I changed my mind about remote work this year. I used to think it was strictly better — I was more productive, I saved two hours of commuting, I could structure my day around my energy instead of someone else's calendar.
Then I started a new role in February and realized how much I'd been coasting on relationships I built in person at my last job. The people I collaborated best with remotely were people I'd already sat next to for a year. Starting from zero, fully remote, I had no idea who to ask about anything. Slack channels feel like shouting into a crowd when you don't know anyone in it.
I don't think remote work is bad. I think it's expensive in ways that don't show up for 6-12 months, and the cost is paid by new people more than existing ones.
platform✓ accepted
first-person✓ accepted
“The submission is written entirely from first-person experience. It describes specific events (starting a new role in February, previous in-person collaboration) without generalizing about groups.”
no-snark✓ accepted
“The tone is sincere throughout. Disagreement with remote work enthusiasm is stated directly and thoughtfully, without sarcasm or dismissiveness.”
story-time✓ accepted
“The submission is a narrative about a specific experience — starting a new remote role and discovering the hidden costs. It has a clear beginning (held a belief), middle (new role challenged it), and end (revised understanding).”