Remote, controlled: is distributed working the future of agile businesses?

“But our company culture will suffer…”

“People love ‘free pizza’ Fridays…”

“Productivity will plummet…”

“How are we going to justify building this fancy new office…?”

Okay, I made the last one up, but I’ve heard so many people – usually at senior leadership level – tell me why they’re insisting their employees attend the office more frequently. This is despite the fact that, post-pandemic, it became clear that work-from-home was the preferred option of many, with some reports – such as this 2024 Nature study – showing it helped to improve retention without impacting performance.

Despite some well-publicised pushback from big organisations, distributed work is no longer an experiment born of necessity during the pandemic – it’s becoming the norm for many businesses. However, it’s not just about working from home. Distributed working, in my view, is a structural commitment that goes far beyond remote or hybrid models. It’s about designing a company that can thrive without ever needing a central office – one that’s resilient, scalable and prepared for whatever the future holds.

As the founder of JustFix, a company that’s been built on a distributed model from day one, I’ve witnessed firsthand the immense potential – and challenges – that come with this way of working.

How did we get here?

The rise of distributed work was initially seen as a response to lockdowns and social distancing during the pandemic, but the roots go deeper. I ran global teams long before “Zoom fatigue” became part of our lexicon, and even then, 90% of my work was done online, over video calls or emails. What Covid-19 did was accelerate the inevitable, forcing companies to question the very essence of what an office-based culture really provides. We found out that we didn’t need to replicate the past. Instead, we could redesign for the future.

Remote vs distributed

People often confuse remote working with distributed working. The distinction is critical. Remote working implies that people are working away from a central hub, usually temporarily, with an underlying assumption that they will return to that hub. Distributed working, however, means the company has no “hub” – or, as we like to say at JustFix, “we are headquartered in the cloud.” This difference is not just about geography but philosophy. A distributed company is built with the infrastructure and mindset to function independently of physical locations, permanently.

I believe this approach is far more than a temporary trend. It’s an insurance policy against future crises. As the pandemic showed us, distributed work ensures business continuity even during major disruptions. Companies that are not designed to be distributed from the ground up will struggle to adjust when forced to go remote under pressure. From a resilience standpoint, it’s smart business to be able to operate in this way permanently.

Does distributed work for everyone?

Let me be clear: distributed work isn’t for everyone, and it’s certainly not without its challenges. For some industries­ – those reliant on physical goods or services, like manufacturing or healthcare –a distributed model simply isn’t feasible. But for technology-driven businesses like JustFix, it offers unparalleled flexibility and agility.

One of the key benefits of distributed work is access to global talent. You’re no longer confined to hiring within commuting distance of an office. You can tap into a diverse pool of talent from around the world. This not only broadens your scope of skills but also brings in fresh perspectives that can be a competitive advantage.

However, it’s also important to recognize the downsides. Junior employees, for instance, may struggle without the in-person support and mentorship that comes from being in a shared office environment. According to a report by the Harvard Gazette, younger workers and those in entry-level roles face challenges in learning through “osmosis” – the subtle absorption of knowledge from overhearing conversations or casually asking a senior colleague for advice . It’s an issue we need to address as leaders in distributed organisations.

At JustFix, we mitigate this by creating structured opportunities for mentoring and development. We host weekly team meetings on Zoom that encourage open communication, and we ensure that there are regular one-on-one check-ins between managers and their direct reports. Beyond that, we physically bring the team together at least once a month to work on big-picture strategy and to bond as human beings.

Building a culture in a distributed world

Building and maintaining a strong culture in a distributed company requires intentionality. It’s not enough to simply let things happen. You must engineer the water cooler moments – the informal conversations that build relationships and facilitate knowledge sharing. At JustFix, we’ve done this by setting up casual team meetings with loose agendas, allowing people to share what they’ve been working on and what’s coming next. These moments help foster a sense of belonging and alignment, even when we’re miles apart.

What many people fail to understand is that distributed work does not mean eliminating human interaction. In fact, it requires more deliberate human connection. We’ve planned social events, both virtual and in-person, to ensure that while we may be a distributed company, we’re not disconnected.

As the Guardian reported, companies like Twitter, which once embraced remote work, faced challenges when leadership failed to manage culture effectively. Distributed work only succeeds when you actively nurture relationships and create opportunities for collaboration.

Why we’re not going back

Some other companies, like Dell, have made headlines recently by pushing back on remote work, with an insistence that employees return to the office. I understand the reasons behind this – often tied to real estate investments or traditional leadership mindsets. But let’s not fool ourselves: forcing people back into offices simply to “return to normal” doesn’t align with the evolving nature of work. In fact, it can hinder innovation.

For us at JustFix, distributed work is not a reactionary measure but a strategic choice. We designed our company to be agile, resilient and scalable from the start, and I believe this is the future of work. While not every company can adopt this model wholesale, those that do will be better prepared for the challenges and opportunities ahead.

So, no, we won’t be going back to the old ways of doing business. We’ll continue to push forward, asking not, “How can we replicate the past?” but “What can we redesign to build a better future?” In the end, distributed work is not just a model – it’s a mindset. It’s about focusing less on where people are and more on how they can thrive, wherever they are.