Always in the Same Room: How Remote Work Really Works for Us

"Remote work is isolating and lonely" – we hear this all the time. And yes, for many people it feels exactly like that: alone in front of a screen, Slack messages instead of conversations, the feeling of being somehow disconnected. But it doesn't have to be that way. At IDENTIC Projects, we work fully remote – and yet we sit together every single day.

The Office We No Longer Need

We used to have an office building. When we were still working in other industries, it was part of the deal. But as we focused on IT and digital solutions, we quickly realized: we don't need this building anymore. Our work happens on computers, our clients are elsewhere anyway, and our team is spread across North Rhine-Westphalia – from Bochum to Sundern and Herdecke, all the way to Bielefeld, Monheim, and Mönchengladbach.

The decision to give up the office wasn't a cost-cutting measure. It was the honest realization that a physical space no longer adds value to the way we work. What we need instead is a space for exchange – and that can be virtual too.

Our Virtual Office: All Day in the Same Meet

What sets us apart from most remote teams: we're in a shared Google Meet all day long. Not just for a 15-minute daily standup before everyone goes their separate ways – but truly throughout the entire day. Cameras on, microphones on, as if we were sitting in the same room.

That might sound overwhelming to some. But it works because it's voluntary and natural. Nobody forces anyone to keep their camera on. Nobody checks whether you "look productive." Yet everyone has their camera on – because we want to, not because we have to.

When someone wants to focus, they simply mute themselves and get into their flow. For important things, a quick ping. Done. No complicated rules, no policies. It just requires trust that everyone does their job – and we have that.

Why This Works Better Than Expected

The biggest advantage: we're constantly in exchange. A quick question, a spontaneous thought, a problem you're stuck on – all of this happens naturally, just like it would in a real office. Only without the commute and without the downsides of open-plan offices.

What comes out of this are often better solutions. Because someone happens to overhear and raises an objection. Because you quickly get a second opinion. Because nobody disappears into their own silo. Everyone stays up to date, everyone knows what the others are working on. This doesn't happen through elaborate status meetings, but organically – the way work should actually be.

Another effect: flexibility. When work isn't tied to a location, you can work from anywhere. Travel for longer periods and still be there every day – that was modern and exciting a few years ago, today it's just normal for us.

The Human Side: More Than Colleagues

Remote doesn't mean we never see each other. Every one to two months we meet in person – sometimes for work, sometimes just because. And once a year we do a city trip as a team.

This year we went to Budapest. Not just any city trip – we built the whole event around a concert by Luke, one of our partners. Luke makes music on the side with his band Rigorious, and when it became clear they were playing in Budapest, the question wasn't whether we'd go, but just how to organize it. Concert, exploring the city, spending time together. This wasn't a classic "team event" from an HR catalog – it was simply what happens when you work with people you actually like.

Even in everyday life, boundaries sometimes blur – in the best way. Our virtual meeting room isn't exclusive. From time to time, old acquaintances we used to work with drop by. Just for a quick chat, a hello, an update. It doesn't feel like "remote work." It feels like community.

The Best of Both Worlds

Remote work doesn't have to mean being alone. And in-person work isn't automatically better for collaboration. What matters is the mindset behind it: do we actually want to work together, or are we just coincidentally in the same building?

We've chosen a path that fits us. A virtual office that's always open. Real meetups when they make sense. And the freedom to be part of it from anywhere.

We haven't missed the office building. The space we've created instead – we wouldn't give that up for anything.