5 Reasons We Love Working as a Distributed Team

We’ve written about the perks of remote teams and how they can unlock great cultures, sharing all our favorite ways to connect and create a supportive, open environment, but there‘s more to it than that.

Although we have an office in downtown Syracuse where a few of us gather regularly to maintain a healthy community aspect, we do also have co-founders, developers, writers, and more distributed around the country. Despite the difference in geography, our team thrives thanks to tools like Slack and Trello keeping us all on the same track. Remote teams give us the opportunity to attract high-quality talent no matter where they live.

Here are a few reasons why we love working as a distributed team, as told by the team itself!

1. Freedom

Distributed teams naturally lend themselves to flexibility. Whether you have a doctor’s appointment in the morning, have to pick up kids in the afternoon, want to work from another country for the week… it’s all good. Working remotely lets our team avoid lengthy commutes, sleep in if they decided to work late, spend time with kids in the morning — the adaptable structure lets everyone enjoy a good work/life balance that is strongly lacking in many work environments today.

“When I want to visit family across the country, I can pack up for a month and enjoy time with them without missing a beat. I love that,” says Peter Smith, co-founder of Upstate Interactive.

2. Productivity

We believe providing our team that freedom also allows everyone to get their tasks done with an approach that works best for them, fostering happiness and productivity. Everyone works in different ways and is focused at different times, so as long as the work gets done, we can avoid arbitrary limitations that can hinder productivity in a traditional office setting.

“I was never able to acclimate to a 9-to-5 office, I was always easily distracted, so being able to work from home and in an environment that I can control is a huge perk that I really appreciate in being on a distributed team,” says UI writer and social media manager Kristen Ciccolini.

3. Communication

When you have the ability to work from wherever you want, it’s important to be on the same page with your coworkers. Every day at work is different for UI co-founder Zoe Koulouris and that creates a need to cultivate more efficient communication habits.

“Depending on what I have going on each day, I feel inspired and focused in certain environments. Having the option to make coffee at home and get right to work without a commute, go to a nearby coffee shop, or collaborate with my team in the office improves my efficiency. Being distributed pushes us to be more intentional about our communication as a team,” she says.

4. Travel

A few times a year, members of our team travel to different work events together. Even if they’re coming from different coasts, they can meet up abroad for a tech conference. But distributed teams don’t have to limit themselves to special events; if you’re visiting a city where a remote coworker lives, you can meet up at a library or cafe and work with a partner for the day.

“As a freelancer, I am part of several distributed teams, which means I have coworkers in lots of great cities that I can meet up with if I ever want a change of scenery,” says our editor-in-chief Krystle Vermes.

UI co-founder Kseniya Lifanova loves the flexibility and autonomy that comes from working on a distributed team, which has allowed her to make major changes without losing her footing at work.

“Not only am I able to choose where I want to work each day, but I can also choose where I want to live. The fact that I was able to move to the opposite coast and continue to work with my team makes me particularly grateful for the times we are living in. Thank you Slack and Zoom!”

5. Comfort

Sometimes we love being on a distributed team because of the more simple pleasures in life… like not having to leave the house!

“The winters in CNY can be harsh and unpredictable, so having the option to work from home means I don’t have to venture out in poor conditions, which is very convenient,” says UI software engineer Kent Walker.

Interested in working with us? We’re always looking for great people to join our team! Check out our Careers page for the latest opportunities.