Remote teams

Remote teams

After joining the ranks of the " overemployed" in 2021, John, a millennial software engineer based in California, earned as much as $300,000 annually working multiple full-time remote roles. The extra income boosted his earnings to over $300,000 a year, allowing him to grow his savings and splurge on things like a roughly $9,000 honeymoon with his wife. "I figured I'd give it a shot," John told Business Insider in 2023.

Teams are one of humanity's greatest tools of innovation and discovery. One study showed that teams are six times more likely than individuals to produce breakthrough scientific innovations. But working in teams doesn't guarantee success. Groups can also make us less motivated, conformist, and polarized. In my new book, The Collective Edge: Unlocking the Secret Power of Groups, I rifled through decades of research about how to get the most from your teams.

We help brands hire college-age students, and we built our product to be transparent, low-barrier to entry, and help with imposter syndrome. Our platform is different than a Handshake or other early-talent job boards because the opportunities are very project-based, and they're mostly not full-time roles. Companies use the platform for Gen Z research, product testing, sourcing interns, ambassador programs, and content creation.

Industry observers note three key factors driving this change. First, company maturity: Web3 startups that began 5-8 years ago are moving beyond their initial startup phase and discovering they need more structured knowledge transfer and team coordination. Second, trust and quality issues have emerged as anonymous developer problems created challenges around verifiable professional identity and quality assurance. Third, knowledge transfer needs have become critical as complex blockchain technology requires senior-to-junior mentoring and cross-functional collaboration.

I've built companies like SetSchedule and Rentastic across proptech, fintech, AI and insurance. I've sold businesses that generated billions in financial products and tens of millions in recurring revenue. I've hired wrong, I've hired right. I've scaled too fast, and I've scaled smart. And I'll tell you this from firsthand experience: Hiring offshore isn't controversial - it's intelligent. It's practical. It's how real businesses scale in the real world.

First, urge everyone to keep their cameras on. In most meetings, maintaining visual contact is the norm. But if this is not the practice, urge the moderator or your colleagues to keep their cameras on. Body language and facial gestures play a big role in persuasion. Seeing others allows you to "read" your audience. Strong body language and eye contact on your part will strengthen your pitch.