🚀 We Canceled Our Office Lease. And No – Business Isn't Suffering. Quite the Opposite.
The key clicked in the lock one last time. Thursday, late afternoon. It was raining outside, silent inside. Unusually quiet for a place where people had laughed, debated, and sometimes cursed for nearly a decade.
We stood in our empty office and it felt wrong. And at the same time, so damn right.
The Story of a Farewell That Isn't Really a Farewell
In 2016, we moved into our first office. Four desks, a coffee machine that made more noise than coffee, and plenty of dreams. Three years later came the move – more space for more people. Up to eight colleagues shared the space, ideas, and sometimes pizza from the Italian place around the corner.
This is where we celebrated when a project went through the roof. This is where we lifted each other up when everything seemed to be going wrong. This is where friendships formed that extend beyond closing time.
And yet we signed the termination notice.
Why We're Letting Go of What We Love
The pandemic taught us all a lesson: offices aren't a prerequisite for good work. They're an option. One of many.
For us, it was like so many others. March 2020 – everyone into home office. Just for a few weeks, we thought. That turned into months. Years. And at some point we realized: it works. Even better than before.
Talent Is Everywhere – Just Not Necessarily in Frankfurt
After the pandemic, we completely overhauled our hiring policy. We used to search within a 50-kilometer radius. Today? Today our best people work from Munich, Hamburg, the Black Forest, and even Spain.
The math is simple: Why should we limit ourselves to a handful of candidates when we can choose from all of Europe? Why should a brilliant developer from Berlin have to move to Frankfurt? Spoiler: They don't have to.
The Numbers Tell a Clear Story
In the last twelve months, we counted the days when more than two people were in the office simultaneously. The result: 23 days. Out of 250 working days per year.
Our client meetings? 95 percent virtual. Clients are based in Stuttgart, Zurich, or Vienna – a quick Teams meeting is more practical for everyone involved than hours of travel.
€22,500 annual rent for 23 days of use. That's almost €1,000 per office day. We can do better things with that money.
What We're Doing with the Money Instead
Entrepreneurship means using resources wisely. Sentimentality is nice, but it doesn't pay bills or drive innovation.
The saved budget now flows into:
Team Events That Actually Connect
Instead of sitting next to each other daily while everyone stares at their own screen, we meet purposefully. Quarterly offsites where we don't just work but also have time for each other. Workations where we discover new places together and get creative in the process.
Training That Makes a Difference
Conferences, workshops, certifications – everything that makes our team even stronger. What used to go into the office, we now invest in minds.
Marketing That Works
Professional web development costs money. Good marketing too. Both were often the first casualties when budgets got tight. That changes now.
Remote-First Is More Than a Buzzword
Since November 20, 2024, we're officially a Remote-First Company. Not Remote-Only – that's an important distinction.
We don't force anyone into home office. Those who want to meet with others book a meeting room in a coworking space. Those who prefer working from home do that. Someone wants to work from Barcelona for a week? As long as the framework conditions are right – go for it.
The Infrastructure Is in Place
We already had cloud-based systems. Secure VPN connections too. Virtual collaboration tools as well. Technically speaking, the step was child's play.
Culturally, it was a bigger adjustment. But we mastered that too. Daily stand-ups work just as well virtually. Pair programming via screen sharing? No problem. Brainstorming sessions? With the right tools, even more productive than at the whiteboard.
What We're Learning
Remote work isn't for everyone. Some people need the clear separation between office and home. Others miss the hallway conversations. Still others struggle with self-discipline.
We've learned: communication is everything. Over-communication is even better. Those who work remotely must be proactive. Speak up when something's wrong. Ask questions, even if they seem trivial. Be present, even without physical presence.
The Advantages Outweigh the Disadvantages
No more commute times. More flexible working hours. Better work-life balance. Access to talent across Europe. Lower fixed costs. More budget for things that matter.
The list is long. And it gets longer every day.
The Emotional Price
Of course it hurts. Of course there's nostalgia. The conference room where we developed countless strategies. The kitchen where the best ideas emerged over the second coffee. The balcony where we spent lunch breaks in summer.
But progress sometimes means leaving the familiar behind. Not because it was bad. But because something better awaits.
What Remains
The people remain. The relationships remain. The shared vision remains. Only the four walls are gone.
And honestly: the walls were never what made GOLLE IT special. It was always the people. The ideas. The passion for good software and innovative solutions.
Looking Forward
In five years, we'll look back on this decision and know: it was the right step at the right time. Just like today we look back on our founding in 2016 and think: good thing we dared to do it.
Remote-First doesn't make us a faceless company. On the contrary. It makes us more human. More flexible. Closer to what really matters.
We no longer invest in square footage. We invest in the future. In our team. In technology that makes a difference.
The office is history. GOLLE IT is just getting started.
Are you also considering transforming your way of working? Let's talk about how modern technology and flexible structures can advance your business. Contact us – no matter where you're currently working from.