We are living through an extraordinary time. People around the world are working hard to limit the spread of COVID-19 by completely stopping travel, mass gatherings, and events. At Appsmith, we will do our bit and will be going remote for the next 2 weeks (maybe more). This document aims to address how we will work well together.

Office Timings

We still maintain the expectation that folks are online and available from 11 AM to 7 PM. It's important for all of us to stick to these timings to ensure that we solve blockers early. The option of working on your own schedule exists but at the beginning, we'd like to ensure that folks are available together for as long as possible.

Communication

Since a lot of human communication is non-verbal in nature, when everyone is remote, err on the side of over-communication. Try to use higher bandwidth communication channels such as Video Calls or Audio Calls. Most issues can be resolved by getting on a call for 5 mins v/s chatting for 15 mins. Iron out any confusions or issues early in their lifecycle rather than assuming the other party has understood.

This point cannot be stressed enough: Communicate

Daily Video Standups

Humans are social beings. We crave social & visual contact. Working remotely means that often, folks who don't work closely on a daily basis may not see each other's faces. Hence, we will conduct our stand-ups over video. This ensures that at the very least, we will all see each other's face once a day.
We may also conduct video calls over lunch, where we get to interact with each other as if we were eating together in office.

Daily Stand-ups get a video upgrade! Don't forget to look pretty in the morning 😆

Bi-Weekly Check-ins

We will be checking-in with everyone more often than usual to ensure that we are on the same page. This means you will be having a conversation with at least one of the founders on a bi-weekly basis. As founders, we will try to keep up the pace to ensure everyone is healthy and happy.

Tips:

For some of us, this may be the first time we may be working from home for an extended period of time. Here are some tips that I've found useful in the past:

Create a dedicated space in your home where you will work. Don't work from your bedroom!
Keep your morning schedule unchanged. Shower, change and go to your dedicated space when you want to work. This will ensure that you get your mental space into "work mode".
Wear work clothes when you are working. It tricks your mind into thinking it's at the office.
It may be hard to judge when to stop working. Set a personal target for yourself and start & end work at those times. Don't work outside those hours that you've set for yourself. This is important to maintain mental health.
Try moving around often. Working from home means that your body may not get as much movement as it does on a normal day. Be mindful of this as it affects your sleep cycle.

As always, if you wish to speak your mind on any topic, 
your team is always available by your side. 

Leverage them to get your daily dose on social interaction.

Folks, who've been working remotely longer, please share your experiences. What can we as a team do to succeed? Any avoidable mistakes that teams make when they go remote?

Originally published on: Appsmith's Remote Working Guide