GitLab Blog Post with Wifi Tribe (Sept 4)
Proposal
Blog post addressing the question, "How does all-remote work enable you to do something like this while still pursuing your career?"
- title: "Not All Remote is Created Equal"
- author: Erich Wegscheider
- author_gitlab: @ewegscheider
- author_twitter: n/a
- categories: culture
- image_title: "/images/blogimages/laptop-on-table-with-airpods.jpg"
- description: "How GitLab’s all-remote culture enabled me to travel the world for four months”
- tags: remote work
- ee_cta: false #
- install_cta: false #
- twitter_text: n/a
- featured: yes #
Cover image credit: Cover image by KAL VISUALS on Unsplash {: .note: "/images/blogimages/laptop-on-table-with-airpods.jpg"}
In early 2016, I left the office and started working remotely. I moved to Colorado, set-up a home office and… basically worked from there. Given my employment arrangements, the romantic notion of being able to work from anywhere wasn’t a reality. At best, I could enjoy the benefits of a few extra long weekends by working a Monday or Friday from wherever I was.
After working remotely for a year and a half, I went to Europe for a few weeks with the intent of staying up-to-date on work. That was a disaster due to being tethered to Pacific Time; team alignment made for odd working hours, my managers weren’t pleased with the said working hours, I hardly slept, and came back more in need of a vacation than when I left.
Another detractor to working remotely was that it wasn’t conducive to my career development. Given that my colleagues worked at the office, located in California, the opportunity to lead or manage a team wasn’t presented, given my desire for location independence.
Sure, I was “remote,” but the reality was that I worked in the equivalent of a satellite office by myself. Simply put, all-remote work wasn’t a part of those company’s cultures.
It wasn’t all bad, though. On the bright side, I eliminated a commute.
Decisions, Decisions
Despite always having an appetite for wanderlust, I contemplated whether or not remote work was actually something I wanted to continue pursuing. In my experiences, it had been more challenging than rewarding, so the topic warranted reconsideration.
When the offer to work at GitLab was presented, I dropped everything and said, “Yes!” It was a make-or-break moment for my remote endeavors, given their Manifesto, values, communication strategy, and anticipated headcount growth - a great opportunity given my line of work. All things considered, GitLab sounded almost too good to be true; being able to grow and develop professionally while also being given the freedom to travel as long as I’m producing results. So, if that was the reality of working at GitLab, then I planned on experiencing true all-remote work firsthand and soon!
Taking Action
Fast forward four months and I found myself in conversation about global co-working/co-living spaces. I had done research about companies that offered such arrangements, like the Wifi Tribe, so when I brought them up as a resource to list on a company page, I was met with encouragement, such as, “Go!” and “Do it!”
When I broached the subject with my manager during a 1:1 and mentioned prospective locations, his face immediately lit up with excitement and he exclaimed, “That’s awesome! I’m so excited for you!” Still getting used to GitLab’s culture, I quickly noted the 12 - 15 hour time difference [to the states] with an air of defeatism, as if to refute the overwhelming encouragement I’d just received. That was met with more encouragement, so I started planning.
To note, the majority of my teammates reside stateside, as well as the vendors I work with.
Present Reality
As of now, I’m in the beach town of Canggu nestled on Bali’s southern shore. In total, I’ll be here for 5 weeks before moving onto other locations across four continents in four months. Such a trip with any of my previous employers would have put me at a career crossroad; either quit and just travel - while pausing my professional development - or put my travel ambitions on hold for the foreseeable future.
Rather, I’m immersed in a community of passionate remote professionals and entrepreneurs with the Wifi Tribe. In the two weeks I’ve been gone [as of writing this], this opportunity has brought a whole new dynamic to my life. The days feel more vibrant, connected, and fulfilling. Often, small groups of the tribe go from cafe to cafe (or co-working space to co-working space) balancing the art of results-oriented work with taking the time to appreciate where we are. We gather for long lunches, plan weekend adventures, play impromptu beach volleyball at sunset, or just gather around the pool at night to get to know one another.
Compared to life at home, where after-work get-togethers felt harder and harder to facilitate, I’m finding a greater sense of intent and community. Without the foundation of an all-remote culture, this simply wouldn’t be possible - I’d be back at the aforementioned crossroad.
In the time that I’ll be traveling, GitLab is expected to increase its headcount by approximately 32%. I work in Talent Operations, so there will be plenty of things to keep me busy as we grow. While it’s still early in my time at GitLab and on this trip, my faith in all-remote work has been restored. I’m grateful for this opportunity and am so excited for everything that’s to come!
In a sense, this whole opportunity kind of feels like having your cake and eating it too.
Additional image credit (if needed): Photo by Sonnie Hiles on Unsplash {: .note “.images/blogimages/cafe-organic-canggu.jpg”}