When building a company, well-intentioned advice and supposed rules bombard you from all sides. Everyone seems to know what processes, structures and hierarchies should look like. This is an additional burden, especially for European startups. When we founded Remote, it was clear to us that we had to find our own way. The world is changing too quickly for rigid models. Being visible doesn’t mean you’re successful.
Too much bureaucracy slows down innovation
Europe makes things unnecessarily difficult for young companies. Many founders are confronted with an environment that regulates rather than enables, in which complex processes and rigid systems slow down innovation. I had this experience myself.
We founded in Portugal, simply because my co-founder and I both lived there at the time. Portugal is a country with extremely dedicated, hard-working people. If they are successful, it is usually despite the bureaucracy and not because of the existing structures. Bureaucracy and rigid systems make growth unnecessarily difficult.
Innovative companies need framework conditions that enable growth – clear rules, efficient processes and an attitude that allows experiments. If these foundations are in place, strong ideas can be scaled up, and Europe has everything it needs.
Success does not come from self-promotion
Our company has been around for seven years now. Around 2,000 people work for the company worldwide. In 2021 we achieved unicorn status. I remember a conversation with a Portuguese journalist who couldn’t believe our success. Nobody knows me or the company, he said, how could that be?
The answer is simple. Self-expression is not part of our work. We invest our time in products, processes and structures that work. Successful companies are not created through attention, but through consistent work. Visibility follows results, not the other way around. This attitude doesn’t stop with the market or investors. It is primarily directed against internal office politics that dilute responsibility and slow down decisions. Companies rarely fail because of ideas, but rather because of internal friction. That’s exactly why we decided early on what type of collaboration we would encourage and what we wouldn’t.
Big egos have no place with us
Structures are necessary. However, how teams and organizations are managed depends on many factors, such as the size of the company, the growth phase and the people in the team. What works in a small startup cannot automatically be transferred to a company with thousands of employees.
However, one principle was non-negotiable for us from the start: we don’t bring our egos with us to work. Pride in good results is expressly desired. However, as soon as visibility becomes more important than problem solving, shared progress is at risk. When people start to focus their work on internal impact rather than real results, that’s a clear red flag for us. For us, results count. Visibility alone is not enough.
Anyone who takes on responsibility or is promoted with us does not do so because of internal presence, but because of demonstrable impact. In this way, we avoid incentives that give rise to political dynamics in the first place.
Leadership requires closeness, not control
This claim also shapes our leadership style. In many companies I observe two extremes. Either managers withdraw and make decisions in a closed room. Or they intervene in every little thing. Both slow teams down.
For us, we focus on permeability. Our doors are open. New team members can contact me at any time. I am available to everyone via Slack. Anyone who has an idea or needs support should not fail because of hierarchies. Due to this closeness, titles and status become less important and political detours do not even arise. This also applies to collaboration across roles. If someone from the management team wants to work directly with experts, there are no formal hurdles. Anything that helps the company and gives the teams space is possible.
Common goals beat personal profile
A lot of potential is still being lost in Europe. Although the environment has improved, old ways of thinking continue to dominate in many minds. We didn’t want to let that limit us. People don’t come to us because they can work from any location or work with well-known names. They come because they believe in our vision.
This also means putting your own ego aside. Anyone who begins to define success through personal visibility is ignoring the company’s goal. We do not measure ourselves by internal rankings, but by global standards. This is the only way to really utilize the existing potential.
About the author
Marcelo is co-founder and president of Remote. He previously served as Vice President of Engineering at Unbabel and held several CTO positions. He regularly speaks at events on the topics of leadership and management of remote teams. Marcelo is also a consultant for startups and a mentor for entrepreneurs. He is a passionate engineer, proud father and science fiction fan.
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