I favor the proliferation of remote work environments, but I disagree with much of this article. Yes, maintaining a positive and welcoming work culture is inte

I favor the proliferation of remote work environments, but I disagree with much of this article. Yes, maintaining a positive and welcoming work culture is intentional. However, human-to-human interaction is a big part of that. There's a big difference between having a few get-togethers per year and being able to ask someone (who might not be in your immediate circle) out to an actual coffee. Also, career growth is 100% about who you know. Knowing everyone is easy at small companies but is impossible at larger ones. Yes, you can ask your skip-level for an intro to someone outside of your immediate silo, but I'd argue that this is more difficult for people that aren't intrinsically-motivated to make that leap themselves. This is something else that is bolstered by closer proximity and person-to-person interactions. Everything else mentioned here varies from person to person, IMO. Offices can be very fun places to be, even if you have a thriving social life. For many, it is very difficult to make friends outside of your regular social interactions. Yes, there's Meetup, but (a) not even town has a thriving Meetup scene; you can almost bet on Meetup sucking in rural/suburban neighborhoods, and (b) it takes a real ability to go into an event knowing that you'll know no-one and that you'll do your best to leave knowing someone. I hosted large Meetup groups for many years, have gone to countless events and have interacted with probably thousands of people, and I still have a lot of trouble with this because I strongly prefer, and have always preferred, being by myself. Anyone that says "it's easy bro" is probably naturally good at this and doesn't comprehend that someone could struggle here. On the other hand, offices can be a means to an end for people with families who want to spend as much time with them as possible. For these people, perks and social outings aren't incentivizing. However, many people with families are CONSTANTLY distracted in ways that they wouldn't be in an office. Crying babies, toddlers being toddlers, pets, random noises, etc. are common enough to create a bingo card out of. I don't think this reduces "productivity" (which is in the eyes of the beholder), but these things definitely wouldn't happen in offices.