Friday, October 22, 2010

Spies, Thieves, and Treehugger



Following a recent Treehugger article, I felt I should explain the purpose of Peerdrum more clearly...

I spent 5 years teleworking for one company.  I spent the next 5 years managing teleworkers for my own company.  I have an intimate understanding of the intricate pros and cons of both sides of the fence. I designed Peerdrum to fill in the holes that I found in each component to encourage teleworking. It takes balance to work or manage remotely.  After all, no one wants to be taken advantage of and no one wants to be spied on.  

Manager:
Results are what matter, but most teleworkers charge hourly.  When I'd ask a worker to get me their designs, it would result in a lengthy review session of me telling them what they need to go back and fix. Then more waiting, more hours, more wondering how it was going, more money. Rinse. Repeat.  I've also been charged 30 hours for things that looked like they received about 10 minutes of attention. Try arguing with a remote worker about how much time they spent on something. Seriously, go ahead...  I don’t care whatever else they were doing or the time they spent doing it.  I just didn’t want to be charged for it.

Teleworker:
You know what I love best about teleworking? I love that I can step into the other room whenever I want and play with my kids, hug my wife, or take a stroll outside. It’s not less time spent working - it’s time freedom.  Being able to choose when these moments occur is what matters.
Professional teleworkers are serious about focus & time management. When it’s game time, we turn off the phone, the email, the updates, and avoid distractions online. We’re ready to show off our awesomeness.  "Watch this..."

Summary - Manager:
If you want to be able to scrutinize your team’s every move, we’re not for you.  There are plenty of other apps out there for that. However, if you’d like something to help minimize remote worker concerns, welcome to Margaritaville.

Summary - Teleworker:
If you’re in the habit of billing clients for time you’re not working, then we’re not for you. If you can benefit from sharing your progress while you work, or if you work the hours you bill and are proud to prove it, we love you long time.

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