18: Distributed teams

This podcast episode focuses on the advantages and disadvantages of working on a distributed team, primarily from the perspective of someone working remotely. The speaker discusses three common misconceptions about remote work, then details the benefits (flexible schedule, customized workspace, and freedom from office politics) and drawbacks (lack of spontaneous communication, difficulty maintaining team cohesion, and challenges with asynchronous collaboration). Specific strategies for mitigating the drawbacks are offered, including over-communication, frequent video calls, and in-person team meetings. The episode concludes by listing several tools used for remote collaboration, such as Slack, BlueJeans, and Pivotal Tracker.