Remote-First: Definition and What It Means
A company philosophy where remote work is the default mode of operation, with all processes, tools, and culture designed for distributed teams.
Remote-first means a company builds its entire operation around distributed work as the primary mode, not an accommodation. Every meeting has a video link, documentation replaces hallway conversations, and no employee is disadvantaged for not being in a physical office. This differs fundamentally from remote-friendly companies where remote work is permitted but office presence still provides career advantages.
remote-first
A remote-first company is an organization that designs all workflows, communication practices, and cultural norms with distributed team members as the default assumption. While physical offices may exist, they function as optional coworking spaces rather than headquarters where decisions happen.
- 📝 Documentation over meetings — Critical decisions, context, and processes are written down in accessible wikis or docs, not shared verbally in offices
- 🌍 Timezone-aware scheduling — Meetings are minimized, rotated across time zones, or recorded so no region is perpetually disadvantaged
- 🎥 All meetings are video meetings — Even if some participants are in an office together, everyone joins from their own device to equalize the experience
- 💰 Location-agnostic compensation — Many remote-first companies pay the same regardless of employee location, or use transparent geographic formulas
- 📊 Outcomes over presence — Performance is measured by deliverables and impact, not hours logged or visibility in an office
What Makes a Company Truly Remote-First?
The distinction between remote-first and remote-friendly is structural, not semantic. In a remote-friendly company, remote workers adapt to office-centric norms—they dial into meetings where most participants are in a conference room, miss spontaneous decisions made at someone’s desk, and often face invisible barriers to promotion. Remote-first inverts this: the company adapts to distributed work, and anyone choosing to work from an office adapts to remote norms.
This philosophy requires deliberate infrastructure. Remote-first companies invest heavily in asynchronous communication tools, maintain comprehensive internal documentation, and train managers to lead distributed teams effectively. Synchronous meetings become intentional events rather than default behavior. Written communication skills become as valued as presentation skills.
The cultural implications run deep. Remote-first organizations must be explicit about values, expectations, and feedback because the informal socialization of office culture doesn’t exist. This often leads to more transparent, equitable workplaces—but also requires more intentional effort to build connection and trust among team members who may never meet in person.
Examples of Remote-First Companies
GitLab operates as one of the largest all-remote companies with over 2,000 employees across 65+ countries. They maintain a publicly accessible 2,000+ page handbook documenting every process, making them a model for remote-first transparency. GitLab has no offices—remote work isn’t just first, it’s only.
Automattic, the company behind WordPress.com, has been remote-first since its founding in 2005. With 1,900+ employees across 90+ countries, they pioneered practices like asynchronous communication through internal blogs (P2) and annual in-person meetups to build relationships.
Zapier has operated as a fully remote company since 2011, growing to 700+ employees without ever opening an office. They’re known for their transparent approach to remote work, publishing detailed guides on their practices and offering employees $10,000 to set up home offices.
Buffer built their remote-first culture around radical transparency, publicly sharing salaries, equity formulas, and revenue. With a team distributed across 15+ countries, they’ve documented extensively how they maintain culture without physical proximity.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I tell if a company is truly remote-first?
Look for concrete signals: Does leadership work remotely? Are meetings recorded and documented for async access? Is there a public or detailed internal handbook? Ask about promotion rates for remote vs. office employees—in truly remote-first companies, there should be no disparity. Also check if the company has timezone policies that protect employees in non-headquarters regions.
What questions should I ask in interviews to verify remote-first culture?
Ask: "What percentage of your leadership team works remotely?" "How do you handle meetings when team members are in different time zones?" "Can you share your internal documentation practices?" "What tools do you use for asynchronous communication?" "Have fully remote employees been promoted to senior roles?" Vague or defensive answers often indicate remote-friendly at best.
Do remote-first companies ever have offices?
Yes, many remote-first companies maintain optional office spaces or coworking stipends. The key difference is that offices exist for employees who prefer them—not as centers of power where important decisions happen. In a remote-first office, everyone still joins meetings from their own laptop, and no work requires physical presence.
Is remote-first the same as async-first?
They're related but distinct. Remote-first means distributed work is the default; async-first means asynchronous communication is the default. Most remote-first companies adopt async-first practices because synchronous communication across time zones is impractical, but a remote-first company could theoretically require overlapping hours. The strongest remote-first cultures embrace both philosophies.