Like many people, when I turned 18, I had to get a job and start my adult life.
Where I lived, there wasn’t much opportunity, and the only option available was a supermarket. I tried it, but after the first day, I knew it wasn’t for me.
I was ambitious, young, and hungry. But I was also an introvert. Talking to people all day and making minimum wage was not how I wanted my life to be. So, when I got home, I turned on my computer and searched for ways to make money.
I discovered freelancer.com, and because it was a new market with little competition at the time, I got my first client right away. It was a programming job in PHP – and I had no idea what that was!
But I learned, finished the job, and made $100. Let me tell you, as an 18-year-old, that was a small fortune.
I was proud of what I’d accomplished – and eager to share it. But when I told my family, their reaction surprised me. They weren’t as pleased about it as I was. Back then, internet money wasn’t seen as very trustworthy. They even threatened to kick me out if I kept going.
However, my passion for this whole new remote world won. I pushed through against all odds and made money online without:
- Stable wi-fi connections
- Zoom or Google Meet
- Or fancy computers
After only a year, I had more work than I could handle, so I hired my first team of freelancers and informally launched my first remote company.
Here’s what I enjoy most about remote work.
It offers a career without borders
One of the things that I love about working remotely is the doors it opens. Whatever your reality is, you can access marketplaces and opportunities around the world without ever having to leave your house.
It democratizes successful careers. Not everyone starts life at the same point. Some of us were born in successful economies, fortunate enough to live in a war-free country with opportunities right around the corner. Others come from less economically stable countries with fewer job opportunities.
Remote work closes this gap. If you are:
- A single parent who doesn’t have the means to hire a babysitter
- Living in smaller cities or the countryside
- Taking care of elders
- Disabled or unable to move around as easily
- In an international relationship
- An introvert
- And more
Something as simple as going to a job interview can be a challenge.
The most powerful thing about remote work is that it levels the playing field. Success becomes less about where you live or how you come across in a room – and more about the quality of your work, your ideas, and your follow-through.
While remote work benefits many, it's especially transformative for those who don't thrive in traditional office environments.
It works for introverts
For introverts, remote work is more than a convenience – it’s a catalyst. It creates the space we need to do our best work.
Every time I have to go into an office, I feel like I get less done. It’s not just the commute or the distractions – though those are definitely real. It’s the energy of being on all day:
- The constant interruptions
- The effort to present myself in a way that feels both professional and comfortable
- The small talk by the coffee machine
- And the background noise of other people’s tasks, meetings, and conversations
As an introvert, I find it exhausting, which makes it hard to think clearly.
Remote work lets me bypass all of that. It gives me the conditions where I can focus for long stretches, reflect before responding, and structure my day in ways that protect my energy – not drain it.
It’s also helped me recognize and embrace my strengths:
- Deep concentration
- Thoughtful communication
- Self-direction
- And empathy
In an office, these traits can be easy to overlook. But remotely, they become assets. Over time, I’ve learned to build systems that let me lead in a way that’s true to me.
That’s the power of remote work. It doesn’t just accommodate introversion – it can amplify it.
It’s great for building a business
Remote work opened up a world of opportunities for me very early on. It enabled me to start my first company. Even without big budgets, I was able to:
- Hire the best talent
- Build a successful company
- Manage a happy and productive team
- And be profitable very early on
I didn’t have to worry about big expenses like office rent, and thanks to hiring globally, I had access to a bigger pool of talent.
My team benefited too. They found something rare: better work-life balance, improved quality of life, and an escape from office politics.
And that early freedom revealed something deeper – remote work doesn’t just help you start a business. It helps you grow one.
And building culture
The queen bee doesn’t have to leave the hive to know everyone is doing what’s needed to keep the colony alive and thriving.
Like the queen bee, I also don’t have to worry about my team’s productivity. I’ve been able to build the company culture I wanted. And that ego-free culture of accountability, trust, and responsibility started because I was remote.
If I had an office, I wouldn’t have felt the need to develop this culture – at least not that early on. Everyone would be easily reachable, and if there was a problem, I could simply go to their desk and ask.
With a remote team, it doesn’t work that way. You need to trust them and create systems that allow everyone (even those without great organizational skills!) to be productive.
But it’s not for everyone
As you can tell by now, remote work is the clean code to my deployment. It has served me very well for the past 25+ years. I know I’ve been fortunate – but I also know that’s not everyone’s experience.
In reality, not every company or person fits well in a remote culture. Remote work presents its own challenges, often ones that lead many to quit this lifestyle. Here are a few challenges I’ve encountered – and how I’ve learned to manage them.
Conflict and misunderstanding
While there are many advantages, an international team can be vulnerable to cultural shocks, differences, and misunderstandings.
I overcame this by establishing honest and transparent conversations from the start. When misunderstandings do occur, because everyone is used to being upfront, it’s usually easier and quicker to reach a resolution. However, it’s still a challenge sometimes.
Problems adjusting
People who come from an in-office background can have a hard time adjusting to being remote.
You have to have a lot of discipline to work from home, and if people aren’t used to working that way, it can be a problem. It’s definitely easier to hire people who know how to work remotely or are at least willing to learn. Either way, it’s important to provide support to help them thrive.
Feeling disconnected
Your team can feel isolated and disconnected if you don’t have in-person meetings or events.
To avoid this, I like to keep my teams relatively small. I try to have one supervisor and around four or five people reporting to them. Because their “circle of influence” is small, everyone knows each other and they have time to create good relationships with each other.
Health challenges
I’ve had people working with me who had to quit because they didn’t adapt to remote work.
If you don’t have the habit of leaving your house, being remote can make you lose all opportunities for human interaction. This can take a toll on your mental health. And if you don’t have the habit of working out (or are not willing to create it), it can lead to health issues.
To prevent this, I encourage everyone to work in a way that suits them. And I’m always cognizant of the potential for problems in these areas and make wellness checks a priority.
Finding your fit
How does a bird learn to fly?
It stretches its wings and practices until it’s ready to leave the nest.
Whether you’re a CEO or part of a team, you’ll only know the best way to work after you’ve stretched your wings a few times. And more importantly, commit to whatever lifestyle you choose. More than stretching wings, you need to make them strong enough to fly.
To be successful in a remote setting, you have to create:
- Strategies
- Processes
- And routines
It’s the only way to make remote work sustainable.
There’s no shortcut, no universal blueprint. Whether you're in an office or working across time zones, it takes intentional effort to make it work.
If you can, try both work settings and see which fits better. It may open up opportunities you never thought possible.
The short version: in the end, it’s about freedom and fit
I’ve been working remotely for the past 25 years, and I can confidently say it has changed my life. It allowed me to build a successful career and even the odds.
Especially as an introvert, remote work taught me to accept myself and my strengths instead of changing who I am. As a business owner, I have been able to hire exceptional talent from across the globe.
There are a few downsides, however, like:
- Dealing with the conflicts and cultural differences
- Managing people who aren’t used to working remotely
- Feelings of disconnection and isolation
- And potential challenges in mental and physical health
But if you can overcome these, you can compete with bigger players and have a real impact in the market.
And even if it doesn’t fit every context, the fact that it can work for so many – across countries, personalities, and circumstances – makes it one of the most powerful shifts of our time.
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Originally published on Medium.com
Content in this blog post by Alex Ponomarev is licensed under CC BY 4.0.
