When we first conceived of this book in late 2018, it was because we knew that rapid advances in technology had radically transformed working life in a way that not everybody was acclimating to at the same rate. As managers of top tech talent, we wanted to create a book that would help educate readers of all stripes.
Little did we know as we finished this manuscript and handed it in to our publisher for final edits in preparation for a fall 2020 release that the world that we thought had changed drastically was about to show us what real drastic change is.
The stories in this book and the lessons we convey are no less important now than they were a year ago, but one major element has changed. Though we talk about it a fair amount in the book, this one change necessitates that we write this “Foreword” now—remote work.
Among the big items we knew we had to share was the usefulness and, in fact, the necessity of remote work. We believed and still believe that the ability to solve big problems remotely is one of the twenty-first century’s greatest gifts.
Little did we know that the onslaught of COVID-19 would soon expose how unprepared the world is for remote work on a grand scale. The ability of companies and governments, small and large, to swiftly and efficiently deploy remote working capabilities on a global scale is now essential. Moreover, remote work is no longer just a preference for top 10x tech talent. As we have learned, it can be a matter of life and death, success and failure, for everyone.
So, as you read this book, keep the concept of remote work close to the forefront of your mind. It, and the other lessons in this book, are the new normal.
As we write this “Foreword,” Rishon is in Miami with his two sons, while his wife is working on the frontlines in New York City taking care of patients—seeing some for the first time now via telemedicine. In both cities, all restaurants are closed except for take-out. In Miami, beaches, and all the other things that make Miami a thriving and wonderful outdoor metropolis, are shut down.
Nonetheless, the two of us in Miami and Montclair, New Jersey, our wonderful 10x team from upstate New York, Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan, and the amazing 10x talent we represent hailing from all places near and far are all still hard at work. Sure, we’ve had to add a few more cloud-based tools to our arsenal to make things run more smoothly, but business carries on. Thankfully, we were well prepared to work remotely, and we are all adjusting to this period of social distancing.
This is our new world. And it is quite different from the world we lived in just a few weeks ago. Things will return to normal, or at least a new normal, and when they do, we will all be better prepared.
In the meantime, we hope you, your families, and your teams are safe and healthy.
Rishon Blumberg and Michael Solomon
March 2020