Proven tools and methods for organizing remote work in development teams.
"Remote work is the future" - we've heard this for years. Then 2020 came and it turned out the future arrived overnight. After 4+ years of 100% remote work, we know what works and what's a trap.
Tools we actually use
Slack + Google Meet
Slack for quick questions and project channels. Google Meet for video calls (free, stable). Discord for informal integration.
Linear / Jira
Linear for smaller teams (fast, modern UI). Jira for enterprise (flexibility, integrations). Avoid Trello for development - no sprints.
Notion / Confluence
Notion for startups (all-in-one, pretty). Confluence for larger orgs (Jira integration). Google Docs as fallback.
Practices that save mental health
Over-communicate, don't assume
You can't see if someone is busy. Write what you're doing, where you're stuck, when you'll finish. Better too much than too little.
Async-first, meetings as last resort
Before a meeting: can this be a PR comment? Slack message? Document? Meetings are time you won't get back.
Remote work traps
What doesn't work
- "Always available" = burnout
- No camera on meetings = no trust
- Slack instead of documentation = knowledge dies
- Zero informal interactions = no team
What works
- Clear working hours, communicated in status
- Camera-on policy at least for key meetings
- Decisions always in document, not chat
- Virtual coffee, online games, F2F quarterly
Building a remote team?
We'll help set up processes, tools, and remote work culture that doesn't lead to burnout.