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Remote: Office Not Required
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The “work from home” phenomenon is thoroughly explored in this illuminating new book from bestselling 37signals founders Fried and Hansson, who point to the surging trend of employees working from home (and anywhere else) and explain the challenges and unexpected benefits. Most important, they show why – with a few controversial exceptions such as Yahoo -- more businesses
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I've decided that the Freid/DHH writing pair are the Michael Moore of business literature.
If you need to learn something practical about what is a pretty complex topic, this book is useless. If you need something to fight off the "conservatives" in the business world, this is your goto.
I've two main gripes with the book.
The first is about the pacing and chapter lengths. Reading this you feel like you're being shown a second hand car in dodgy yard. You end up revisiting the nice things over and o ...more
If you need to learn something practical about what is a pretty complex topic, this book is useless. If you need something to fight off the "conservatives" in the business world, this is your goto.
I've two main gripes with the book.
The first is about the pacing and chapter lengths. Reading this you feel like you're being shown a second hand car in dodgy yard. You end up revisiting the nice things over and o ...more
This book was a little disappointing, not because it's bad but because it wasn't quite what I was looking for. The book advertises itself as a collection of solutions to problems people encounter when embracing remote work, but more than anything else the problem it solves is "how do I convince management to embrace remote work?"
Most of the book is structured as a work of persuasion, something that's intended to convince people to go remote. A lot of it seems geared toward executives and manager ...more
Most of the book is structured as a work of persuasion, something that's intended to convince people to go remote. A lot of it seems geared toward executives and manager ...more
This is a very tricky book to review.
Let me note first that I work remotely as a technology leader at a Boston-based medical startup . . . but I'm based in the Twin Cities. I know remote work very well. I use every tool in this book. I've been remote since the beginning, and my managers and colleagues understand the dynamic, but it's still hard, and not something that is fully embraced in our work.
I'm going to have to divide the readership up into categories:
(1) If you work remotely and have com ...more
Let me note first that I work remotely as a technology leader at a Boston-based medical startup . . . but I'm based in the Twin Cities. I know remote work very well. I use every tool in this book. I've been remote since the beginning, and my managers and colleagues understand the dynamic, but it's still hard, and not something that is fully embraced in our work.
I'm going to have to divide the readership up into categories:
(1) If you work remotely and have com ...more
I like 37 signals as a company. They are one of the successful virtual companies. So I had a lot of expectations when I bought the book the day it was launched. But the book was a big letdown.
* The book reads like a collection of blog posts. I felt chapters ended abruptly and switched directions unexpectedly.
* An early chapter says that remote workers can set their own working hours and all the benefits that come with it. A later chapter, about team collaboration, recommends a four hour overlap ...more
* The book reads like a collection of blog posts. I felt chapters ended abruptly and switched directions unexpectedly.
* An early chapter says that remote workers can set their own working hours and all the benefits that come with it. A later chapter, about team collaboration, recommends a four hour overlap ...more
As a remote worker myself, I nodded my head frequently at the advantages and challenges presented, so the rating's not about a fundamental disagreement with the message or the intentions. Like the authors, I know from personal experience that commuting, facing a strict set of working hours, interruptions and living with the expectation of availability from others are some of the greatest dangers to work (and creative work especially).
I did, however, expect more than short chapters and sparse dat ...more
I did, however, expect more than short chapters and sparse dat ...more
This had some good insights on why remote working can be good and how to be a good remote worker. Nothing beyond common sense really but it’s nice to see it condensed in a brief and informative book.
I read this book in one sitting. I liked it, but I could not quite figure out the audience. As someone who has worked as a remote employee for over 7 years, a lot of the information was preaching to the choir - I get remote work, because I live it. If the book was written for managers who are looking to make a change, then I don't this book is strong or practical enough (a better book would be Why Managing Sucks). If this book is written for non-managing employees, then they more than likely don
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Thin, short-paragraphed, biased, opinionated, beautifully written and illustrated remote work manifesto and a sales pitch. Every copyrighter should be jealous.
“Remote” shares the advantages and the problems of the advertisement as a literary form.
If you don't have much experience with remote working or you let your mind wander for a bit, the book is extremely
convincing. DHH/Fried know how to write well.
If you look deeper, you may notice that they offer faux acknowledgements for all the drawbacks ...more
“Remote” shares the advantages and the problems of the advertisement as a literary form.
If you don't have much experience with remote working or you let your mind wander for a bit, the book is extremely
convincing. DHH/Fried know how to write well.
If you look deeper, you may notice that they offer faux acknowledgements for all the drawbacks ...more
Great book for remote work, but it should really be updated as it’s from 2013 and many of the references are old. Especially now during COVID it would be very beneficial with a version 2. I would buy and read that if published.
Jul 31, 2016
Rework was an amazing book that put into words how I feel about work.
Remote was different. While I agree that remote work can be effective, I disagreed with several of the sections.
First off, I work for Accenture, one of the companies interviewed and quoted in the book. The description of Accenture in the book in no way matches what happens in real life. Do 80% of the people not work in the Accenture offices? Yes. Because they are required to be on-site, butt in seat, logging face ti ...more
Rework was an amazing book that put into words how I feel about work.
Remote was different. While I agree that remote work can be effective, I disagreed with several of the sections.
First off, I work for Accenture, one of the companies interviewed and quoted in the book. The description of Accenture in the book in no way matches what happens in real life. Do 80% of the people not work in the Accenture offices? Yes. Because they are required to be on-site, butt in seat, logging face ti ...more
Not a fan of the format, but it has bits & pieces of useful information.
It is an easy to read book that offers a few ideas on how to manage our work-life and collaborations in the "work from home pandemic". ...more
It is an easy to read book that offers a few ideas on how to manage our work-life and collaborations in the "work from home pandemic". ...more
I'm migrating all my reviews to my blog. If you want to read the full review with my raw notes, check it here: https://pothix.com/remotebook
The interesting part of reading this book is that I'm currently living most part of it in the past 2 years. :)
The book itself is a little bit outdated as it was written in 2013 and we had a very different scenario then. They mention it in the first chapter, BTW.
I found it to be a little repetitive as well, they are not very pragmatic about the content and de ...more
The interesting part of reading this book is that I'm currently living most part of it in the past 2 years. :)
The book itself is a little bit outdated as it was written in 2013 and we had a very different scenario then. They mention it in the first chapter, BTW.
I found it to be a little repetitive as well, they are not very pragmatic about the content and de ...more
This book makes a great case for remote working. It probably could have used a few more research citations - a lot of the recommendations are justified with "it worked at 37signals, therefore it will work for you!" - but that might have been overkill. It still serves as a good eye-opener for both managers and employees who haven't yet embraced the idea of remote work.
The one thing Remote needs is an update. It was published in 2013, and as far as I can tell, there haven't been any subsequent edi ...more
The one thing Remote needs is an update. It was published in 2013, and as far as I can tell, there haven't been any subsequent edi ...more
Great book. A compreenhensive review of the pros and cons of remote work, addressing some of the miths about working out of traditional offices. The only thing I would point out is that it needs to be understood in a skilled work environment. While I believe that most people deserve the benefit of the doubt, I think the authors are sometimes a bit naive in their assessment of people's commitment ti their work. All in all a great read and a must for managers. A lot of us are already working remot
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Innovative by the time of the release, however, there's nothing new to learn from the book nowadays. Remote is the new normal.
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As a remote worker, I felt very connected with the stories in this book. TBH, I was already familar with most of the recommendations, because I have been working remotely for a year, but that's actually a good thing, because it means that we're all on the same channel and there's a common path to success for remote workers.
I really liked it. I would have given 5 stars if I had learned many new tricks or recommendations that I didn't know before. ...more
I really liked it. I would have given 5 stars if I had learned many new tricks or recommendations that I didn't know before. ...more
Very objective book, direct to the point!
They are very experienced in remote work so the could discuss the problems of working at an office (transportation, interruptions, commuting, etc.) and present the benefits of remote working as well as what you should be careful when trying to change to remote working.
Lot's of good advice. ...more
They are very experienced in remote work so the could discuss the problems of working at an office (transportation, interruptions, commuting, etc.) and present the benefits of remote working as well as what you should be careful when trying to change to remote working.
Lot's of good advice. ...more
A very good book with practical tips and a clear message: Value work produced over time spent.
Unfortunately it only focuses on hiring ready made experts and ignores the process of talent growth. To me pairing and working with others side by side is the most effecient way to both learn and teach. Remote doesn't mention any substitute to that. ...more
Unfortunately it only focuses on hiring ready made experts and ignores the process of talent growth. To me pairing and working with others side by side is the most effecient way to both learn and teach. Remote doesn't mention any substitute to that. ...more
I loved everything about it. The book encompasses, so much truth about the upside and downsides to working from home. I believe is shows the best possibilities of the remote style of work. I suggested it to a minimum of 10 people I know who have been thinking about starting a remote platform at their company.
Well. Its 2020. This book was published 2013? So todays remote is not the same as it is described in the book. It had its moments, but I rather recommend The Art of Working Remotely or The Long-Distance Leader instead. Mote untimely stuff (and more to my liking - towards leadership).
I loved learning about how this company made it work. Lots of overlap to experiences I have had / am having here at work. The no "jerks" allowed rule really resonates with me.
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A book that can change your life
There are many a-ha! moments in this book and it seems the current times have made it even more relevant. Recommend it to everyone, especially managers.
I've enjoyed listening to this book, but I feel that the way the subject is presented by the author is a little bit incisive, this was already expected from something that comes from DHH, so nothing new here.
I've liked the format of little chapters and no defined order of the subjects, but I think that this turned the tips repetitive too.
I like the way DHH covers all the things about remote work, talking from how this change your business, culture, and mindset about work, to things like how to s ...more
I've liked the format of little chapters and no defined order of the subjects, but I think that this turned the tips repetitive too.
I like the way DHH covers all the things about remote work, talking from how this change your business, culture, and mindset about work, to things like how to s ...more
Jason Fried and DHH definitely are authorities when it comes to remote work. In this short, easy read they share their views on where remote work wins (e.g. more personal time, efficient communication, diverse pool of candidates for hiring), where things get challenging (e.g. hiring/retaining/managing a remote workforce) and what skills are important (writing well, time management, self-discipline) for workers and leaders in a world moving to remote. I feel the authors could have shown a more ba
...more
I've had this book lying around for a couple years. I'm about to start a new position which allows remote work, and figured it was time to read this.
I liked that it was a short book, and the writing was clear. I was able to finish this book in just a few short sessions. However, I don't think I really got anything out of reading this. It was mostly directed towards convincing business owners that they should explore allowing employees to work remotely, and most of the content seemed long-winded ...more
I liked that it was a short book, and the writing was clear. I was able to finish this book in just a few short sessions. However, I don't think I really got anything out of reading this. It was mostly directed towards convincing business owners that they should explore allowing employees to work remotely, and most of the content seemed long-winded ...more
Excellent reading! Waiting for the next book: The Calm Company.
It's released in 2013 and many things are change, also the remote culture itself is. Some of the do and don't will be really useful if someone start picking as remote employee or skim the overviews of culture as a whole. But compared to rework, It's lighter, less of as a manifesto not to mention some points are overlapped.
...more
This rating reflects more of my expectations from this book than the content itself. If you are not sure remote work would be viable for you or your company this book does a good job presenting information that might help you make a decision. If you already know that remote work is a good fit for you then this book won't provide you with too many extra insights or actionable advice.
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This is a good book if your expectations are set right.
I'm giving it an extra star because this is exactly the perfect length all books in the categories of management, self-help & co. need to follow. Short blog post like chapters where you make your point and move on and less than 100 pages in-toto always. (I have an hypothesis that every management book could be an HBR article, but publishers pay more than HBR so they get milked into a book. But that's another story...)
I breezed through it in ...more
I'm giving it an extra star because this is exactly the perfect length all books in the categories of management, self-help & co. need to follow. Short blog post like chapters where you make your point and move on and less than 100 pages in-toto always. (I have an hypothesis that every management book could be an HBR article, but publishers pay more than HBR so they get milked into a book. But that's another story...)
I breezed through it in ...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| office Space | 1 | 5 | Nov 17, 2017 05:54AM | |
| why office ambience is must | 1 | 6 | Sep 21, 2017 08:04AM | |
| Goodreads Developers: only first author of book being returned | 1 | 19 | Jan 31, 2017 03:25AM | |
| FULL Creative Lib...: Remote | 2 | 15 | Mar 05, 2014 03:59PM |
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“you can’t let your employees work from home out of fear they’ll slack off without your supervision, you’re a babysitter, not a manager. Remote work is very likely the least of your problems.”
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“That’s the great irony of letting passionate people work from home. A manager’s natural instinct is to worry about his workers not getting enough work done, but the real threat is that too much will likely get done. And because the manager isn’t sitting across from his worker anymore, he can’t look in the person’s eyes and see burnout.”
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