The Hidden Cost of Remote Work
Remote looks attractive in the short run, no commute, lower expenses, the ease of home. But years later, the regret surfaces. You realise you missed out on the social side of work, the compounding of proximity, the unspoken lessons that come only from being in the room.
Kunal Shah posted recently about professionals choosing hometown comfort over big-city grind. It feels like a win in the short term, but the real cost shows up much later.
Same pattern is very visible at work, the difference between those who show up in person every day and those who don’t is night and day. The ones who show up in the office daily have grown faster. They're not just coding tickets, they're part of the flow. They overhear product debates, they notice how seniors navigate conflicts, they absorb how priorities shift. No one explicitly teaches them culture, but they pick it up anyway.
They also contribute more. In discussions, in reviews, in casual chats. Because they've seen the messy, unpolished parts of work, they're not afraid to voice an opinion. They feel the pulse of the team.
Compare this with those working remotely. They're skilled. They deliver. But growth is slower. They miss the osmosis. Culture doesn't travel over Zoom. They only see the polished version - the agenda-driven meetings, the Jira tickets, the final calls. They don't overhear, they don't catch context, so they often wait until asked.
And that's the real difference. Comfort is visible today, but acceleration is invisible until years later.
We already know the social side of this matters. That's why we send kids to schools and colleges, not just to read textbooks but to interact, to learn from peers, to form networks, to grow socially. Everyone accepts that as obvious. So why do we flip our stance once the same kids graduate and start jobs? Why do we suddenly act like learning and growth can happen in isolation?
The social aspect doesn't expire when you turn 21.
For leaders, this isn't just about individual growth. It's about culture and bonding. Teams that sit together develop trust faster. They understand each other's quirks, they build shorthand ways of working, they create belonging. Remote fragments that. And when trust is weak, speed and creativity both take a hit.
I wrote earlier about how remote work was never the dream but a survival strategy during COVID (Why Remote Work Is Not The Same). This is the same thread. Presence is undervalued because its benefits compound silently in the background.
I always liked being in the office every day. It kept me plugged into the energy of the team. I learned by just walking around, catching a quick comment, or noticing how someone frames a tough problem. That's hard to replicate remotely.
We tend to frame office presence as a cost: commute, rent, routine. But if you care about growth, culture, and long-term career acceleration, that presence is actually an investment. The ROI shows up later, when you're sharper, more confident, and more fluent in how things actually get done.
Remember: Comfort is cheap. Growth is expensive. And the price is showing up.
