Ripple Labs Developer Shares Insights on Remote Work as COVID-19 Havoc Continues 

As the coronavirus forces companies and countries to make modifications to their way of life, several executives and experts have provided insights on how firms will be able to adapt to the new way of life. Governments around the world have placed multiple restrictions in the wake of the outbreak, taking preventive steps such as restricting travel and forcing schools and events to shut down. However, a notable crypto figure is pointing out that this doesn’t necessarily mean economic activity should be put on hold.

Here for Guidance 

Earlier today, Nik Bougalis, the leading C++ software engineer at blockchain firm Ripple Labs, explained in a tweet that company managers can tweak their workflow to ensure that their workers stay at home and still get work done. 

I‘ve worked remotely for over 20 years and I’m currently leading a large, fully distributed team at @Ripple.

If you’re new to remote work—especially as a manager—and have questions, please ask! I’ll try my best to answer and share my insights to help you and your team.#COVID19

— 𝙽 𝙸 𝙺 𝙱 (@nbougalis) March 16, 2020

In his tweet, he encouraged anyone who had questions about staying effective while working remotely to ask questions. His tweet is coming after a report from The Atlantic, in which the news source confirmed that people expect there to be a rise in remote work – especially as office operations have been frowned upon thanks to the virus. 

Despite the slow adoption in remote work over the years, The Atlantic reported that this virus could be the tipping point that sees many companies adopt it finally. 

In his thread, several company executives shared their experiences with remote work and their concerns, with questions ranging from inter-team communication and ensuring employees are still able to get enough work done despite not being in an environment that might spur efficiency as they would have at their offices. 

For the former, the developer recommended that teams communicate via text-based tools and VoIP channels. As for the latter, however, he advocated for managers to trust their workers and refrain from micromanaging them. 

“Trust your team to continue to do good work. Stick to your deadlines and continue to track progress just like you would if they were in the office. If productivity suffers when working remote, understand why. Employees not working hard is almost never the problem,” he concluded. 

Everyone’s Working from Home 

Bougalis and Ripple are joining an increasing pool of crypto firms making changes to accommodate more remote work. Top crypto exchange Coinbase seems to be championing this shift, as the firm has advised various offices to allow customers to work from home for weeks now. 

The San Francisco-based firm was one of the first in the crypto space to react to the growing threat of the pandemic, and given that the state of California has now banned gatherings of more than 250 people, it’s most likely that employees at the firm will be doing more of remote work. 

Over in New York, Governor Bill de Blasio has declared a state of emergency over the virus, while the New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) sent a letter to all registered firm – including those in the crypto space – to submit detailed “preparedness plans” that will guide how they expect to handle the pandemic.