Remote Work vs Asynchronous Work: Why Async Wins, Wherever You Are

When people talk about “remote work,” they often assume it means working asynchronously. But that’s not always true. Remote work just means you’re not in the same physical place as your team. Asynchronous work, on the other hand, is about not needing everyone to be online or working at the same time. The are related but distinct concepts.

You Can Mix and Match

• Synchronous Remote Work: Your team is spread out, but everyone is expected to be online at the same time. Think of a distributed team that has daily standups on Zoom at 9am sharp, and expects instant Slack replies all day. You have core hours that everyone is expected to work at the same time. The type and mode of work is similar to normal in person work, but you’re on zoom instead of in person. You’re remote, but not async.

• Asynchronous In-Person Work: Your team shares an office, but people work on their own schedules. Maybe some folks come in early, others stay late, and updates happen in shared docs or project boards. You see each other, but you don’t have to work at the same time. You might be in different offices, in different time zones.

• Synchronous In-Person Work: The classic office setup—everyone in the same place, working the same hours, with lots of meetings and real-time chats, schedules are shared.

• Asynchronous Remote Work: The dream for many! People work from anywhere, on their own schedules, and communicate through written updates, pull requests, and project management tools. Meetings are rare and always recorded.

Examples for Software Teams

• Synchronous Remote: A team in different cities, but with a shared 9-to-5 schedule, daily video calls, and a culture of “ping me if you need me.”

• Async In-Person: Developers in an office or offices, but using GitHub issues, code reviews, and written handoffs so work can move forward even if someone’s out sick or at lunch.

• Async Remote: A fully distributed team that relies on pull requests, detailed documentation, and written status updates. People work when they’re most productive, not when the clock says so.

Why Asynchronous Wins

No matter where your team is, moving toward more asynchronous work has big advantages:

• Fewer interruptions and more focus time
• Flexibility for different time zones and personal schedules
• Better documentation and knowledge sharing
• Less pressure to “always be on”

Here’s the kicker: In many so-called “in-office” settings, your coworkers are actually spread across multiple offices, cities, or even countries. You might be in an office, but you’re not sitting next to everyone you work with. The real pitfall? Forcing everyone to do synchronous remote work from an office—endless video calls and real-time chats, even when you’re physically present somewhere.

Instead, aim for asynchronous in-person work (where people in the office can work flexibly and independently) or, if you must be remote, make sure your remote work is truly asynchronous. Synchronous remote work from an office is the worst of both worlds.

The main point: You don’t have to be remote to benefit from async work. And just because you’re remote doesn’t mean you’re async! The real productivity boost comes from embracing asynchronous practices—wherever your team is, and especially when your “office” is actually a network of offices.