Summary:
CompAI cofounder Claudio Fuentes mandates in-person work at the New York office after finding remote work "depressing" and lacking human connection
The startup initially operated remotely but now prioritizes faster collaboration and innovation through physical proximity
Fuentes believes unstructured riffing in the office led to a 95% reduction in customer support requests via an AI agent
The company may miss out on some remote talent but values the net benefit of committed in-person employees
Fuentes draws inspiration from Silicon Valley and WeWork cultures that emphasize strong in-office teamwork and loyalty
From Remote Depression to In-Person Innovation
Claudio Fuentes, cofounder and COO of CompAI, is making a bold move: requiring all new hires to work in-person at the startup's New York office five days a week. This decision comes after his own experience with remote work, which he describes as "some of the most depressing" years of his life.
The Shift from Remote to In-Person
CompAI, which develops AI software for corporate compliance, started as a remote company with team members spread across the UK, France, and Illinois. However, Fuentes believes that being in the same physical space fosters faster collaboration and innovation. He points to his time in Silicon Valley, where he saw companies "hire your best friends, get them in the same room, and let's build great software."
Fuentes acknowledges that this policy might cause the company to miss out on some remote talent, but he believes the trade-off is worth it for the net benefit of in-person work.
The Human Connection Factor
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Fuentes worked remotely in Miami and the Bay Area. While convenient, he found the lack of human connection took a toll. "If you spend two years locked in a room, barely seeing sunlight, there's something not natural about that experience," he says.
He emphasizes that workplaces are not just about productivity but about building a life centered around work. "People used to actually meet their spouse at work," he notes, highlighting the importance of organic social interactions.
Unstructured Riffing: The Secret to Innovation
One standout example of in-person collaboration occurred when an employee casually suggested implementing an AI agent for customer support. Within 20 minutes, the team had created a Slack automation that auto-replies to customer queries by searching their knowledge base, cutting support requests by 95%.
Fuentes calls this "unstructured riffing"—the kind of spontaneous, ill-formed idea that flourishes through organic communication. "In a remote world, there are also things that don't get said because of that friction that exists," he explains. "Therefore, you prioritize the ideas that are more well-formed, as opposed to riffing."
Building a Committed Team
While some existing remote employees may relocate, Fuentes is prioritizing New York-based hires moving forward. He believes that in-person candidates tend to be more committed, even if they might be less qualified than some remote applicants. "We're trying to make the statement that having everyone together is important right now," he says.
Fuentes draws inspiration from his time at WeWork, admiring the culture and employee loyalty that Adam Neumann fostered. "To whatever degree I can try to replicate an environment like that in the companies that I build, I absolutely will do so."
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