Oh, come on—can we really pretend that staring at a coworker’s cubicle wall for eight hours is the peak of human efficiency? I’m not saying offices are totally useless, but let’s be real: remote work cuts out the commute, the constant interruptions, and the forced small talk that kills focus. I’ve seen studies showing people get more done at home because they can design their own schedule and actually concentrate. Sure, some folks thrive on office buzz, but for most of us, that “collaboration” often means meetings that could’ve been emails. And with tools like Slack and Zoom, we’re still connected—just without the noise. The data backs it up: remote workers often log longer hours and produce more. Why cling to a model built for factory floors when we’ve got better options?

I get what you're saying about Yahoo, but that's one example from a decade ago. Companies that do remote well, like Buffer or GitLab, have built cultures around it instead of just forcing it on people. The issue isn't remote work itself—it's how you implement it. And honestly, that "spontaneous collaboration" you're talking about? It's way overrated. How many times have you been deep in focus only to have someone tap your shoulder with a "quick question" that could've been a message? Remote work lets you schedule your deep work and your collaboration separately. You can still have brainstorming sessions—they just happen intentionally, not when someone happens to walk by. The data's pretty clear too. Stanford's study on a Chinese travel agency showed a 13% productivity boost from remote work. That's not nothing. Offices aren't going away completely, but insisting they're the only way to be productive just ignores what the numbers tell us.

Look, the Wall Street argument is interesting but it's not the whole story. JPMorgan brought people back because they want control and culture, not because the data says it's more productive. In fact, a two-year Stanford study of 16,000 workers found remote workers were 13% more productive, took fewer sick days, and were less likely to quit. That's not just individual tasks—that's real, measurable output. And honestly, that "learning by osmosis" thing? It's a nice idea, but it's not how most people actually learn. Junior employees learn from structured mentorship and clear documentation, not from overhearing someone on the phone. Companies like GitLab have shown you can build incredible onboarding and collaboration remotely. It just takes intentionality instead of hoping magic happens by the coffee machine. The companies calling people back are the ones who never properly invested in remote infrastructure. That's not a failure of remote work—it's a failure of implementation.