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I believe the idea is that the same investors that invest in VC firms that in turn invest in companies, also invest in commercial real-estate, and that these in

by derefr 3y ago

I believe the idea is that the same investors that invest in VC firms that in turn invest in companies, also invest in commercial real-estate, and that these investors can apply pressure to "their" VC-firm executives, to ensure that "their" commercial real-estate is getting used.

hn_throwaway_99 3y ago
Come on, let's get real. Sure, perhaps this can happen in limited individual instances, but the idea that a major rationale for execs pushing RTO is that they're feeling pressure from investors in their VC firms to spend more money to keep the commercial real estate market afloat is just plain silly. Even if I believed it all, it's not a conspiracy theory that even makes sense because the incentives it proposes are just dumb - business execs may care about a lot of things and may have to do a lot of juggling, but worrying about the other investments of their VC's investors is not exactly high on the list. It's like my favorite meme of "Anyone who believes in conspiracy theories has never been a project manager." The RTO/WFH debate can be so infuriating because there is so much dishonesty on both sides. Yes, WFH has huge benefits in terms of flexibility, reduced commuting, better supporting those with disabilities, etc., but it also has downsides in terms of less in-person motivation/support, loss of in-person mentorship for younger/newer employees, worries about building knowledge networks, loss of serendipitous interactions, and more difficulty managing performance for remote workers. Simultaneously, while I can understand the corporate desire for RTO, the reality of the work world has changed, so I see these stories of these execs pushing for RTO, then everyone gets to the office and is on Zoom 80% of the time because their colleagues are spread all over the place. Just wish there could be more of an honest debate about the pros/cons of BOTH WFH and RTO, and to see how some/either/combo may work better for different employees/companies, without resorting to silliness like "business execs are feeling a ton of pressure to save the corp real estate market".

by derefr 3y ago

hn_throwaway_99 3y ago

Come on, let's get real. Sure, perhaps this can happen in limited individual instances, but the idea that a major rationale for execs pushing RTO is that they're feeling pressure from investors in their VC firms to spend more money to keep the commercial real estate market afloat is just plain silly. Even if I believed it all, it's not a conspiracy theory that even makes sense because the incentives it proposes are just dumb - business execs may care about a lot of things and may have to do a lot of juggling, but worrying about the other investments of their VC's investors is not exactly high on the list. It's like my favorite meme of "Anyone who believes in conspiracy theories has never been a project manager." The RTO/WFH debate can be so infuriating because there is so much dishonesty on both sides. Yes, WFH has huge benefits in terms of flexibility, reduced commuting, better supporting those with disabilities, etc., but it also has downsides in terms of less in-person motivation/support, loss of in-person mentorship for younger/newer employees, worries about building knowledge networks, loss of serendipitous interactions, and more difficulty managing performance for remote workers. Simultaneously, while I can understand the corporate desire for RTO, the reality of the work world has changed, so I see these stories of these execs pushing for RTO, then everyone gets to the office and is on Zoom 80% of the time because their colleagues are spread all over the place. Just wish there could be more of an honest debate about the pros/cons of BOTH WFH and RTO, and to see how some/either/combo may work better for different employees/companies, without resorting to silliness like "business execs are feeling a ton of pressure to save the corp real estate market".