We recently wrote on what a remote-first company is, and many people got in touch to say they find the idea of ‘remote-first’ innovative and interesting. Whilst a few years ago having a company that was committed to working remotely as a primary work style would have seemed preposterous, nowadays it’s pretty normal.

In fact, it seems that leaders are actually very intrigued and curious as to how they too can move closer to a remote first model. With lowered overhead costs, increased staff happiness and boosted productivity on the list of perks, it makes sense for companies to explore the possibility of going remote first.

If that sounds like your business, take a look at 5 of our favourite remote first startups to follow in 2021 for inspiration!

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  GitLab

GitLab is the open DevOps platform that offers collaborative development. As a tech company, it makes sense that they offer a remote working environment so that they can work with the top tech recruits the globe over. They fully support all remote working, and want their employees to have the most positive working environments for them. Follow their blog and video content for more info on why they love being remote-first.

• Notion

Notion is an all in one workspace that offers collaboration, communication and task management that allows your team to stay organized. Whether you’re in the office or working remotely, Notion allows you to keep in touch with your team, manage projects and assign tasks so that everyone meets deadlines and stays productive.

With their own technology championing remote work, it makes sense that they are remote first. A great company to follow for resources and insights on remote work.

• Slack

Who doesn’t love Slack? During the pandemic Slack helped many companies grow and prosper, and is the fastest growing B2B application ever created. With such a powerful tool at your fingertips, you won’t even realize you’re working remotely because communication with your team is often more effective than in the office! Slack is a remote first company that uses their own initiative and belief system to empower their people to work away from a centralized location.

• Trainual

Trainual is an onboarding and training tool that is all about making time-consuming tasks quick and simple. With amazing resources that simplify the onboarding process, the B2B company helps other businesses work remotely. It makes sense then that they too offer remote working as a primary option for their team members. They’re a great business to follow for more insights on how to transition to a remote-first company.

• HowNow 

HowNow is a London based learning company that specializes in personalized LMS’ that help employees upskill, onboard and stay connected to their role. The HowNow blog is full of remote working insights, as well as tips on how to keep your team engaged and boost performance when working remotely. The company CEO, Nelson, is a great person to follow for thought leadership on remote working, company culture, employee engagement and much more. You can find him on LinkedIn.

Did you enjoy this list of remote first companies? Perhaps we missed some? Please do share your favorite remote first companies and why they are so great in the comments below. We always love to hear from you!