The World’s Best Remote First Companies

A Guest Post from Bill Kerr

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Bill Kerr & Justin Gordon
October 20, 2024

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Hey! Justin here, and welcome to Just Go Grind, a newsletter sharing the lessons, tactics, and stories of world-class founders! Today we’ve got another guest post from Bill Kerr, the founder and CEO of Athyna and author of Open Source CEO. Bill is here to take us through how remote-first companies are not just surviving but thriving, proving that remote work is here to stay.

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Now I’ll let Bill take it away with his guest post, followed by a few of my recent founder deep dives. You can read this post online below as it’ll likely get clipped by Gmail for being too long.

The Most Successful Remote-First Companies Reshaping Industries

When the world went remote in 2021, it felt like an experiment. Now, the debate rages on: should we stay remote or return to the office? The truth is, remote work works—if you do it right.

In today’s piece, we’re exploring how top companies are thriving with a remote-first model. From the explosive growth of Deel and Wiz to established tech powerhouses like Zapier, Coinbase, and Atlassian, these companies are proving that working from anywhere is transforming industries.

Why am I well-positioned to speak on this topic?—Well, I run a small but successful remote startup, Athyna. We have 90% engagement and are growing faster than most, all while being fully global since day one. And we help companies do it too. Anyway, I think you’re going to enjoy today’s post, let’s dive in.

GitLab, the remote work OGs

Founded in 2014, GitLab has been all-remote from day one—no headquarters, no central office, just a team spread across more than 65 countries. They embraced the remote lifestyle way before it was the cool thing to do. GitLab's culture doesn't just accommodate remote work—it thrives on it. Transparency isn't just a buzzword; it's a way of life. Every meeting note, project update, and even their entire company handbook is public. Yep, anyone can read it online. That's a level of openness that's both bold and refreshingly original.

Thanks to their philosophy, communication is where GitLab shines. They've nailed asynchronous workflows, making time zones a non-issue. Teams collaborate seamlessly using tools like Slack, Zoom, and, of course, GitLab itself. Meetings are recorded and shared so no one misses out, fostering inclusivity and keeping every "GitLabber" in the loop, no matter where they're dialing in from.

But it's not just about the tools—they've built a culture of trust and autonomy. Employees are empowered to make decisions and own their work. They genuinely believe that work is what you do, not where you go. This mindset attracts top-tier talent who value flexibility without sacrificing impact. In today's hyper-competitive talent market, that's a serious game-changer.

GitLab also puts a big emphasis on work-life harmony. They encourage taking time off and respecting personal boundaries. They get that well-rested employees are more creative and productive. It's a win-win that many companies talk about but few actually pull off.

In essence, GitLab has turned remote work into an art form. They've proven that with the right culture and mindset, a company can not only function but flourish without a physical office. They're not just adapting to the future of work—they're defining it.

Airbnb: Reinventing remote with long-term stays

First up, we have Airbnb, everyone’s go-to app for getaways, which embraced remote work during the pandemic via a Twitter thread from founder Brian Chesky, and they’ve stuck with it ever since.

Source; Twitter.

“The world has become more flexible. Our business wouldn’t have recovered as quickly from the pandemic if it hadn’t been for millions of people working from Airbnbs. We also had the most productive two-year period in our company’s history—all while working remotely,” Chesky said.

Interestingly, long-term stays and work-from-anywhere bookings are the fastest-growing segments of Airbnb’s business. With millions working from Airbnb, it’s clear that remote work is reshaping industries far beyond tech.

As the biggest of big tech have been walking back their move to remote, Airbnb has held firm. Chesky himself has spent time traveling and working from Airbnb. It seems the world of remote is here to stay for the team at Airbnb.

Wiz: The startup that said “no” to $23 billion from Google

Imagine turning down a $23 billion acquisition offer from Google—that's exactly what Wiz did. Founded in March 2020, this cloud security upstart didn't just decline; its CEO, Assaf, dropped an absolute mic-drop letter to his employees. "While we are flattered by offers we have received," he wrote, "we have chosen to continue on our path to building Wiz. Let me cut to the chase: our next milestones are $1 billion in ARR and an IPO. Saying no to such humbling offers is tough, but with our exceptional team, I feel confident in making that choice." That is a leader with some serious swagger.

So, what's the magic behind Wiz? They operate under a flexible remote work policy: employees can choose to work from any of their global offices, fully remote, or a mix of both. This model hasn't just fueled their rapid global expansion; it's also been a magnet for top talent worldwide who value flexibility.

In the hyper-competitive cybersecurity field—one of the hottest talent markets out there—being able to attract a diverse and dynamic team is a game-changer for innovation.

Leadership at Wiz emphasizes a culture of innovation and continuous improvement, all driven by a mission to simplify cloud security for clients. Their remote work setup fosters an inclusive environment where employees, affectionately known as "Wizards," are encouraged to contribute ideas and solutions no matter where they're located. Smart move, right?

Fast forward to 2023, and Wiz has achieved a valuation of $12 billion after raising $1 billion in a Series E funding round. The real magic lies in their product, the market opportunities ahead, and their incredible team of around 2,000 Wizards. They've quickly climbed to prominence in the cloud security landscape, and with goals like $1 billion in annual recurring revenue and an IPO on the horizon, they're just getting started.

Coinbase: Redefining decentralization in remote work

Coinbase, the crypto exchange giant, embraced remote-first in May 2020, and by February 2022, they took it a step further, closing their San Francisco headquarters. CEO Brian Armstrong made it clear: this was not a temporary move. Coinbase’s decentralized office model aligns with their mission of promoting global economic freedom.

“Employees can work from an office or remotely—it’s up to them,” says Armstrong. By allowing employees to choose their preferred work style, Coinbase has managed to scale efficiently while tapping into talent worldwide.

@wallstreetjournal

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong explains the thinking behind his company’s “remote-first” work policy. #brianarmstrong #coinbase #crypto #wf... See more

(Coinbase CEO, Brian Armstrong, on his company’s “remote-first” work policy.)

Coinbase celebrated a profitable quarter for the first time in two years in Q4 of 2023. They did $273 million in net income for the fourth quarter of 2023, putting the net profitability for all of 2023 at $95 million. An amazing effort, and just another example of one of the tech leaders, crushing things as a fully remote, decentralized, organization.

Deel: The next big player in SaaS

Deel’s rapid ascent in the SaaS world is no accident—it’s a $100 billion juggernaut in the making that just happens to be remote at its core. By enabling businesses to hire talent from anywhere, Deel simplifies global hiring by handling payroll, taxes, benefits, and compliance, maintaining its entities in hundreds of countries.

It’s more than a tool for startups—it’s a lifeline for enterprises, ensuring compliance while helping companies thrive by tapping into top-tier talent from cost-effective regions like South America, Africa, and Southeast Asia. After the market crash in late 2022, Deel, along with Oyster and Remote, pivoted to hire primarily from these regions, giving companies access to high-quality employees at up to 80% lower costs than in the U.S. or Europe.

Source; Athyna.

Earlier this year I was able to interview Deel COO, Dan Westgarth, on how they think about the talent they hire remotely; “Be open-minded about the countries in which you can hire and the quality of talent you can find. I have been overwhelmed at how good remote talent has been in some countries that I had only heard ever about in a geography lesson during high school but haven’t heard about in recent years! We have found amazing talent from less well-traveled and less well-known countries,” was one of the interesting things he told me.

Deel, who has a totally remote, global team, and from day one, will be one of the true success stories of the wild 2021-2022 vintage of startups. We will hear from them for years to come.

Atlassian: Building a remote-first culture with 'Team Anywhere'

Atlassian, the Australian software giant, embraced remote work with their ‘Team Anywhere’ approach. Launched in 2020, this initiative allows employees the flexibility to work from anywhere—whether from home, a co-working space, or even a new city.

By the end of 2023, Atlassian had over 10,000 employees working in locations around the world. Their behavioral science team constantly runs experiments like reducing meeting times to just 50% of the workday, which led to a significant boost in productivity.

Atlassian’s remote model proves that intentional time management and flexibility can unlock massive potential for distributed teams.

Up-and-coming remote players: beehiiv, Attio, PostHog, Athyna

While companies like Deel and Zapier dominate the spotlight, a wave of rising startups is also making remote-first their foundation. Companies like beehiiv, Attio, PostHog, and my own company, Athyna, are all proving that remote work isn’t just for the big players.

PostHog, for example, has embraced asynchronous work and open-source values to scale rapidly. These startups are just the beginning—remote work is quickly becoming the default.

Final thoughts

Let’s wrap this up. The rise of remote-first companies isn’t just a pandemic-driven trend—it’s a transformational shift in how businesses operate, hire, and grow. From Zapier’s seamless global collaboration to Deel’s role in revolutionizing global hiring, and from Coinbase’s decentralized approach to Wiz’s flexible work culture, these companies are proving that remote work is more than just viable—it’s the future.

What’s clear is that remote-first organizations aren’t just cutting costs—they’re unlocking new talent pools, fostering innovation, and redefining what it means to be a global company. If you’re ready to embrace this new world of work, it’s time to take a page out of their playbook.

The future is remote, the talent is global, and the opportunities are endless. So, what are you waiting for? The best teams are out there—no longer limited by geography but united by vision and values.

Extra Reading

📚 Recent Founder Deep Dives

In the past year and a half, I’ve written dozens of deep dives on world-class founders, sharing how they built their companies. These typically take 20-30 hours to research and write. The most recent ones are below:

Best,

Justin

Founder of Just Go Grind and Village Lane

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P.P.S. Want to work with me 1 on 1?

P.P.P.S. Hiring? Check out the team at Athyna.

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