Questions to Ask Yourself Before You Go Remote

Inspired by Courtland Allen’s Questions to Ask Yourself Before Starting (a Business) post on Indie Hackers

Remote is as much of a lifestyle choice as FIRE or Keto, and just like those other choices, making the decision to adopt this lifestyle will not only affect your life but also the lives of other people around you, so before you decide to go remote, you need to spend some time determining whether it’s the lifestyle that you want for yourself.

The question of what do you want (or do not want) for your life

We all want different things. Many of us want a healthy work-life balance. Some don’t want to leave their hometowns for jobs. Others want more creative freedom, or the ability to work from anywhere on any schedule. It’s not hard to see how working remotely can enable that for anyone.

In fact, I’m a prime example — I spent four years of my life spending at least three hours every day either inside a car or a train to get to and from my college and knew going remote was my only option to avoid an experience like that ever again. I also remember rejecting a fast-growing startup based out of Gurgaon when their COO asked me to spend close to 40% of my salary to rent an apartment near the office when I told him that I didn’t want to commute daily.

Those were my convictions and hopefully, the questions I have curated below can help you find yours:

• Do I enjoy working on multiple projects at a time or one project for a long time?
• Am I good at motivating myself to work, or do I need others to hold me accountable?
• Am I usually happier working alone or with other people?
• What kinds of people would I like to meet and interact with? How will I meet these people?
• Will my roommates/family be comfortable if I decide to work from home?
• What aspects of my life do I want to keep intact no matter what?
• How much free time do I want to have in my life?
• How much money do I want to make?
• In an ideal world, what kind of life would I want to live, and what kind of person would I be?
• What parts of working remotely scare or worry me? What parts excite me?

Keep in mind that you don’t need to use this exact list. It’s just here to give you a rough idea of getting in the right mindset before you decide to make the shift to remote.