5 ms·

I think you are overly discounting time zone. Someone working remotely, but within 3 time zones, is much easier to collaborate with than someone 9-12 timezones

I think you are overly discounting time zone. Someone working remotely, but within 3 time zones, is much easier to collaborate with than someone 9-12 timezones away.

Mc91 4y ago
About half the US lives in the eastern time zone - so if the product manager wants to talk to an Indian programmer at 430PM India time, he has to start the meeting at 730AM Eastern time. This is the most convenient time to have the meeting usually. Another 28% of the US is in the central time zone, but that just shifts this meeting to 830AM for the product manager. The working hours don't overlap. On top of various other problems.
- hilbertseries 4y ago
  730 am est time is 630 am central time?
- sokoloff 4y ago
  1630 IST is 0700 EDT right now (and 0600 EST in the winter). It’s just barely workable and takes some give and take on both sides.
- HWR_14 4y ago
  Is 730 a time when most people want to set a meeting? I certainly wouldn't. And that means the central time zone worker is joining it at 0630 and the west coast worker is joining at 0430
PragmaticPulp 4y ago
From direct experience - It’s not that hard to stand up entirely separate teams and eventually entire departments in foreign countries. Communication then mostly happens by e-mail or during scheduled calls during narrow overlapping hours. You’re right that it’s far, far harder to have teams built from members in opposite time zones. However, the people pushing for fully asynchronous work environments are building company dynamics that lend themselves to being timezone agnostic, so it can be done if you want it badly enough.
idunno246 4y ago
outsourcing doesnt necessarily mean india/eastern europe. we had great luck with south america and they were able to work the same time. this was a few years ago, the contracting company thought we were a little abnormal at the time, but everyone put on our project went through a regular interview so they were talented, and were treated as a member of the team instead of some remote contractor.
- mooreds 4y ago
  I co-founded a startup as the technical co-founder. Left after a few years. They leaned on a local development shop in the same town. Development shop got bought by one of their clients (not the startup). They found some developers in South America and have been using them ever since. I don't talk to the founder much, but when I do, it is clear they have no problems with remote talent (other than that they'd like to hire 1-2 more developers and are having a hard time finding them).
  - rsanek 4y ago
    > they'd like to hire 1-2 more developers and are having a hard time finding them Sound familiar? It's surprising to hear this so early in the 'remote-first' trend. I think what we'll find is that actually, there is still a dearth of top software talent (even if you include hiring worldwide). It will probably depress wages some, but not as much as people think.
KerrAvon 4y ago
Properly managed, a team with members in multiple time zones can be enormously productive if the work is such that it can be handled in shifts. Software can actually be done this way. You have to be culturally willing to do it.
- spaetzleesser 4y ago
  "Properly managed, a team with members in multiple time zones can be enormously productive if the work is such that it can be handled in shifts. Software can actually be done this way. You have to be culturally willing to do it." It's horrible for the people who have to work in such a system. We have people in India and during phases where you have to collaborate a lot, either the US people or the India people have to constantly work at night. And the company demands this in addition to regular working hours. We also have people in South america and that's much better to deal with because working hours overlap during the day.
- pydry 4y ago
  The only way I can see that working is if QA and the dev team are in separate timezones.
  - letitbeirie 4y ago
    I've done this setup and so long as your communication and expectations are lined up it's brilliant.

I think you are overly discounting time zone. Someone working remotely, but within 3 time zones, is much easier to collaborate with than someone 9-12 timezones away.

Mc91 4y ago

About half the US lives in the eastern time zone - so if the product manager wants to talk to an Indian programmer at 430PM India time, he has to start the meeting at 730AM Eastern time. This is the most convenient time to have the meeting usually. Another 28% of the US is in the central time zone, but that just shifts this meeting to 830AM for the product manager. The working hours don't overlap. On top of various other problems.

hilbertseries 4y ago
730 am est time is 630 am central time?
sokoloff 4y ago
1630 IST is 0700 EDT right now (and 0600 EST in the winter). It’s just barely workable and takes some give and take on both sides.
HWR_14 4y ago
Is 730 a time when most people want to set a meeting? I certainly wouldn't. And that means the central time zone worker is joining it at 0630 and the west coast worker is joining at 0430

PragmaticPulp 4y ago

From direct experience - It’s not that hard to stand up entirely separate teams and eventually entire departments in foreign countries. Communication then mostly happens by e-mail or during scheduled calls during narrow overlapping hours. You’re right that it’s far, far harder to have teams built from members in opposite time zones. However, the people pushing for fully asynchronous work environments are building company dynamics that lend themselves to being timezone agnostic, so it can be done if you want it badly enough.

idunno246 4y ago

outsourcing doesnt necessarily mean india/eastern europe. we had great luck with south america and they were able to work the same time. this was a few years ago, the contracting company thought we were a little abnormal at the time, but everyone put on our project went through a regular interview so they were talented, and were treated as a member of the team instead of some remote contractor.

mooreds 4y ago
I co-founded a startup as the technical co-founder. Left after a few years. They leaned on a local development shop in the same town. Development shop got bought by one of their clients (not the startup). They found some developers in South America and have been using them ever since. I don't talk to the founder much, but when I do, it is clear they have no problems with remote talent (other than that they'd like to hire 1-2 more developers and are having a hard time finding them).
- rsanek 4y ago
  > they'd like to hire 1-2 more developers and are having a hard time finding them Sound familiar? It's surprising to hear this so early in the 'remote-first' trend. I think what we'll find is that actually, there is still a dearth of top software talent (even if you include hiring worldwide). It will probably depress wages some, but not as much as people think.

KerrAvon 4y ago

Properly managed, a team with members in multiple time zones can be enormously productive if the work is such that it can be handled in shifts. Software can actually be done this way. You have to be culturally willing to do it.

spaetzleesser 4y ago
"Properly managed, a team with members in multiple time zones can be enormously productive if the work is such that it can be handled in shifts. Software can actually be done this way. You have to be culturally willing to do it." It's horrible for the people who have to work in such a system. We have people in India and during phases where you have to collaborate a lot, either the US people or the India people have to constantly work at night. And the company demands this in addition to regular working hours. We also have people in South america and that's much better to deal with because working hours overlap during the day.
pydry 4y ago
The only way I can see that working is if QA and the dev team are in separate timezones.
- letitbeirie 4y ago
  I've done this setup and so long as your communication and expectations are lined up it's brilliant.