Andy Anderson, Principal Product Manager

I am a principal product manager at Speechify, where I am leading the company’s international expansion strategy into new markets, increasing its global presence and brand in new languages and countries. I am also a digital nomad.

One of the interesting things about the digital nomad life is just being able to participate in the things that you want to do in your personal life, whether it's family, the pleasure of travel or the enjoyment of new places and environmental stimulation. You never have to worry about choosing between your work and personal aspirations. All you really need is your computer and a good Internet connection. 

Obviously, many of us who have the ability to have been working remotely to some degree since the pandemic. But even years before it hit us, I knew that my dream job would be somewhere I can work on something that drives me but at the same time, I'm flexible and can be anywhere. I was a travel blogger in college and I always wanted to continue traveling while working, but it did not seem like a possibility at the time. Over the years, with the advancement in technology and the Internet, I was closer to the goal I had for most of my adult life. The pandemic was a difficult time for many people but there were some good changes that also happened as a result. One of the few positive outcomes coming out of the pandemic is that it really helped to accelerate the acceptance of remote culture worldwide.

During the pandemic, I did a road trip around the entire United States. I started in San Diego, drove up north all the way to Montana over through the Midwest, all the way to New York and Maine east coast, drove all the way down to Florida and back to Louisiana. That was a really awesome trip and I was able to successfully work remotely through that drive - making accommodations at each place, ensuring internet connectivity and finding the right setup for having my meetings etc.

I also fondly remember one time being in Italy. I was sitting in a square in a piazza watching a live music performance while completing some tasks for an iOS release. Another great memory I have is being in Costa Rica on my balcony watching the monkeys and the beach and everything nearby. It was surreal.

There are definitely some learnings along the way. One of them is that you obviously need to have a good set-up for working wherever you go, such as good Internet connectivity and a quiet place for attending meetings. There have been times when I've been working at a cafe and the electricity went out, along with the Internet. In such cases, you also need backups such as hotspots. Planning your schedule to accommodate different time zones is also essential, and can sometimes be challenging. You are always on the move and might be constantly changing your own time zones, hence you have to keep your calendar updated and make it to all of your meetings. 

The biggest thing about productivity as a digital nomad is having goals that you're working towards and understanding that at the end of the day, that's your job. Your company trusts you to work remotely while being on the move, and you have to do what you need to do. So, if my work requires me to sit at one place for a few days and really focus, even when I am traveling, I am going to do that. On other days, when I might be waiting for someone to get back to me, I'll enjoy it a little bit more because I've already spent extra time completing my tasks. That is the true essence of flexibility and ownership. 

At the same time, one has to balance priorities constantly. Personally, I think I work better from home than I would in an office because I am capable of self motivation. Ultimately, it’s about having a good understanding of the needs of your job and making sure that you have a good personal system for that. You are trusted by your employer to get the job done no matter what.