Why working from home doesn’t work

Irony — I’m writing this from home. Facepalm.

It’s 2015. Startup culture is the in-thing, and has given rise to a ‘Work from Home’ culture. Even in TV ads like this one, it’s clear that the cool thing to do is work from home, work remotely, have flexible timings, and so on. It’s a departure from the mundane, regular office going MNC culture that existed.

Obvious stereotype is obvious.

Cool Young Entrepreneur Guy

• Young
• T-shirt and a casual jacket to a meeting. Swag.
• Long, unkempt hair to go — totally cool

Obnoxious Old Corporate Guy

• Balding
• Ridiculously Thick Glasses
• Formal suit with hideous tie to match — totally uncool

Lesson — Startups are cool. Corporate jobs are not. Yay!

Now welcome to the real world.

The real world is different from an ad selling a laptop. But what’s frustrating is that working from home / from a café, while sounds cool, stifles innovation.

Startups = Innovation. Working remotely stifles innovation.

The above statement is a bold one. Most would probably disagree. But after about 2 years leading a startup, you notice that sometimes you need to be co-located to be more productive and build a strong team and company.

Here’s why.

1. Distractions, distractions, distractions

No matter how hard you try, there’s always something that has to be done, or some random distraction that will get stuck in your head. When you’re at home, suddenly you need to get some groceries, or you need to walk the dog, or helping your landlady take out her garbage

Working from a cafe is another level altogether. You’re bound to bump into someone at a busy cafe, not to mention the chaos and noise is probably going to reduce your productivity by 50%.

2. Building a strong team culture

Prior to founding Glitstreet.com, I worked for 2 years at Bain & Company as a consultant. Working on intense, 3–4 month projects in a small team of 4–6 teaches you a thing or two about teamwork.

Startups are similar. In a small team, you need to inspire one another to do great work. Creating a great team culture is much easier when the team is together

3. Inspiration

Some of my most productive work has come through in person discussions. Tech has really made things super easy now though. Slack is amazing, as is Trello and Dropbox, but doesn’t substitute an in person brainstorming session. Bouncing ideas off one another in real life is something that can’t be substituted by anything. Google Hangouts comes close, but no cigar.

4. Discipline

I’ll be honest — I’m a lazy person. Most of us are. Without a routine, I know I’m going to waste time. Just a simple routine like this, makes me really pumped up for the day. Here’s a glimpse of my extraordinarily boring morning routine.

• Wake up
• Go for a short run
• Breakfast, catch up on news and reading
• Shower
• Drive to office
• Set up my desk
• Plan for the day ahead
• Attack the day!

If I don’t do those things in the morning, I’m like a fish out of water. I feel like something is amiss. This is different for different people of course, though I feel MBTI profiles (read personality types if you don’t know what that is) are often used as an excuse.

Having a separate work place, the whole notion of travelling to work gives my day more purpose, and more energy than staying at home.

Some people (Especially creatives — Designers, Musicians, Photographers etc.) say that chaos makes them work better. Routine stifles creativity.

This is bullshit.

One of the most successful commercial photographers and entrepreneurs, Chase Jarvis explains his morning routine below. The important thing is to make the most of your day. Having a solid routine helps you do that.

Create an inspiring and fun workplace instead.

As a startup you need to be close to your team. Create a fun work environment where people feel passionate and inspired to do their best work!