Remote Work Revolution
Shifting the emphasis from where we work to what happens when work becomes virtual.
RWaaS: A Revolution in Remote Work
We treat workers like shrink-wrapped software, boxing up jobs and shipping them off to their workplaces. Now that remote work is acceptable, what happens when these jobs are finally unboxed?
To find high growth opportunities, we have to embrace problems that would have previously seemed inaccessible. Remote work is an opportunity to imagine what work becomes when the physical constraints of co-location are no longer imposed, when work is finally unboxed.
So how do we get into this revolutionary mindset? We need to shift our perspective away from the attributes of remoteness and focus instead on the attributes of work. When jobs become virtual, many of the same market and economic dynamics that produced SaaS will also shape remote work.
Further Reading
Six leading investors assess the remote-work startup landscape
This survey of remote work ventures highlights a focus on familiar problems: tooling, security, compliance, productivity, and collaboration. This leads to concerns about overcrowding and relatively low valuations in the remote work space.
IWG Global Workforce Survey, 2019
Even before the pandemic, there was a powerful trend towards more flexible workplaces. Workers, particularly in knowledge industries, are demanding the flexibility to work where and when they want. Remote work became an imperative in the competition for talent. It is one of many factors entrenching remote work as our new reality.
The Pandemic Is Widening a Corporate Productivity Gap
Another catalyst for remote work is productivity. Eric Garton and Michael Mankins claim top organizations are benefiting disproportionately from remote work while their competitors are falling further behind. How will the productivity laggards narrow the gap and what role will virtual services play?
Gig economy has roots in anti-labor tactics: Harvard researcher
According to Mark Erlich, gig economy employers may be skirting labor costs by misclassifying employees as freelancers. There are clear downsides from the workers perspective. The continued trend towards remote work as a service carries similar risks, and opportunities to remake the model to benefit all stakeholders.