Running a company in person has benefits

Joe Speiser thought his company, Hampton, was crushing it as a fully remote team. Then they opened an office in Manhattan, had 12 people meet just three days a week… and suddenly progress exploded.

The hidden power of in-person collisions

When people share space, spontaneous conversations happen. Those five-minute chats often save days of Slack messages and meetings. The office turned out to be an accelerator, not a leash.

Why it works

• Fast feedback loops: Ideas move way quicker in person.
• Social energy: Group momentum fuels motivation.
• Implicit communication: Body language = fewer misunderstandings.
• Creative sparks: Serendipity breeds innovation.

Real-world examples

• Shopify reopened key hubs after noticing remote execution lagged.
• Airbnb’s hybrid team accelerated feature launches by 30%.
• Stripe’s docs team improved turnaround by co-working twice/week.