Hi! 👋

I'm Patryk.

A Day in the Life of

a Remote Developer

Myths vs Reality

Who am I

I'm a 🦄:

  • Full-stack JavaScript Developer
  • Graphic Designer

I also:

  • work remotely for 6+ years
  • evangelize remote work
  • never worked in the office*
  • (sometimes) stutter (🇵🇱  jąkam się)

Myth: You work from the beach

Photo by AJ Garcia on Unsplash

Reality

It's just a catchy article thumbnail.

remote work != workation != vacation

Myth: You work in payamas

Photo by Vidar Nordli-Mathisen on Unsplash

Reality

You want to tell your body & mind that it's at work.

Having rituals to transition between work and life helps in being more productive at work & more relaxed in leisure time.
Eg. dressing like you would go to office, making coffee when starting to work

work-life blending vs work-life balance

It's also good for work-life balance, which is especially important when you work remotely.
In most cases, your schedule is flexible and you don't have any boundaries set. (eg. working 9 to 5 from the office)

Myth: You need Internet access

Photo by NASA on Unsplash

Reality

Remote work thrives when:

  • people trust each other
  • people get sh*t done
  • people communicate (mostly) asynchronously 
  • people know what to do (and how to do it)

Also Internet tends to be distractive and counter-productive.

Ideally, you should be able to work in isolation for at least a week.

Myth: You need to be

a great communicator

Photo by Austin Distel on Unsplash

Reality

Well, you need to communicate well.

But it's not about being the loudest person in the room.

Remote communication is:

  • asynchronous
  • transparent & honest
  • emotionless
  • about setting and meeting expectations

Watch out for curse of knowledge.

Myth: Remote teams don't meet

Photo by Helena Lopes on Unsplash

Reality

Remote teams do meet (usually 2-4 times a year).

Such meetings should be focused on either:

  • team building
  • communication-heavy work

Such meetings shouldn't be wasted on:

  • unproductive meetings
  • regular work

Myth: Remote teams don't have office

Photo by ROOM on Unsplash

Reality

It's a good idea to have some sort of an office. It might be:

  • coworking space
  • favorite coffee shop
  • dedicated room in your apartment

Myth: Remote teams are hyper productive

Photo by Anete Lūsiņaon on Unsplash

Reality

We're just people.

We have more and less productive days as everyone.

Don't stress out about feeling unproductive.

Your time is flexible - go for a walk now and work later.

Remote work isn't about being in the office for 8 hours a day.

It's about about getting sh*t done.

Corporations are

remote teams in denial.

Thanks!

Patryk Pawłowski

patryk.me

 

Slides

slides.com/bypatryk

Mobile Warsaw #74 | A Day in the Life of a Remote Developer

By Patryk Pawłowski

Mobile Warsaw #74 | A Day in the Life of a Remote Developer

[Presented at Mobile Warsaw #74 on Aug 20, 2019] Work from exotic beach, sipping Margaritas all day long, surrounded by like-minded digital nomads… Isn't it idyllic? It indeed is. Life of a remote developer is far away from the picture painted by media. Let me share with you my experiences & lessons learned during 6 years of working remotely.

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