What we’ve learned scaling remote teams across the world

Here are six things we’ve learned from scaling remote support teams on three continents.

1. Remote-first must be designed, not just declared

The term remote-first is often misunderstood as simply offering work-from-home options. For us, it’s a business model. Building Otonomee as a fully remote company from day one meant putting in place the right infrastructure, communication rhythms, hiring practices, and cultural rituals that support autonomy, alignment, and connection.

As Brendan Ring, Chief People Officer at Otonomee, shared:

“This latest round of job openings is not just about numbers but finding passionate, driven people who want to be part of a company built with purpose and intentionality.”

Remote success is a result of that intentionality — in systems, leadership, and culture.

2. Hire for flexibility, empathy, and autonomy

Our team spans 23 nationalities and supports brands with global footprints. That diversity makes us stronger, but it also means we have to hire people who thrive in ambiguity, proactively communicate across cultures, and take initiative.

We’ve learned that soft skills like empathy, curiosity, and ownership matter just as much as technical or product knowledge, especially in a distributed environment.

3. Proactive support starts with empowered teams

Scaling great support means preparing your team to prevent problems, not just resolve them. We train our people to look upstream: What signals should we catch early? What confusion can we prevent before the ticket is submitted?

From real-time behavior monitoring to predictive triggers and check-ins, we’ve learned that proactive support isn’t a toolset, it’s a mindset. And it starts with how we empower teams to take initiative, anticipate needs, and act before friction arises.

4. Consistency comes from systems, not micromanagement

Scaling across regions means dealing with different time zones, languages, and customer expectations. The key to maintaining consistency is not more control — it’s clear systems and well-defined principles.

Our internal playbooks, feedback loops, and enablement tools are constantly updated and localized. That means no matter where a support agent is based, they have the confidence, clarity, and context they need to deliver a premium experience. Consistently.

5. Culture needs to be engineered, not assumed

Remote teams don’t build culture around coffee machines or office walls. They build it through deliberate actions: onboarding experiences, leadership visibility, celebration rituals, open channels for feedback, and shared language around values. They build it aboard evening boat trips in Lisbon on team members together days, or in Cork at the Lea's in The Glucksman on the UCC campus, as we’ve organized in the last three months alone.  

As we’ve grown, we’ve had to continually revisit: Are we staying human as we scale digitally? It’s a constant balance, but one we believe is non-negotiable.

As I said recently in interview:

“From the very outset, we placed huge importance on culture...In the past, it would have been very much linked to an office or a location...Because we're fully remote, culture comes from the energy that we get from working with each other. From sharing a bit more about our lives. And... we invest in it.”

And it’s working. In fact, 89% of Otonomee’s team members believe in the company's vision and are inspired by its values.

6. Remote teams are the future — but they require next-gen support models

Our ability to scale is directly linked to how well we listen to our people and our clients. The best outcomes happen when people feel supported, customers feel seen, and our systems allow both to thrive. That’s why we’ve leaned into B Corp principles and DEI initiatives to meet high standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency.

Our global growth has been possible not just because we embraced remote, but also because we redefined what great support looks like in a remote-first world.

Looking Ahead

With over 400 team members and scores of new roles opening all the time, we’re just getting started. Our experience scaling across three continents has taught us that premium support isn't bound to buildings or cities — it’s built on people, purpose, and proactive thinking.

As we continue helping leading brands scale customer experiences, we remain committed to shaping a future where support teams feel as connected and empowered as the customers they serve.

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