When starting Speckle out, we had no choice but to go full in remote. Teo and I had perfect timing: just as the first COVID-19 lockdown hit, we quit our jobs. We closed our pre-seed a few months later (and we had to wait a few weeks to finally meet in person on Primrose Hill to celebrate).
We can evaluate at how remote influenced Speckle so far from multiple angles.
It is, for sure, adding complexity to everything: company ops, communication skills across employees, etc.
It opened up a wider talent pool. On the other hand, we also learnt the hard way that we need a generous overlap in time zones.
No office rent. On the other hand, we're probably spending an equivalent amount of cash on company retreats.
It's interesting to see news headlines nowadays saying how large companies, many of which we look up to (at least compensation-wise), are taking the "get back to the office" discourse up a notch. The mood has obviously shifted from heralding in a new world of knowledge workers putting in their hours from idyllic settings and reaching a nirvana of work-life-balance to... get back in the office, you!
Probably my biggest personal gripe with remote working is the shifting of having to provide real estate from the company to the employee. If you have a spare bedroom or closet, you're all set - if not, you're a bit on your own. Where I live - London - this is not the easiest feat to have. From a personal angle: I save money on the commute, but I'm paying that n-times over for a "remote" working flat.