Remote work strips away micro-interactions: glances, interruptions, overheard context, small jokes. These aren't "nice-to-haves"—they're how groups maintain shared mental models without constant verbalization.
When interaction is scheduled, it becomes a performance. People say what they think they should say. They optimize for brevity. They skip exploratory, half-formed thoughts that lead to real alignment.
The teams that thrive remotely don't just optimize processes. They engineer serendipity: open voice channels, public work sessions, over-communication of context, intentional overlap. The core issue is that humans are wired for proximity. Remote work requires deliberate effort where proximity gave it for free.
