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Co-working is not a substitute for working with teammates. To give an extreme example, "Hey, I wish I had a live in partner who gave me hugs and shared in my up

by gernb 4y ago

Co-working is not a substitute for working with teammates. To give an extreme example, "Hey, I wish I had a live in partner who gave me hugs and shared in my ups and downs but I don't" -> "You could hang out at a coffee shop and talk to random people" (not as a way to meet someone but as a substitute for having a partner) There's something about working on the same project, collaborating, brainstorming, in the same space, that is missing from remote work. Hanging out at a co-working space gives you the presence of other people but not the camaraderie of actually working on the same project. Maybe if you never felt that camaraderie then you don't know what you've been missing.

projectazorian 4y ago
You can still have that by getting the team together every so often for a week or two of intensive meetings and planning. Many companies new to remote since COVID have skipped this part, maybe because it would mean admitting that remote is here to stay and not just a temporary contingency.
- lumb63 4y ago
  In my experience, meetings and planning are exactly the opposite of the enjoyable moments of being on an in-person team working on a project together. It is the impromptu ideas, brainstorming sessions, late nights figuring something out, that create a shared experience worth having, in my opinion.
  - StevePerkins 4y ago
    > late nights Nothing is universal, but I can't help but assume that the work-from-office cohort is VERY disproportionately young. People whose lives are not yet as full as they likely will be a decade in the future, and for whom their job may be at the center of their personal socialization. I remember the shared experience that you're describing, and sure... it's great to have a few years of that when you're fresh out of school, working your first couple jobs as a junior dev, and transitioning out of that college student lifestyle. But I was married at 25, and had two children in my 30's. I am OVER late nights for the sake of late nights, and think that's normal and healthy by the time you're a mid to senior level professional.
UnpossibleJim 4y ago
I mean, it may not be the same thing but if they're really just looking for some comraderie, those "bar coder" meet ups where a bunch of local engineers meet up at different local bars once a week to talk about stuff and make contacts, might kind of fill the void.
hosh 4y ago
Yes, having a shared purpose for a team working together in the same place is difficult to replicate. I'd argue though that, people used to have that with their local community, and it has since been replaced with working in jobs far away from home and the local community. This shift in working has not always been the default mode that civilization has collaborated, and a remote-first culture might enable some of the good things that come with being a part of a community along with modern technology. In my other comment, I suggested reconnecting with that local community. Maybe if you never felt that camarderie with the community you live with, then perhaps you don't know what you've been missing.

by gernb 4y ago

projectazorian 4y ago

You can still have that by getting the team together every so often for a week or two of intensive meetings and planning. Many companies new to remote since COVID have skipped this part, maybe because it would mean admitting that remote is here to stay and not just a temporary contingency.

lumb63 4y ago
In my experience, meetings and planning are exactly the opposite of the enjoyable moments of being on an in-person team working on a project together. It is the impromptu ideas, brainstorming sessions, late nights figuring something out, that create a shared experience worth having, in my opinion.
- StevePerkins 4y ago
  > late nights Nothing is universal, but I can't help but assume that the work-from-office cohort is VERY disproportionately young. People whose lives are not yet as full as they likely will be a decade in the future, and for whom their job may be at the center of their personal socialization. I remember the shared experience that you're describing, and sure... it's great to have a few years of that when you're fresh out of school, working your first couple jobs as a junior dev, and transitioning out of that college student lifestyle. But I was married at 25, and had two children in my 30's. I am OVER late nights for the sake of late nights, and think that's normal and healthy by the time you're a mid to senior level professional.

UnpossibleJim 4y ago

I mean, it may not be the same thing but if they're really just looking for some comraderie, those "bar coder" meet ups where a bunch of local engineers meet up at different local bars once a week to talk about stuff and make contacts, might kind of fill the void.

hosh 4y ago

Yes, having a shared purpose for a team working together in the same place is difficult to replicate. I'd argue though that, people used to have that with their local community, and it has since been replaced with working in jobs far away from home and the local community. This shift in working has not always been the default mode that civilization has collaborated, and a remote-first culture might enable some of the good things that come with being a part of a community along with modern technology. In my other comment, I suggested reconnecting with that local community. Maybe if you never felt that camarderie with the community you live with, then perhaps you don't know what you've been missing.