In a bold move, Bolt CEO Markus Villig recently issued a memo to employees, demanding a return to the office.
The message was clear: remote work, especially from exotic vacation spots, is no longer acceptable.
Markus’ stance reflects a growing sentiment among CEOs who believe that in-person collaboration is essential for company culture and performance.
Bolt Memo: A Call to Action
In his internal memo, Markus Villig minced no words.
He labeled low office attendance as a “disgrace” and set forth a new policy: starting January, all Bolt employees must spend a minimum of 12 days per month in the office.
For those doing the math, that translates to roughly three days a week.
Team leaders have the authority to require even more office time, with some sales teams already meeting in person five days a week.
Markus Villig drew comparisons to tech giants like Amazon, Tesla, and Apple.
These industry behemoths have already implemented return-to-office mandates, recognizing that intense company culture and innovation thrive best when people collaborate face-to-face.
Bolt, though smaller in scale, aims to compete at the highest level.
The CEO’s memo emphasized the need to restart their ambitious culture, and he minced no words: “Either we restart our ambitious culture to compete in the highest league or we fall into mediocrity”.
Benefits of In-Person Collaboration
The memo highlighted several reasons for the shift back to the office.
Markus Villig believes that physical proximity fosters a sense of belonging and shared purpose.
Casual conversations by the water cooler, impromptu brainstorming sessions, and team lunches all contribute to a vibrant company culture.
While virtual meetings have their place, nothing quite replaces the energy of a whiteboard session or the serendipity of hallway encounters.
Innovation often thrives in these unplanned interactions.
Being physically present encourages accountability. It’s harder to slack off when colleagues can see you.
Plus, real-time collaboration speeds up decision-making and problem-solving.
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