Part 2: How We Work

Remote-First, Not Remote-Tolerant

We're a distributed company. Not "we allow remote work" but "remote is how we work."

This means:

No headquarters. There's no office where the "real" decisions happen.
Written communication is the default. If it's not written down, it didn't happen.
Async-first, not async-only. We default to async because it respects everyone's time and focus. But we're not robots. Voice builds connection. Video builds trust. We use sync when it matters.
Location doesn't affect pay. Same role, same work, same pay. Whether you're in London, Leeds, or Lisbon. The work is the value, not your postcode.

What We Expect

You have a reliable internet connection and a quiet place to work when you need it
You're self-directed and don't need someone watching over your shoulder
You communicate proactively, especially when you're stuck or blocked
You show up for the moments that matter (team calls, quarterly gatherings)

What We Don't Expect

You to be online at specific hours (with some exceptions, see below)
You to respond immediately to every message
You to pretend you're working when you're not
You to have a perfect home office setup from day one (we help with that)

The 4-Day Week

We work Monday to Thursday. Fridays are off.

This isn't a perk we'll abandon when things get busy. It's a commitment. We believe you do better work when you have time to rest, think, and live your life. If we can't build a successful company in four days, we're doing something wrong.

The exception: Emergency customer support runs on a rotation. If production is down or there's a genuine crisis, someone covers it. But "the client wants something by Monday" is not an emergency.

Core Hours (Sort Of)

We don't have rigid working hours. Work when you're most effective.

But we do have a soft overlap window: roughly 10am to 1pm UK time. During this window, aim to be available for quick back-and-forth if needed. Outside that window, it's fully async. No expectation of immediate response.

If you're heads-down and need focus time, set your Slack status. If something's genuinely urgent, people will say so explicitly.

Communication

The Hierarchy

Written async (Slack, Linear) — The default for almost everything
Voice note or voice call — When tone matters or typing would take forever
Video call — For connection, complex discussions, or real-time problem-solving
In-person — For the big moments (quarterly planning, annual retreat, onboarding)

Response Expectations

Respond to colleagues within the same working day when they need input to unblock their work.

That's the standard. Not "within minutes." Not "whenever you feel like it." Within the same working day, during your working hours.

If you're in deep focus mode, that's fine. Set your status. Catch up when you surface.

Out-of-Hours

Don't message people outside their working hours expecting a response. If it's a genuine emergency (production down, security incident, legal issue), call. If you're unsure whether it's an emergency, it probably isn't.

The goal is that everyone can fully disconnect when they're not working. That only works if we respect boundaries.

Meetings

Every meeting earns its place. Most don't.

The Rules

Agenda required. No agenda, no meeting.
Pre-read if needed. Don't waste sync time on things people could read beforehand.
Clear outcome. What decision are we making? What problem are we solving?
Default to 25 or 50 minutes. Leave buffer for humans to breathe between calls.

The Rhythm

Cadence	What	Duration
3x weekly	Async voice check-in (Mon/Wed/Thu)	90 seconds max
Weekly	Team sync (video)	45 minutes
Monthly	Strategic review (video)	2 hours
Quarterly	Planning and retro (in-person)	Full day
Annual	Company retreat (in-person)	2 days

Async Check-ins

Instead of daily standups that interrupt everyone's morning, we do async voice notes:

Monday: "Here's what I'm shipping this week" + any blockers
Wednesday/Thursday: "Here's what's stuck or needs input"

Voice, not text. 90 seconds max. Human voice builds connection in a way typing doesn't.

Weekly Team Sync

Our one recurring video call:

5 min: Personal check-in ("how are you?" not "what are you doing?")
30 min: Metrics, decisions, issues to resolve
5 min: Proud moment (one thing you're proud of this week)
5 min: Review of decisions made

We start with humans, end with celebration.

In-Person Time

Remote doesn't mean isolated. We gather in person:

Quarterly: Full-day planning and retrospective
Annually: 2-day company retreat, somewhere worth going

For the first 90 days after you join, we'll make sure you meet the team in person at least once. Relationships built face-to-face are stronger.

Tools

We use fewer tools, not more.

Tool	What it's for
Slack	Real-time and async communication
Linear	Issues, roadmap, product decisions, technical docs, process docs
Deel	People admin, time off, onboarding
Google Workspace	Docs, calendar, email, HR policies, legal documents, contracts, templates

That's it. We resist adding tools unless there's a genuine gap.

Where Documentation Lives

Linear: Product documentation, technical decisions, process docs, roadmap, and anything related to how we build and ship.

Google Drive (Company shared drive): HR policies, legal documents, employment contracts, templates, and sensitive employee-specific policies. Things that need to be private or have legal/compliance requirements.

We're working to make more of our policies public over time. For now, if something isn't in this handbook, check the Company shared drive in Google Drive.

Security Expectations

Use strong, unique passwords (we use 1Password as our company password manager)
Enable 2FA on everything
Don't share credentials
Lock your screen when you step away
If you lose a device or suspect a breach, tell us immediately

Documentation

Document: Decisions, guidelines, processes, things someone will need in three months.

Don't document: Every meeting, one-off conversations, status updates, things that change weekly.

The goal is a searchable record of how we work and what we've decided, not a bureaucratic paper trail. If you're wondering "should I write this down?" — if someone else might need it later, yes. If it's just for this moment, probably not.

Time Off

The Policy

Unlimited, with expectations.

"Unlimited" policies often backfire. People take less time off because there's no clear entitlement. So here's our expectation: take at least 25 days per year, not including public holidays. More if you need it.

If you're not taking enough time off, we'll notice and say something. Rest isn't optional.

How It Works

Give reasonable notice. Two weeks for a week off. More for longer breaks.
Tell the team. Post in Slack, block your calendar, update Linear.
Don't disappear. Make sure someone knows what's happening with your work.
Actually disconnect. Don't check Slack. Don't "just quickly" respond to something. Be off.

Sick Leave

If you're ill, you're ill. Tell someone, rest, come back when you're better. We don't need a doctor's note for a cold. We trust you.

If you're dealing with something longer-term, let's talk about how we can support you.

Public Holidays

Take the public holidays for your country. If you want to swap one for a different day that matters more to you (religious holiday, cultural celebration, whatever), that's fine. Just let the team know.

Equal Pay, Everywhere

We pay the same for the same work, regardless of where you live.

Many companies adjust salaries based on local cost of living. We don't. If you're a Product Builder in Newcastle or Porto or Berlin, you're paid the same as a Product Builder in London. The work is the value.

This means:

Salary ranges are published on job ads. You know what the role pays before you apply.
Team can see all salaries internally. No secret negotiations. No wondering if you're paid fairly.
Same role, same level = same pay. No exceptions based on location or negotiation skill.

We think this is fairer. It also means we can hire the best people wherever they are, without the awkwardness of "well, you're in a cheaper city, so..."

A Note on Location in Early Stages

In our early stages, we'll optimise for UK-based hires or those in similar time zones. It's simpler for employment logistics, payroll, and real-time collaboration when we're small.

This isn't a red line. If the right person is in a different location, we'll make it work. But if you're wondering whether location matters: slightly, for now, for practical reasons. Not because we value the work differently.

How Decisions Get Made

The Principle

Reversibility determines authority.

If it's easy to undo, just do it. Tell people after.
If it's hard to undo, pause and discuss first.

In Practice

Decision type	Who decides
Small product improvements	You, autonomously
Major features or architecture	Team discussion, founder decides
Customer issue within guidelines	You, autonomously
Customer issue outside guidelines	Founder involved
Spending under £200	You, autonomously
Spending £200-1000	Founder approves
Spending over £1000	Founder decides with input
Anything about people (hiring, etc.)	Founder always involved

The Culture

Bias to action. Don't wait for permission on reversible things.
Disagree and commit. Once we've decided, we all commit. No relitigating.
Weekly review, not pre-approval. Decisions get reviewed in the weekly sync. We catch patterns and learn, but nobody is a bottleneck.

This is Part 2 of the thredspan handbook. Next: Part 3: Your Career Here