Book SummaryRemote, by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson

1-Page Summary1-Page Book Summary of Remote

In Remote (2013), Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson present their vision for the future of work: one where a person’s physical location has no effect on how productive they can be. The book challenges the traditional office-centric model of work by exposing its fundamental flaws—constant distractions that hinder meaningful work, time wasted on commutes, and arbitrary geographic limitations on talent acquisition.

As founders of the software company 37signals (now Basecamp), Fried and Hansson successfully built and led a team of 36 employees distributed across multiple continents while serving millions of users. In their book,...

Remote Summary What Is Remote Work and Why Is It Valuable?

Remote work fundamentally changes how and where you contribute to your organization. Fried and Hansson explain that rather than commuting to a central office, you can work from anywhere—decoupling your location from your productivity. This makes it possible for teams to spread across cities, countries, or even continents while still working together effectively. This shift is powered by technology that bridges the distance between team members. Video calls, screen sharing, project management apps, and cloud storage let you interact in real time or collaborate on your own schedule. These tools have made remote work viable for many knowledge-based jobs that once required everyone to be in the same physical space.

(Shortform note: The option to work remotely is unevenly distributed along socioeconomic lines. Workers earning above the 75th percentile are six times more likely to work remotely than those in the lowest quartile. This divide stems not just from job type—many roles in health care, retail, manufacturing, and agriculture can’t be performed remotely, [though some...

Remote Summary How Can You Overcome Common Objections to Remote Work?

Despite the benefits, you might face resistance when proposing remote work in your organization. People often have deep-seated beliefs about how work “should” be done. Fried and Hansson argue that most come from outdated assumptions that don’t hold up against evidence and practical experience. By addressing these common concerns with practical solutions rather than dismissing them, you can help your organization move past resistance and embrace the benefits of remote work.

“But What About Our Company Culture?”

A key concern is that remote work will erode company culture. It assumes that culture grows mainly through physical proximity and spontaneous conversations by the coffee machine. However, Fried and Hansson challenge this assumption, pointing out that plenty of in-office cultures aren’t particularly strong, even with everyone spending 40+ hours a week in the same building. That’s because real culture comes from your organization’s values and practices, and how people interact—not just from sharing an office.

Remote culture feels different, but it can be just as strong or even stronger when you nurture it...

Remote Summary How Can You and Your Team Thrive When Working Remotely?

Even when everyone agrees that work doesn’t need to happen in a central office, successfully implementing remote work requires thoughtful planning. Fried and Hansson offer guidance for organizations transitioning to remote work and for individuals adapting to this different way of working.

Setting Your Organization Up for Remote Success

Shifting to remote work means rethinking how your team operates. Fried and Hansson highlight three critical areas to address: how you communicate, how you build culture, and who you hire.

Create Communication Systems That Actually Work

In an office, communication often happens naturally when you bump into someone in the hallway. In remote environments, you need to be more intentional about how your team shares information:

• Design channels with clear purposes. Specify which platforms you’ll use for different types of communication—project discussions, company announcements, casual chats—and set clear expectations about response times for each.
• Balance real-time and asynchronous communication. Mix video meetings and instant messaging with collaborative documents and project management tools. This combination supports...

Shortform Exercise: Design Your Remote Work Practice

Successful remote work requires intentional design of both your environment and your routines. Whether you’re already working remotely or planning to, this exercise helps you create practices that maximize your productivity and well-being.

Describe your ideal remote workspace. What physical elements (furniture, equipment, lighting) do you need? What environmental factors (noise level, privacy, view) help you focus best?