Remote Roots: Building a Fully Distributed Company from the Ground Up

Starting a fully remote company isn’t just about cutting the cord to physical office space. It’s about committing to a new way of working, communicating, and building trust across time zones. The flexibility and freedom can unlock enormous potential, but only if you’re intentional about the systems and culture that support it. If you’re serious about building a remote company that can thrive without walls, here are seven areas you need to get right.

Prioritize Hiring People Who Work Like Owners

You can’t micromanage across time zones, and you shouldn’t try. Instead, hire people who are self-motivated, proactive, and comfortable managing their own time. Focus your recruiting on traits like autonomy, initiative, and communication rather than prestige job titles or proximity to major cities. Look for signs that someone has worked independently before or has side projects that show they know how to ship without constant supervision.

Manage Your Documents With Ease

One of the easiest ways to streamline remote hiring is by incorporating e-signing into your onboarding process. Instead of waiting days for paperwork to be printed, signed, scanned, and emailed back, candidates can sign offer letters or NDAs in minutes, no matter where they are in the world. You can create a digital signature and make your hiring process faster, safer, and far more efficient. E-signing is the most advanced and secure method of getting a signature because it includes built-in authentication and encryption protocols that protect the integrity of every document, including the use of a PIN to validate your credentials and prove you’re who you say you are. 

Design Your Company for Async by Default

Don’t pretend you’re running a traditional office on Zoom. Remote teams thrive when communication doesn’t require everyone to be online at the same time. Document everything, over-explain when needed, and make sure decisions, status updates, and project details live in shared, searchable spaces. Adopt tools like Notion, Loom, and Slack wisely, but also set boundaries that keep people from burning out trying to reply instantly all the time.

Make Your Expectations Clear From The Beginning

If you’re running a fully remote company, a clear and detailed written policy is non-negotiable. It sets expectations, establishes boundaries, and helps prevent misunderstandings that can lead to confusion or even legal trouble. Your remote work policy should also address issues such as job eligibility, remote work schedules, overtime rules for hourly workers, and safety and security expectations to ensure you’re covered from both an operational and compliance standpoint. Putting it all in writing ensures your team knows exactly what’s expected, and it gives you a framework to fall back on when edge cases arise. 

Invest Early in Culture, Not Just Operations

It’s tempting to focus only on workflows, but a great remote company is more than a collection of tasks and tools. Values should show up in how people communicate, give feedback, and make decisions. Write down what your company cares about, talk about it openly, and make sure it’s lived — not just listed. Culture happens no matter what, so steer it early rather than fix it later.

Think Global, Act Time Zone Conscious

One of the benefits of a fully remote team is geographic diversity, but time zones can be a logistical nightmare if you’re not intentional. Try to cluster overlapping work hours when possible, and alternate meeting times to share the load across continents. For teams with wide time gaps, consider pairing roles or structuring work cycles that don’t rely on real-time sync. Thoughtful time design keeps resentment and fatigue at bay.

Starting a remote company isn’t just about saving on office rent or offering flexibility. It’s a deeper commitment to trust, communication, and clarity. You’re not just removing geography — you’re redesigning how work gets done from the ground up. With intentional hiring, thoughtful rituals, and systems that support autonomy, you’ll not only build a team that functions — you’ll build one that flourishes. 

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