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Revolutions are driven by people. As we’ve witnessed the biggest shift in work since the Industrial Revolution, one thing has remained constant: people have been at the heart of this transformation.
Work is no longer tied to a specific time or place. We’ve redefined its meaning, breaking away from outdated norms we once took for granted. This shift isn’t just about work—it’s about living better. We’re more productive, happier, and shaping our professional lives around what truly matters. We can spend more time with family and friends, explore the world without leaving our jobs behind, and embrace the unique ways we work best.
But change comes with challenges. Remote work has brought new hurdles—back-to-back meetings, loneliness, and connection issues, both technical and human. That’s why we built Claap: to tackle one of the biggest pain points—endless meetings. Yet, there are still challenges we don’t have all the answers for.
The future of remote work will be built together—by sharing knowledge, exchanging ideas, and learning from one another. That’s why we created Remote Works—a conversation series featuring real stories from people around the world. From productivity hacks to mental health and creativity, we’re uncovering the secrets to making remote work truly work.
In our first post, we dive into the routines and rituals that help Alexis, Bruno, and Chris stay productive, creative, and, ultimately, live better lives.
“Life becomes more about living than working.”
Bruno de Guerra Cunha, Partnerships Lead at Oyster, Portugal
On Fridays, Bruno surfs. In the quiet lull of the afternoon—when the waves peak and meetings slow—he heads to the beach.
"It’s how I decompress," he says. "I grew up just minutes from the sea. You go there, take a breath. No Wi-Fi, no emails, no messages—just you and the ocean. It’s like meditation. And somehow, when I’m out there, ideas just come to me."
For a few hours, it’s just Bruno, his board, and the rolling waves near his home in a small beachside town near Porto. Sometimes, his dog tags along. After catching five good waves, he packs up, heads home, and logs back in to wrap up the day.
Of course, this isn’t Bruno’s everyday reality. Most days, he’s in back-to-back calls—sometimes up to ten in a day. But over time, he’s found ways to carve out space for deep work and structure his day in a way that works for him.
"I try to batch my calls together so I can focus better between them," he explains. "But after too many calls, I can’t be creative. That’s when I step away. I go for a walk, bring a pen and paper, jot down some thoughts. Later, I’ll come back, plan things out, send some emails."
His team also embraces async work—often going fully async for weeks at a time, with no internal meetings at all. "It lets us process updates at our own pace, without constant interruptions."
The last time Bruno worked in an office was in 2018. He remembers spending €300 on noise-canceling headphones just to concentrate. "Ridiculous, right?" he laughs.
"The nine-to-five? It doesn’t really exist anymore. Most creative people don’t work in a rigid eight-hour block. We have bursts of productivity. So why sit in an office for eight hours just for the sake of it? Now, I get three ultra-productive hours, take breaks when I need to, and have my afternoons to myself."
That freedom has changed everything. "Because I work remotely, I can travel more, read more. And those things don’t just make life better—they make me better at my job. Because when life is about more than just work, you actually work better."
“Meetings are the least productive way of getting things done.”
Alexis Haselberger, Time Management and Productivity Coach at Alexis Haselberger Coaching and Consulting, San Francisco
For Alexis, the biggest problem with remote work? Meetings.
"Most meetings aren’t productive. Many could be an email or handled async. But the real issue? We don’t know how to have spontaneous conversations remotely. Instead of a quick tap on the shoulder, everything became a 30-minute call."
Alexis has spent years teaching 50,000+ people how to work smarter—doing more of what they love, less of what they don’t, and using time intentionally. For her, it’s not about blindly following best practices but figuring out what actually works.
She applies that mindset to her own routine: no emails before brushing her teeth, a post-work run as a “transition ritual,” snoozing notifications for deep focus, and separate work/personal profiles to maintain boundaries.
"I value freedom and autonomy. I used to run in-person workshops, but I don’t think I’d go back. Remote work isn’t just a trend for me—it’s a choice. And it works."
“Offices are great places to look busy, but bad places to be productive.”
Chris Herd, CEO and co-founder of Firstbase, Scotland
In 5 key points, here are Chris' pillars:
