There's a growing list of organisations choosing to operate with fully distributed teams, spawning an ever-increasing community of digital nomads. These are citizens of the world who are re-shaping what it means to be part of a team, an office and even a country. This presentation is a case study exploring Amy's own experiences of location-independent living/working, plus experiences of 3 other people she met along the way.

1. How to become a digital nomad
By Amy Wagner | @amyeee
(and how to manage one)

2. 1997, Tsugio Makimoto, David Manners
“Over the next decade, technology
will deliver to us a range of tools
that will give us all the facilities of
homes and offices - in our pockets.”
“It will happen gradually and people
will be slow to realise that a
revolution is occurring…”

5. #
digital nomads in the world

6. “digital nomad”
Do you identify with the term?

7. Sam Mandy Tim
no no no

8. No
“Snake oil connotations”
“I just work on the road while I travel”
“I personally find the term digital nomad to be silly”

9. 8,342 members
Slack channel & forum
24,311 members
Facebook group
29,441 readers
Sub-Reddit
facebook.com/groups/
DigitalNomadsAroundTheWorld/nomadlist.com
reddit.com/r/
digitalnomad/

10. how do I become a
digital nomad?

11. why

12. “This is your
life, and it’s
ending one
minute at
a time”
- Tyler Durden

13. Commuting is bad.
1. Couples are 40% more likely to divorce when 1
person commutes for 45 mins + [1]
2. 1 in 3 workers with 90 min + daily commute has
recurrent neck or back problems [2]
3. Vehicle-miles traveled has a stronger correlation with
obesity than any other factor. [3]
For sources, see references.

14. When do you do the
‘work of work’?

15. how

16. 3 easy steps
1. Get rid of your stuff
2. Make your job remote
3. Pick your first location & book your travel

17. 1. Get rid of all your stuff
easier / lighter
to travel
escape the
consumerism trap

18. 2. Make your job remote
Convince your
boss / colleagues
It’s cheaper for them
You’re a grown-up
A

19. 2. Make your job remote
Convince your
boss / colleagues
It’s cheaper for them
You’re a grown-up
Work on that
start-up idea
Live somewhere
cheaper
Work somewhere
inspirational
A B

20. 2. Make your job remote
Convince your
boss / colleagues
It’s cheaper for them
You’re a grown-up
Work on that
start-up idea
Live somewhere
cheaper
Work somewhere
inspirational
Find a remote OK job
A B C

21. 3. Pick your first location

22. how do I manage a
digital nomad?

23. the same
( with a few extra constraints )

24. “But I need to keep
an eye on my people”
Guess what? They can NOT work at work too.

25. In 2016, is this still true?
"The most efficient and effective method of
conveying information to and within a
development team is face-to-face conversation"
agilemanifesto.org - 2001

27. Sam
Traveller for 2 years. 10 months on the
road, 2 months of Summer at home.
New Zealand citizen
Software Engineer, core team 4, wider 30
✔ Text/messaging: all hours
✔ Voice: daily stand-up, weekly wider
team
✔ F2F: 2 per year on average
samhogg.com

28. Tim
Full-time ‘stealth’ Van-dweller around UK
“I never park in the same place two nights in a
row”
UK citizen
Technical sales/account management, team of 2
✔ Text/messaging: daily, not enough
✔ Voice: regularly to speak to customers,
connects to office PBX
✔ F2F: “Too often”
tdobson.net

30. Mandy
Full-time traveller for 8 years
USA citizen
Global house-sitter
Developer, last job, team of 3
✔ Text/messaging: constantly, all day
✔ Voice: daily stand-up, 1 extra call av.
✔ F2F: 2-3 per year
vagabondette.com

31. synchronous
to
asynchronous

32. Industries that work remotely
1. Military
2. Computer and Mathematical
3. Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and
Media Occupations
4. Farming, Fishing, and Forestry
5. Life, Physical, and Social Science
Occupations
6. Legal Occupations
7. Community and Social Service
Occupations
8. Architecture and Engineering
Occupations
9. Business and Financial
Source: globalworkplaceanalytics.com/telecommuting-statistics
50%
of the US workforce holds a job that is
compatible with at least partial telework
20-25%
of the workforce teleworks at some
frequency

33. Sam Mandy Tim
Nomading problems
“Meaningful relationships”
“Fear of missing out”
“Dropping into ‘tourist
mode’”
“Building relationships”
“Constantly planning
next move”
“Loneliness”
“Difficult maintaining
friendships at home”
“When you don't know the area”
“Evenings are boring”

34. Sam Mandy Tim
Nomading perks
“Incredible global networks”
“settle in foreign cities”
“I haven’t had a winter in
three years now”
“Seeing so many new places”
“Significantly cheaper than
USA”
“I can just leave”
“Being in the most convenient
place for now”
“Being able to lie in bed, on the
internet, with an ace view”
“Constant adventures are possible”

35. Mandy spent $11,623.24 USD - 1 year visiting 41 cities, 19 countries
Transportation:
$2459.70 (avg $204.98)
Lodging:
$3093.63 (avg $257.80)
Food & Entertainment:
$4254.93 (avg $354.58)
Miscellaneous:
$1814.98 (avg $151.25)

36. Working visas
and paying tax
Estonian Digital identity given
to non-residents.
Run a location-independent
business, online.

37. “There will be 1 billion digital nomads by 2035”
Freelancer population is increasing
Internet speed is increasing
Marriage is decreasing (mechanically linked
to home-ownership)
Flight costs / times are decreasing
9b people, 6b working, 50% freelancers,
1 in 3 digital nomads = 1 billion
Source: levels.io/future-of-digital-nomads/
Pieter Levels, Founder nomadlist.com

38. Websites
nomadlist.io - Forum and Slack community (membership fee)
weworkremotely.com - job site
Digital Nomads Around the World - Facebook Group
r/digitalnomad - sub-Reddit

39. Further reading

40. My blogs
boatmaison.com vanmaison.com

41. Thanks!

42. References
1. “Couples are 40% more likely to divorce when 1 person commutes for 45 mins +”
Sandow, Erika (February 2014). “Til Work Do Us Part: The Social Fallacy of Long-distance Commuting”.
Urban Studies: http://usj.sagepub.com/content/early/2013/08/06/0042098013498280
2. “1 in 3 workers with 90 min + daily commute has recurrent neck or back problems”
Crabtree, Steve (13 August 2010). “Wellbeing Lower Among Workers With Long Commutes”
Gallup poll: http://www.gallup.com/poll/142142/wellbeing-lower-among-workers-long-commutes.aspx
3. “Vehicle-miles traveled has a stronger correlation with obesity than any other factor”
Lopez-Retina, Javier et. al. (December 2006). “The link between obesity and the built environment. Evidence from an
ecological analysis of obesity and vehicle miles of travel in California”
Health & Place: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1353829205000572