The Way Digital Technology Lets Us Work

October 10 is Digital Day in Japan.

When we hear the word "digital," we might think of AI, cloud computing, new services, or apps.

But for me, one of the biggest changes brought about by digital technology is something much closer to everyday life.

It has given us more freedom to choose where and how we work.

Remote work isn't new at Xoxzo

Xoxzo has been a fully remote company since its founding.

Our team members don't gather in the same office.

Instead, we live and work in different parts of the world.

Even so, we see each other at our weekly All Hands Meeting.

When someone posts something on Slack, someone else, somewhere else, responds.

We ask questions, discuss problems, share ideas, and sometimes simply chat.

We don't have to be in the same place to work together.

At Xoxzo, remote work isn't a special policy that was introduced later.

It has always been The Way We Work.

When the commute disappears, more than time changes

One of the most commonly mentioned benefits of remote work is eliminating the commute.

And of course, that is a significant benefit.

But after working this way for a long time, I've realized that the commute itself isn't the only thing that disappears.

There's the time spent getting ready to leave home.

Choosing and buying clothes for the workplace.

Having to eat lunch at a certain time and place.

And even choosing where to live based on where you need to commute.

Without a commute, some of those small constraints begin to disappear as well.

At lunchtime, I can prepare whatever I feel like eating in my own kitchen.

And when my child comes home from school, I'm there.

I can be working and still say,

"Welcome home."

For me, that is an enormous kind of freedom.

Remote work became visible to many more people

During the COVID-19 pandemic, remote work suddenly received far more attention than it had before.

Working without commuting became a possibility that many more people came to know firsthand.

Working from home was no longer something associated mainly with writers, manga artists, craftspeople, or others whose work could traditionally be done from a home or studio.

People working for companies could also sit at a computer at home and work with colleagues in other locations.

The pandemic made this way of working much more visible.

At the same time, some people had to work from home even when remote work did not suit their lifestyle, personality, or home environment.

Some people find it difficult to concentrate at home.

Some prefer a clear separation between work and personal life.

Others simply feel better working face-to-face with people in the same place.

Remote work does not automatically mean freedom for everyone.

This way of working fits my life

Working from home has its challenges, too.

You have to create your own boundaries between work and personal life.

There isn't always someone sitting at the desk beside you, so communication often requires more conscious effort.

Even so, this way of working fits my life very well.

I can work while remaining close to my family.

I can live where I want to live.

I can organize my day around my life rather than organizing my life around a commute.

I don't have to give those things up in order to work.

Without digital technology, working this way would have been much more difficult.

What digital technology has really given us

So I don't think what digital technology has made possible is simply:

"Everyone can work remotely."

Instead, it has added another possibility.

Working in an office.

Working from home.

Working with people who live far away.

Working from a place that fits your own life.

It has given us another way to choose how we work.

That may be one of the most important changes of all.

Technology doesn't have to make everyone work in the same way.

Perhaps one of its greatest values is exactly the opposite:

It can give different people more ways to choose what works for them.

This is The Way We Work

When we talk about digital technology, it's easy to think first about AI, cloud computing, APIs, and new services.

But what digital technology has given me is something much closer to everyday life.

Where I live.

How I work.

How I spend time with my family.

It has given me more choices in all of them.

Today, the people at Xoxzo are still living in different parts of the world and working together.

We may be far apart, but we build and support the same services as one company.

This is The Way We Work, made possible by digital technology.

October 10 is Digital Day.

Here's to the way of working that digital technology has made possible for us.