITH people. I like to collaborate, little chit chat here and there. And no, I don't consider employees as Family and stuff but I like working with people in a competitive but relaxed environment. Call me old school. We do have lot of remote employees though due to the nature of how I found people but would love to build our local team further.

If there are 2 of us, there are more of us. The whole "work from home" thing has gone way too overboard in my honest opinion. Just like there are plenty of arguments FOR it, there are plenty against it. For example, other than personal preferences, you also have to consider the person who wants to work remote. If you are entry level with no experience, it is much harder to train,teach and guide someone like that. If you already have experience and work well remotely, sure. But everytime someones comes with an argument FOR office, the cool thing in 2021 is to shoot them down.

Like you said, 3 days a week. I like that. Hybrid. Come to office but also have flexibility if/when needed. I obviously hate traditional corporate employers who offer no flexibility. That is bad. The key is to offer "flexibility" and then I am good with that.

Shameless plug: I am hiring for our edtech SAAS but should be in Philadelphia/South Jersey region. And yes, would love to offer the flexibility after an initial period (depends mostly on you really but I would say 60-90 days in, you are good to go). Open roles for Engineers, Product Management, Support/Customer Success, Digital Marketing, Sales. Yes, pretty much all areas as we are growing.


👤 dv_dt
Don’t work alone. Establish formal and informal reasons to get together both online and receive. A morning coffee break group for example. Or a open rubber duck programming room.

👤 brodouevencode
Why is there a qualifier of “in the Bay Area”?