Copyright Fast Company
There’s a difference between being remote because you have to and building a company that is remote by design. Many companies have struggled with distributed work because their culture, rituals, and feedback loops were designed around office interactions—be that in the conference room or by the water cooler. When the physical spaces disappeared, so did the glue that held the culture together. If you want a remote company to succeed, you must be as intentional about culture and communication as you are about your products and revenue. Here are some practical lessons I’ve learned over the past decade of intentionally building a 100% remote team that now spans 15 different countries. 1. DESIGN THE CULTURE FIRST, THEN THE CALENDAR In an office, you can count on serendipitous interaction. In a distributed company, however, you need to manufacture it from day one. That starts with over-communication. Replace ad hoc updates with regular written narratives—for example, a daily team update in Slack or a short weekly newsletter. Share decisions, the why behind them, and the tradeoffs you considered. Err on the side of transparency, even when it feels uncomfortable, because people will forgive tough news faster than they will forgive silence. Subscribe to the Daily newsletter.Fast Company's trending stories delivered to you every day Privacy Policy | Fast Company Newsletters Create repeatable touchpoints that build real connections. At Freestar, we host affinity groups, a rotating book club, automated pairings of people from different teams to have unstructured 15-minute chats, and a speaker series that allows people to meet new teammates and hear fresh ideas from external guests. We also host virtual retreats that mix cross-functional problem-solving with a little fun. We’ve done things like virtual escape rooms and improv comedy shows. It’s this variety and inclusivity that keep the culture alive. When it comes to managing different time zones, we schedule all-hands meetings early on Pacific time, so those in Europe can also join. What matters is the predictable cadence. People should know when they will hear from leadership and when they will be asked to contribute. Finally, it’s important to understand the human dynamics of trust. I call it the benefit-of-the-doubt tank. When you see someone in person, the tank fills up. When weeks go by without contact, the tank runs low. So, it’s important to maintain momentum in real life or on screen to ensure that good intentions are always assumed. 2. HIRE FOR REMOTE, NOT FOR OFFICE SEEKERS Remote success starts with who you invite onto the field. Some people draw energy from a buzzing room. Others thrive with autonomy. Know the difference. Be explicit in your hiring process about the realities of distributed work, the flexibility it gives, and the accountability it requires. You want self-starters who communicate clearly, document decisions, and reach across the organization without being asked. Build your team like you’re drafting a roster. Use data to find the right players for the right roles. Using only gut feelings is a coin toss. But layering in different types of information can increase the likelihood of a good outcome. We pair structured interviews with a tool called Culture Index to understand natural tendencies and team fit. So, whether you need an all-gas-no-brakes person for a sales role, or an attention-to-detail person for a mission-critical workflow, you can find the right talent with confidence. Once you hire, onboard like you mean it. Ambiguity is the enemy of momentum in a remote environment. Our people ops team maps nearly every minute of a new hire’s first two weeks. Each new employee gets a Freestar Friend to answer the everyday “How do I…?” questions, live and pre-recorded video training through the Trainual LMS (Learning Management System), and scheduled introductions across the organization. advertisement We put 30-, 60-, and 90-day expectations in writing, then check in on progress. This includes having the team member reflect on what is going well and where they could use additional support or training. The result? Everyone ends week one knowing exactly what success looks like and who to call when they’re stuck. 3. MAKE VALUES OPERATIONAL AND EGOS SCARCE Values can’t be posters on a wall. They must be the rules of engagement when the camera is off, and the Slack thread gets tense. Because remote work strips away some of the body language and context, clarity is non-negotiable. Our top two rules of engagement? Ask why and leave your ego at the door. If the answer to “Why do we do it this way?” is “Because we always have,” that’s a major red flag. It means it’s time to take it apart and rebuild it better. Transparency is the best way to scale trust. For instance, I share weekly notes with the company on what’s working, what isn’t, and the decisions I’m responsible for, along with real-time performance and financial metrics. I make my contact information public and tell colleagues to call or message me anytime. The willingness to share information, whether good or bad, and ensure there is a genuine understanding that we are all on the same team regardless of rank, goes a long way. When people see you consistently showing up, they start showing up for each other. FINAL THOUGHTS Build a culture that views change as an operating rhythm. Strategy shifts. Markets turn. Tools evolve. If you make small, visible changes that improve the work, you earn the right to make bigger ones. Over time, the team stops bracing for change and starts proposing it. A remote-by-design approach gives people space to be great at work and happy at home. It rewards clear thinking, not loud rooms. Yes, you might lose a candidate or two who craves an office environment, but, if done right, you will have the benefit of talent you could never attract in just one place. Our job as leaders is to build systems where people can do the best work of their careers and grow as human beings. When you do that with intention, geography becomes a variable, not a constraint. Kurt Donnell is the CEO at Freestar.
