The Remote-First Mindset: On Building a Startup Without an Office
“It's simply about prioritizing the right things” or : a remote start-up’s best practices.
Main Themes:
Starting and scaling a remote-first business
Remote sales vs. in-person sales
Building team culture from a distance
Personal discipline and work-life balance
Maria’s Context:
Before the pandemic, remote work was the exception not the norm. In the years since, some organizations have pushed for a return to office, while others have fully embraced a remote-first model. Koyos falls firmly into the latter category: Maria and her co-founder Daniel founded the company while living in different cities and have built their business remotely. Koyos’ live bootcamps are fully remote as well, offering full flexibility.
In this article, we learn what it takes to lead and sell in a remote-first world. Maria shares her take on the balance between in-person and virtual selling, how to foster connection across distance, and what it really means to build the discipline and mindset needed for remote leadership. From digital bootcamps to asynchronous teamwork, let’s look at what modern sales looks like.
Methodology:
Know when to meet in person
Though Maria is a strong advocate for remote work, she’s pragmatic about its limits. She emphasizes that for large enterprise deals, face-to-face interaction can significantly boost trust and conversion rates. “When it comes to huge and very important and strategic deals, I would still go and try to meet the customer at least once in person.” The same idea is also true for the collaboration with her team: “With the founding team, I always try to meet at least once or twice every six months,” Maria explains.
She believes that remote success depends on clarity, communication, and investing in relationships, virtually and in person. She has a point!
Create deliberate focus through in-person sprints
Maria and her co-founder, Daniel, prioritize flexibility and inclusivity and have established strong collaboration rhythms. They are intentional about continuously optimizing their remote workflows to keep the team aligned and efficient. There is a clear focus on day-to-day tasks from the home office, while strategic planning is run during their in-person gatherings: “You simply have a different energy when discussing big-picture topics. Daily tasks can happen remotely, but strategy benefits from being in the same room.”
Routines as a tool
When you work alone, you need to be self-motivated. Maria wears many hats: founder, CRO, sales coach, and full-cycle rep, so she relies on structure to stay grounded. She says she finds discipline in consistent planning and daily activities, while her non-negotiable sports routine keeps her balanced, both mentally and physically. We learn: routines are non-negotiable when building discipline.
Hire the right talent
Going remote gave Koyos access to a much wider talent pool. They could hire the best instead of being restricted to their city. Maria shares: “Remote work is a small trade-off, but makes it possible for us to collaborate with the best people, wherever they are. We were able to hire them because, realistically, they wouldn’t relocate to Bonn for Koyos.”
Closing thoughts
Building a startup without an office isn’t about replicating in‑person work online. It’s about embracing a different mindset. As Maria shows, a remote‑first business thrives on intentional choices: when to meet face‑to‑face, how to design rhythms that keep people aligned, and how to protect your own balance as a founder.
Remote work opens doors to talent and freedom, but it also demands discipline and a commitment to relationships.
What routines, meetups, or habits could help you bring more clarity and connection to your own team—no matter where you work?
Connect with Maria:
Koyos is a remote startup offering interactive 8-week programs to B2B sales professionals. If you’re curious and want to learn more or want to become an instructor, head right to their website or check out their LinkedIn. Also, make sure to check Maria’s LinkedIn to follow her as she builds her business from the home office.