Efficient Remote Work

For the last six years, I work remotely with multiple time zones. At first, my schedule was a mess, and I couldn't work in a predictable, disciplined manner. That's because I was used to working in an office. But with time, I learned specifics of remote work and how to leverage them for good.

Flexibility. The common misconception of remote work is that it gives more freedom. While this is partly true, the amount of work to be done remains the same. You get a little more flexibility and additional time because you don't need to commute.

Discipline. I recommend using that additional time for better planning to stay disciplined and efficient. There is no strict schedule anymore, and things may change pretty often, so your planning should be flexible enough too. You also get additional sources of distraction. With that in mind, you should deliver valuable work on time and meet your team's expectations.

Communication. Leverage asynchronous communication. Having multiple calls in a row and mimicking real conversation in a chat isn't asynchronous communication; doing your homework and writing a well-thought message is. You should save people's time by reducing synchronous talking and formulating detailed, clear thoughts.

Transparency. Remote work and asynchronous communication require us to be extra careful with how we communicate our presence, what we're doing right now, and other intentions.


Freedom is not what you get when you become a remote worker. You get that privilege by being responsible and earning peoples' trust.

Responsibility + Trust = Freedom