Sounds cool.

It looks like the core problem here is all-or-nothing thinking. On projects requiring a lot of creative thinking and multiple disciplines I like a small team all in one room working side-by-side. On projects not requiring much creative thinking but a lot of deep programming I like to be left alone. When I'm working on my business, I enjoy being in a coworking environment.

Instead what gets implemented is these cafeteria-sized cattle rooms where you can't hear yourself think. Or everybody working in silos by themselves -- which over time destroys productivity, oddly enouh.

It's the one-size-fits-all thinking that's the problem here, not the office furniture layout.

+1 to that. I work remotely, with a visit to the office once every two weeks, mostly spent in meetings and catching up with what the rest of the company are doing. For that sort of thing an open office is fine, just don't expect me to get any quality code written while I'm there.

I was doing a very similar schedule for about six months a year ago. Come in on Monday, do all the status meetings and email and planning work for the week, all the low-concentration, collaborative stuff, then work from home the other four days. It was probably the most productive I've ever been; unfortunately management likes having butts in seats for some reason, so it couldn't last.

This rings so true, i had to check i hadn't written this last night. Whilst onsite on that once a fortnight visit, i can't do anything that involves real concentration. I detest open offices, but working from home has just made it worse.

Have been doing DevOps from home for almost three years now; its spoiled me. I'd never work in a traditional office setting again, open office or otherwise.

I'm still stunned how badly companies believe being in an office equals to more interaction and more innovation.

How could we show management how is it to use IRC, mailing lists or something like Github to collaborate?

> How could we show management how is it to use IRC, mailing lists or something like Github to collaborate?

I wish I knew the answer. My gut says to take someone experienced working with remote teams to run a trial, to show them the little tricks that can help make it a success. Quantifying success is often difficult even if we feel we know instinctively if it's working for us, or could be part time or with some changes.

However, I've only worked for companies who had a negative attitude towards working remotely even if they half-heartedly tried it occasionally, or companies who were setup as remote-first. Traversing the gap seems to be hard.

Wait twenty years for people who don't know to retire or die, and people who do to move up the ranks. Or find an organization that isn't so set in outdated ways.

Sorry. I'd love to have a better answer, but I've been around a while and I'm not seeing one yet.