I came across an article originally posted on the remote.com blog site and was suitably impressed with Job’s remote office set-up
Job leads remote.com, a company that helps create more remote jobs and how remote work arrangements help companies discover new talent from other countries. Naturally, demand has spiked during COVID times and alongside this growth in demand, came a growth in virtual conferencing – of which Job was often requested to attend.
Let’s take a look at how he makes sure he’s remote ready and operating at peak productivity:
During every panel and call Job would constantly be asked the same questions:
“Why does your video look so good?”
“Do you moonlight as a YouTuber?”
“What does your setup look like?”
Job states that he believes in the importance of good communication, especially in remote work arrangements. He said that his setup helps him build relationships with his team and enables him to host serious conversations with investors, business partners, and customers.
His work desk
Main computer
Job’s main machine is a Mac Pro (the rough cheese grater, 12-core, 48GB).
He states that using the Mac Mini or any of the laptops with two 4K screens was a struggle, so he upgraded to the Mac Pro once they released the new GPU (W5700X) for it. He says this is a powerful machine that is super overpowered for most of the work he does at Remote, but as an avid photographer, it makes for a great no-compromise setup in combination with the Pro Display XDR.
Monitors
Job has used many different monitors and never felt particularly happy with any of them. After deciding to upgrade to the Mac Pro, he was convinced that the Pro display was a necessity. He says it truly is amazing and ruins all other screens. Job uses it as his primary display for daily work.
The other display he uses, is a 4K LG Ultrafine Thunderbolt monitor. In his opinion he thinks it is good, but not on the same level as the Pro Display XDR.
His monitors are held by CBS Flo Dual arms, which clamp to the desk, and keep his workspace tidy.
Webcam
On Job’s video feed, lots of people asked about why his video feeds look so clear! This is the reason why:
He uses a Sony a6000 with a Sony 35mm f1.8 lens as a webcam. The camera has a dummy battery and is connected with a Cam Link 4K. Both of these are then hooked up to the Pro Display. The camera is mounted on a Manfrotto arm, which is clamped to the desk.
You might think this is a bit much, but Job believes it is super strong and easy to work with; despite the untidy cables, he thinks it’s totally worth it.
This is what you’ll see if you call with him:
Keyboard
Job believes that the Ergodox EZ is quite a sight. He highlights that he cannot go back to a regular keyboard for writing, because the Ergodox is more ergonomic and allows him to reach keys faster. He uses the standard QWERTY layout, but all other keys are custom and involve switching layers.
Mice
He uses two mice. First, the Logitech MX Master 3 on his right hand for most mouse work. And on the left he has a Magic Trackpad. He thinks the trackpad is superior for navigating documents, websites, and in particular design applications like Photoshop and Figma. He says that using the trackpad and the mouse is one of those tricks where, once you discover it, it’s hard to go back.
Stream deck
The little thing under his screen is a Stream Deck. He uses this to activate automations that he mostly makes with Keyboard Maestro. He has some that mute/unmute him or others. He can control the lights in his office with it, hide and rearrange applications, and, depending on the application, run all sorts of custom commands and automations. For Example, Job states that one of the buttons takes the 2FA code from messages, and pastes it into the window he is in.
Audio in
He uses an Audio Technica ATR2100. This can be connected with a USB, but it’s better with a microphone amp/DAC, which is why he has the Tascam 2×2 attached to the bottom of his desk with velcro.
He said that the microphone arm is more expensive than the microphone, but worth the money, as it hides the cable and is quite long. The brand he uses is K&M.
Audio out
He uses Sennheiser 6XX headphones. He says these are comfortable, open-back headphones. He never uses Bluetooth or noise cancelling headphones at home, as he finds the sound quality poor and Bluetooth a pain to use. Occasionally he uses AirPods for calls, as he believes it looks less silly than using giant headphones.
In the future, he hopes to upgrade to something like Ultimate Ears, as he thinks they give the best of all the worlds.
The headphones are powered by a Fiio K3, which he doesn’t recommend, as it has USB issues, but it has a big volume button and is small. He has it velcro-ed to his left-hand side for easy volume changing.
Desk
Job’s desk is the old electric standing desk from Ikea. He says he has never had issues with it, but he will change it to a wooden top in the near future. He’s mounted several cable management brackets to the back. It also has a bracket for his Mac Mini on the bottom, which now powers the TV.
Chair
He uses a Herman Miller Aeron. It’s his favourite chair. He recommends trying any chair before buying, though!
Lighting
The room is lit with Philips Hue spotlights. Job says his camera is very light-sensitive, so he hasn’t found it necessary to have dedicated light. Though he does say that in cases where it makes sense to have more light, he can adjust the light in the room easily using his phone or stream deck.
He also has a number of automations related to the lights. For example, the lights all turn off at 11 p.m. to remind him to go to bed.
His second desk
The second desk he has, he mentions he originally put it together to build the LEGO Millennium Falcon on.
He says his PC is pretty powerful: most notably, it has a RTX 2080 Ti. It’s connected to an ultrawide Alienware display, which he is able to run >120hz games at 4K. The keyboard he uses is a Razer Huntsman with custom keycaps, and the mouse is a Razer Basilisk X Hyperspeed.
He says he likes almost all games but he has been really into Satisfactory lately.
The cabinet
The big cabinet you can see, was designed by his partner and is therefore custom made. It has a trough on the top for cables and enough space for years of being a nerd, he says.
Job can easily find what’s in the cabinet as he has an Airtable with its contents (e.g. top left is A1, which has all USB-C dongles).
On top is a coffee station (Aeropress and a Baratza Encore), a Millennium Falcon, and a bunch of memorabilia.
The lights above the cabinet are Nanoleaf light panels. They integrate with everything and are extremely extendable.
Other things
The foamy things on the walls are anechoic foam panels. They stop sound waves from traveling through the room. The walls on the right are large glass panels, which, Job says they reflect sound quite well, so the addition of these panels help reduce that.
All computers are on wired internet connections, which Job believes is a very cheap way to improve your connection.
You can also spot a PS4 and a dock for a Switch. There’s a 4K television on the wall he uses for both the PS4 and for displaying dashboards. The white box is the air conditioning because Job lives in Portugal, and it can get really hot there. He also has a few guitars behind the desk.
Outside you see two bean bags, where their dogs, Maçã and Limão, like to chill because they are no longer allowed in his office after a number of “accidents.”
His travel setup
When he travels, he uses a Macbook Pro 13” with a foldable stand, the Planck EZ, and an external mouse, all packed in his Peak Design bag. For audio on the go, he simply uses Airpods Pro, which work well in almost any setting.
And there you have it: an exhaustive list of everything Job uses to stay productive while he works and to make his video calls as crisp as possible. It took him years to build this room and to figure out which products to use, so if you’re starting from scratch, Job says don’t get overwhelmed. Focus on what matters most to you, start there, and build up as you go.
