Studio
Notes from a remote-first studio
We are four people in three time zones and we have never had a shared office. Here is what we have learned about making that work without turning into a calendar full of calls.
One weekly rhythm
Everything that needs a decision happens in a single weekly window that overlaps for all of us. The rest of the week is asynchronous. If something cannot wait for that window, it is usually not urgent, it is just loud.
Writing is the default
Decisions go in writing, in the project own document, with the date and the reason. It is slower than a call in the moment and much faster a month later, when nobody remembers why the thing is the way it is.
Small teams need visible work
With four people there is no manager to notice when something is stuck. We keep a short daily note in the project channel: what moved, what is blocked, what needs a decision. Two lines is enough.
The cost of being small
Being small means we cannot absorb a surprise with extra hands. So we plan for fewer parallel projects, keep a real buffer, and protect the weekly window. That is the trade, and it is worth it.