What is it like to work remotely as a software developer?
I code when I want to, wherever I want from
Remote developer interview.
How do you master remote work? What tools do you use? Can you focus and be productive? Don’t you feel alienated? Is there a place for a good teamwork?
These are just sample questions we discuss when describing our remote-first and bottom up structure during IT community events where developers approach us to ask how we organize our work.
Despite remote environment transforming traditional work practices and distributed teams being not just a hipster trend, but actually a core of outsourcing game, there are still many misconceptions about this type of work.
We launched an outdoor campaign with a take on the freedom remote work gives: I code when I want to, wherever I want from.
It is of course a simplified insight on the main benefits remote teams have: flexible working hours, more achievable work-life balance, productivity boost or the opportunity to pick from a wider pool of talent.
If you’re considering remote job yourself, but still have doubts, I asked our software engineers about their experiences on how to become and thrive as a remote software developer in a 100% remote company.
A few words on the context
Remote work is not just a hipster trend and it doesn’t mean working from under the palm tree. About 12% of developers work 100% remotely and on average they have about 60% more years of professional coding experience than those who work in a traditional workplace.
SoftwareMill is a fully remote company from day one and we have a robust remote-first setup in place. This is topped up by the self-organizing company structure and full transparency. By giving everyone an equal voice and power, we have an engaged and satisfied team. Working remotely in a 100% remote workplace differs from office-based work with a work-from-home option. It’s simply easier. You don’t feel like in exile, with a fear that you’re missing the main communication and things that are happening in the office. So for starters, number one advice from us: if doing remote work, make sure everyone feels equally part of the team and in the loop.
Let’s dive into the Q&A
To get to know what our developers love or find challenging in remote work.
Our awesome teammates that shared their remote experience are:
Andrzej Ludwikowski, Krzysztof Ciesielski, Tomasz Dziurko, Piotr Majcher, Łukasz Żuchowski, Marcin Kubala, Marcin Baraniecki, Michał Ostruszka, Jarosław Kijanowski, Paweł Stawicki, Magda Stożek, Tomasz Krawczyk
How do you master remote job? — developers Q&A
When did you start working remotely; back then what was particularly difficult for you?
Andrzej: 4 years ago, not so hard to start, you need 1 month to get used to it.
Krzysztof: I started 6 years ago. First it was difficult to get used to the silence and lack of social chit-chat in the kitchen, but something similar just naturally started to happen online.
Tomasz: About 10 years ago, SoftwareMill is actually my fourth 100% remote workplace. Difficulties at that time: much slower Internet connections available, lack of remote tools supporting collaboration over the Internet.
Piotr: Around 1,5 years ago. In my previous company I switched to working remotely after around 6 months in the office with my team. To be honest, it wasn’t difficult at all to get used to it, it took around 2–3 weeks for me. Once I started working remotely, I knew straight away there was no coming back ;)
Łukasz: I’ve been working remotely for over 7 years now. At the beginning, I didn’t know what to expect, but I explained it to myself: “I never worked in an office before working in an office, I have to try.” The hardest part was creating a quiet place to work and explaining to my family, especially children that were very young back then, that dad being around doesn’t mean being available, he is at work. After overcoming this, things got easier.
Marcin K: Since I started my software developer career :) I’ve never worked on site, but in my first work I was the only remote developer in the team. After 3 years the whole company turned into distributed model without office, so this is a proof that remoting in IT industry does work.
Michał: The most difficult was setting up all the remote tools I wasn’t used to and changing communication model from in-office synchronous meetings to more asynchronous messaging.
Jarek: Never had a different job than remote one, it all started 13 years ago at JBoss. Dialling into telephone conferences and sitting in 1-hour all-hands calls without seeing anyone, just trying to stayed focus, was particularly difficult. Luckily things have change and now I benefit from better telecommunication setup that consist of different channels for both synchronous and asynchronous style.
Marcin B: Before joining SoftwareMill, I had some experience in remote work (mostly working with remote members of the team). When I went to fully work from home, I wasn’t very much surprised by anything. The only major caveat I found was a slight drop in my immune system condition — being isolated from people for most of the day might be a little shock for your body. Lesson learned: go out more!
Paweł: Almost 10 years ago. Nothing was difficult, I was working with guys from South Africa, so it seemed natural that we talk and chat by Skype (yes, there was no Slack then ;) ). Of course, sometimes it could be easier to talk face to face, in one room in the office, but it was not a big obstacle. Even then the tools were good enough, now it’s only better.
Magda: Back in 2008. I switched to remote after a year of working on-site for the company. The rest of the team was totally unprepared for me working remotely, and the main problem was very poor communication. I used to run out of tasks to do often and waited for days on end until they answered emails (we didn’t use any instant messaging tools like Slack). I felt quite isolated.
Tomek: Besides my freelance period I was working remotely for one company 3 years ago. It discouraged me to this concept. Now I am working remotely in SoftwareMill for 1.5 years and it is much better. I think it’s a case of organization of distributed team and company in general.
What are your tips for a productive day when working from home?
Andrzej: Create some routine for yourself.
Tomasz: 1. Try to get done as much as possible before kids are back from school :) 2. Limiting distractions is key to your effective work: having dedicated room would be ideal, but there are other smaller things that makes you less prone to external factors: really good headphones, sitting so you don’t see people walking, tv playing, etc.
Piotr: I think it’s important to develop a routine and create a dedicated working space. However, when you get tired from the routine or your standard workplace, try something new like working from a cafeteria or changing your working hours for a few days. I feel that breaking the routine can boost your motivation on more difficult days.
Łukasz: Find your “daily schedule” and try to stick to it. Avoid taking too many breaks, because it is difficult to switch back to the working mode, but at the same time, take breaks. Working long without interruption, your productivity drops and it is easy to fall into tunnel thinking. And for more tips check out the post that I wrote: How to boost your distributed team.
Marcin K: Don’t try to push too much on productivity. We are humans, we have better or worse days. When you feel there are too many distractions or you feel ill — let your colleagues know that you need a break and come back later with a fresh mind. You will be able to do more work in the same amount of time. The truth is that your mind is a part of your toolset. What do you do when your computer starts overheating or just slowing down? Do you keep working on it at all costs, or try to cool it down / restart and continue work in your regular pace? Which is more productive?
Michał: Routine and habits. I was able to work out my daily routine I follow every working day which keeps me organized and focused at work. Sure, there are days when I break the routine, because something unexpected (or even expected) pops up, but that’s ok. It’s important to get back to it the next day.
Marcin B: Start whenever you feel like. Get plenty of sleep first. Have some stretch in the morning, eat a healthy breakfast. Take advantage of the fact, that this your space. Change rooms, take breaks. Routine is ok, but breaking it is sometimes even better. And if you want to dig deeper into this topic you can read some of the articles written by our team. There is a bunch of them on our blog.
Paweł: Start early. It’s tempting to stay in bed, but for me it’s easier to avoid distractions and get work done when I start earlier. On the other hand, we also need to get enough sleep, so don’t stay late at night. If you do, and in the morning it’s hard to get up, just sleep a bit longer, you won’t be productive when falling asleep on the keyboard. Have some place for work, and only for work. Usually it’s not a good idea to work in the bedroom or on the couch. From time to time it is also good to change the environment, go to work to the cafe or a coworking place. Or visit a friend, who also works remotely, it’s not only good for work, but also for relationships :)
Magda: For me, it helps to clear my head before starting work. I check my todo list in the morning to make sure there is nothing urgent and non-work-related that I need to do for the next couple of hours. I think my brain then feels safe to focus solely on work, and it’s much more likely to enter that mythical land of “flow”.
Tomek: Prepare a list of tasks or choose some main issue to be accomplished that day. Something that will help you consider the day as done.
How do you deal with drawbacks of remote work?
Andrzej: I think about people wasting their time to commute to work ;)
Krzysztof: I find Pomodoro technique particularly useful when it comes to dealing with distractions present in distributed setup. Especially Slack and other communication channels notifications.
Tomasz: To avoid becoming a totally anti-social person I try to meet with friends, go outdoors as often as possible.
Łukasz: The biggest problem is the lack of movement and isolation. I try to do some sports, it works out better or worse. Also, it’s important for me to go out and meet people on a daily basis. In SoftwareMill we have two meeting formulas I always attend: a daily company meeting chrum where we answer random question and socialize, as well as birr — a monthly get together for the whole team when we meet in different cities.
Marcin K: I meet a lot of new people and places on a motorbike.
Michał: I don’t see many drawbacks here. One can be not hanging out with people often enough and it can strike you after some time working remotely for the first time. Most of us are introverts, so it should not be a big deal, but we still need to meet people. Go out for some meetups in your place, have a hobby that you share with friends, etc. All in all, you work remotely so your schedule is flexible enough to make everything fit. Another challenge that comes to my mind are communication issues. There are really great tools for that (audio, video, screen sharing, recording) that we use extensively so it’s not an issue to me at all.
Jarek: One drawback is the need to prepare food. It’s fun the first few weeks — the freedom to cook whatever you wish (and are able to), but then you just want to warm up something and do not spend to much time in the kitchen.
For me it’s a mix right now of catering, going out for lunch or preparing something easy to cook by myself. Also pursuing a healthy life-work balance is key to not find yourself working late in the evening, just because you ran some errands in the city being away from keyboard during regular working hours. One solution is to have long, not interrupted sessions for at least 7 hours in a row. Working off the remaining hour is not that difficult and something I can live with as long as it doesn’t become a daily routine. Otherwise work sneaks into your life consuming quality time with your family and friends and turning into your hobbies.
Marcin B: I sometimes miss other people, but the solution is very easy — just have your work done and go out!
Paweł: The only drawback for me is staying at home. The solution is very easy — go outside after work :) Or take your bike and go to work in some other place, e.g. cafe.
Magda: I rent a small place not far from where I live with a couple of my friends who also work remotely — that way, I get to take a very short walk each morning to get there, and I have some “watercooler conversations” when we have lunch together.
Tomek: I break my routines from time to time, to refresh the mind, gather some new inspiration and feel the freedom of working remotely.
Being software engineers what do you like best about remote work?
Andrzej: Freedom!
Krzysztof: Mainly the flexible hours, when I can mix-in my daily tasks around the house and family. I also really appreciate that I don’t have to commute, especially during gloomy Polish autumn/winter seasons.
Tomasz: Flexibility to do some home-related stuff like shopping when shops are less crowded, visiting a doctor when traffic is light or attending a show at my son’s kindergarten without taking a whole day off.
Marcin K: I agree with my colleagues — it’s flexible hours, which leads to increased productivity and better morale, since I can work when I want and get back with a fresh mind even out of the regular office hours.
Michał: Being able to work from anywhere (although 99,9% of the time I work from home), flexibility of my schedule and not wasting hours commuting, two of our colleagues became digital nomads for a while and tried remote work from Japan.
Jarek: No need to rush to work. Not being late, due to traffic. Not wasting time standing in crowded buses. Last but not least — working in an environment that ensure my privacy and does not expose most of my weaknesses (which is not the insuppressible need to heat up fish in the microwave each Friday).
Marcin B: Better work life balance. Having more time for everything. Sure, one could always read a book in a tram or bus while commuting, but it’s still way more economic to stay at home. Also, my own kitchen and “bring your cat to work” day everyday ;-).
Paweł: My own workplace, kitchen and bathroom. Time for commuting reduced to 5 seconds is also a big advantage.
Magda: The fact that I can pack my laptop and headphones, and go whenever I want that day. Usually I work from my office, where I have a nice standing desk, external display and so on. Sometimes I don’t feel like going out, and I work from my couch, in yoga pants and wrapped in a blanket. But there are also times when I feel I need a refreshing change of surroundings — so I work on my balcony, in a university library, in a cafe, or on a train and a hotel when I’m travelling.
Tomek: There are many benefits of remote working. Being not dependant to timetable of office and having workplace designed and equipped as I wish are just the most important ones to me.
Your number 1 tool you cannot live without?
Andrzej: TeamSpeak, Slack.
Krzysztof: TeamSpeak, working without it or similar tool is possible, but quite challenging and soulless.
Tomasz: I love TeamSpeak and non-intrusive way it simulates communication in the real office while limiting all disadvantages of open-space.
Marcin K: Brain, then Slack.
Michał: TeamSpeak, Slack (or any other text-based communicator)
Marcin B: The Internet ;-). StackOverflow, TeamSpeak and Slack.
Paweł: Slack, I can’t believe I was working remotely without it. More generally: the laptop.
Magda: Slack. You just have to tweak the notifications right, so that it doesn’t become one big source of distractions ;)
Tomek: Slack. It has everything that distributed team needs.
Your tip for effective collaboration for other remote workers?
Andrzej: Use voice communication, meet in person from time to time.
Tomasz: Frequent, even short voice/video calls keep everyone up to date and help with integrating people so no one feels alienated/lonely.
Łukasz: I wrote a blog post about it: How to boost your distributed Team.
Marcin K: Keep in touch with your co-workers, spend time in real life from time to time.
Michał: Clear and concise communication and as asynchronous work mode as possible (don’t try to rely on your teammates working exactly the same hours as you do)
Jarek: Meeting in real life twice a year to go out and have some fun to discover the human behind the online meetings you’re working with.
Marcin B: Try to avoid “knowledge silos”, have at least some degree of info about what your teammates are working on. Use text communicators to record important decisions, ask questions.
Paweł: Communicate, talk by text and voice, do code reviews. Screen sharing also helps a lot when you need to draw/show something.
Magda: When in doubt, err on the side of communication. There’s no such thing as “over-communication” in remote work.
Tomek: Meet in person often. Do scrum rituals and code reviews.
What’s your advice for developers who’re just starting their remote work journey?
Andrzej: Go remote with one of the tech companies that knows how to organize it well. Semi-remote, partially remote teams, will not work.
Krzysztof: Communicate effectively as much as possible. People need to know what you are doing, you aren’t bothering them with writing too much. If you really are, it will just get corrected. Too many problems arise in remote work when someone thinks that others know something they actually don’t know.
Tomasz: Avoid teams where majority of people are onsite. You will end up out of the loop sooner or later. It’s hard to send all updates via Slack to everyone if it’s not the default channel of communication for the whole team. And more importantly, you will find extremely hard to make an impact when you are dealing with someone who sits in the office next to the person making a decision.
Łukasz: It’s best to have a separate, lockable room, especially if you have a family. I also recommend that you do not stretch your work all day, but try to work at designated fairly regular times.
Marcin K: Choose company with experience in remote work. You’ll be able to learn good work organisation patterns from your workmates and they won’t make it hard.
Michał: Discipline, habits and willingness to try. Also, don’t try to work remotely all the time when everybody else works from the office. You’ll get “disconnected” sooner or later.
Jarek: Get your wife and kids out of your sight. You are not at home, but working from home. Seeing each other 24 hours a day is challenging, and every relationship needs a space to breath.
Marcin B: Don’t be afraid. I believe that most companies will go remote eventually. Don’t forget to make a clear boundary between your work and private/family space.
Paweł: Work in a team which is fully remote. The worst scenario is part of the team working in the office, and part remotely. Then most of the information and knowledge is shared in the office (even at coffee breaks) and it doesn’t reach the remote workers. Then the remote ones are cut off, not collaborating effectively and it’s hard for them to feel part of the team. If you are lucky and all the team is remote, don’t be afraid to try. On one hand it’s easier to get distracted by yourself (you know, this facebook post you need to answer right now), but on the other hand you don’t get distracted by coworkers going by your desk and asking you questions every 3 minutes. And it’s much easier to avoid self-distractions than external ones.
Magda: If possible — find a company which treats remote work seriously. You’d be able to pick up the good habits without even thinking about it. If that’s not possible but you still want to try, then, in my opinion, the three most important things are: separate your work time from your home time, pay careful attention to communication, and meet face to face regularly.
Wrap up
Each one of us has different working style and needs. It’s up to you to create the workplace of your dreams and effectively collaborate with your team. In remote work, this flexibility is often number one reason people who once went remote, love this lifestyle.
Wondering if after this read you’re more warmed up toward the remote jobs option? Let us know in the comments below.
We truly believe that giving freedom and responsibility to the right people results in a healthy work environment that enables them do what they love the most first —coding. And remote setup helps us to achieve this goal.
Curious to read some more on the subject? Here is a list of helpful resources:
- Why offline events are so important to us
- SoftwareMill’s Handbook for New Employees
- How do we hire developers in remote, bottom-up company
- How do we communicate as a fully remote team
- 10 remote work myths debunked + tips for working remotely
Questions? Ask us anything about remote work, how does the cooperation with us look like, what projects do we have, or anything else - on the dedicated Slack channel 💡
