Remote is not the future of work, it is the past

> Remote work allows you to set up a distraction-free workspace that promotes quiet, focused, uninterrupted thinking and allows you to personalize your schedule for peak productivity.

I think I was actually less interrupted in the office. I would wear a hoodie to work most days, and without thinking about it, the hood would go up when I entered a flow state. When people saw the hood, they knew not to bother me. It was a nice system, and developed completely organically, without me saying a word.

At home, I now have excessive checkpoint meetings that only serve to justify the PM’s job. Cold calls from the boss. Non-stop IMs to keep up on, and if I switch to do not disturb, or simply close the chat app, to act as my digital hood, I worry about the optics… since certain people in leadership have said publicly that they don’t think people at home are actually working.

None of these are actually work from home problems, but culture problems that need to be solved for work, remote or otherwise, to be effective.

For me, it often feels like the nirvana of full at home autonomy is only for those who are self-employed.