Carl Pei called the decision essential to Nothing’s long-term ambitions. | Photo: Bloomberg
Nothing CEO Carl Pei has asked his London-based employees to resume a five-day workweek in the office via an internal email.
The Chinese-born Swedish entrepreneur, who shared the email on LinkedIn, described the decision as essential to Nothing’s long-term ambitions.
“We are at 0.1 percent of our potential,” Pei wrote, adding that Nothing aims to become a generation-defining tech company, rather than simply a successful startup. He said: “This is a company for adults.”
Pei acknowledged that the decision might not be universally popular, acknowledging that many companies have adopted remote or hybrid models since the Covid-19 pandemic. However, Pei cited three key reasons for the shift to in-office work:
Collaboration on physical products: Nothing specializes in creating physical products, where close collaboration between design, engineering, manufacturing and quality teams is key. According to Pei, this level of coordination is difficult to achieve remotely.
Driving creativity and innovation: Competing against larger tech companies requires high levels of creativity and innovation. Pei said in-person interactions foster the kind of dynamic problem-solving needed to stay ahead with fewer resources.
Maintaining high ambition and speed: Pei said Nothing’s ambitions go beyond simply building a profitable business. The company is focused on rapid growth and becoming a major player in the tech industry, a goal he believes is incompatible with remote work.
In his email, however, Pei assured employees that flexibility would remain part of Nothing’s culture, particularly for roles like sales and PR that require frequent commitments outside the office.
The new policy will come into effect in two months. To make the transition smooth, Pei plans to address concerns at an upcoming town hall meeting in London. Nothing, which was launched during the Covid-19 pandemic, has emerged as the fastest-growing brand in India, with a year-on-year growth rate of 567 per cent.
First published: August 20, 2024 | 16:19 IS
Disclaimer:
The information contained in this post is for general information purposes only. We make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the post for any purpose.
We respect the intellectual property rights of content creators. If you are the owner of any material featured on our website and have concerns about its use, please contact us. We are committed to addressing any copyright issues promptly and will remove any material within 2 days of receiving a request from the rightful owner.