Remote Work Is Not About Avoiding the Commute

When I peered in the window at 140 Hawthorne Street in San Francisco, the place looked deserted. Maybe Automattic, the company that owns WordPress, had already abandoned the 14,000-square-foot former warehouse it renovated just four years ago. The long work tables were still there, the Aeron chairs still awaiting laptop-porting employees, a big screen still ready for someone’s presentation, a few computers still lining a back table. But no one seemed to be around.

Then, way in the back of the cavernous room, behind a large monitor, I glimpsed the top of a head. I rang the bell. The office’s sole occupant, who identified himself as Dan, welcomed me in. I explained that I was curious to see the place Automattic says it’s leaving because too few employees actually use it. In addition to the ground floor workspace, Dan showed me the lounge-like upstairs, which was equally devoid of human occupants. He said he’s one of the few employees who live in San Francisco and comes in two or three times a week.