Virtual co-working [work mode]

Lora Kelley, Would You Pay $40 a Month to Have Strangers Watch You Work? NYTimes, July 15, 2022.

For a monthly fee of $39.99, users can schedule unlimited sessions in Zoom “caves.” There, it’s possible to watch fellow workers furrow their brows and scratch their heads, as they work toward stated goals ranging from “brainstorm outline” to “find clarity.”

Two and a half years into working from home, many people are finding that a desk and a chair — even if it’s a really nice ergonomic one purchased with a company stipend — do not an office make.

With no clear end to remote work in sight for many white-collar employees, some are trying to import something more elusive into their home offices: the feeling of accountability (or simply guilt) that comes from being observed by others while at work.

Often referred to as “virtual co-working” platforms, a slew of tech tools allow people to be seen working — but, crucially, not by bosses who might surveil their output, or co-workers who might want something from them. The platforms are especially popular with freelancers, entrepreneurs, students and people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder who are seeking structure and accountability.

Fans describe it as combining the freedom of remote work with the extra focus that comes with someone else working nearby — in the next Zoom screen over. Some workplace experts say that for people who are not working in an office, this facsimile of open-plan accountability may be a decent middle ground.

ADHD:

Ms. Padron, Ms. Retter and Ms. De Maci have all said they have A.D.H.D., and that they have found it useful to schedule work blocks to stay accountable and on task. “I think it’s even kind of a fake sense of accountability,” Ms. Padron said. But it still helps.

Strage days, markers:

Tsedal Neeley, a professor at Harvard Business School and the author of “Remote Work Revolution: Succeeding From Anywhere,” said she had not heard of people paying $40 a month for others to watch them get work done. “This is the strangest thing I’ve heard this week,” she said. “It kind of goes counter to all that we know about why people value and love remote work.”

Research, she said, shows that remote workers, in general, value autonomy and independence, and that their productivity is adversely affected when they feel surveilled by managers. But, she said, when other people are working around you, like in a coffee shop, “It signals work and is a marker of work.” Physical co-working spaces have also been drawing more people in recent months.

Regulars:

Like in an actual office setting, users of these platforms may start to recognize the regulars, and some may start to develop relationships, both personal and professional.

Anthony Ronda, 30, a software engineer in Hillsdale, N.J. who is starting a virtual tabletop game company, joins several Focusmate sessions per day and has found value in being accountable to another person while he works. He has also experienced a more personal benefit: He met his boyfriend on Focusmate earlier this year. The two plan to meet in person for the first time later this month.