Re:Gitlab's Guide to All-Remote
by pythonaut_16 on Thursday March 12, 2020 @10:19AM
(#22557115)
I think if things flip and remote becomes the primary, and co-location becomes rare we'll also see some companies that are able to use co-location as a competitive advantage.
But I agree that remote (and the practices it encourages) are currently a competitive advantage.
I don't think you're wrong here. Remote itself does unlock advantages that aren't accessible to colocated companies (e.g. hiring anywhere), but one of the primary things that remote-practices unlock are surrounding communication.
Organizations approaching remote have a helpful speedbump that encourages them to take an intentional look at the way they disseminate information. Being fully remote is an accountability structure that helps ensure that everyone is following those practices.
There's nothing that would prevent a well-run colocated company from capturing those particular advantages, but such a company would probably slowly drift remote as companies like Buffer (and GitLab!) have as they grow and look for new talent.
Organizations can have a personal preference for co-located work, but, I think the marketplace will select those organizations out. I think this will unfold over single digit number of years.
From what I have observed, most of the resistance to remote work is really driven from the top; by less adaptable leaders.