Gumroad are trailblazers when it comes to changing how we work. There’s the default path of offices, 9-5 schedules and too many meetings. Then there’s the Gumroad path, no offices or meetings, everyone works part-time and are given absolute trust.

Founder Sahil Lavingia openly shares Gumroad’s approach and how it came about. It started with an objective of freedom at all costs. Every policy and benefit was created in line with that north star.

If you also value location and time freedom, Gumroad could be the best imaginable company to join. 

Gumroad’s team works from anywhere. Everyone works part-time, encouraging you to pursue side projects and hobbies. They don’t do meetings, freeing up all time at work to focus on shipping. 

Are Gumroad Remote? 

Yes, Gumroad are 100% remote. They have no physical office and the team are scattered around the world.

Are Gumroad async-first?

Yes, Gumroad are as async-first as you can get. With no meetings they communicate almost exclusively via writing. Time zones are irrelevant as projects are moved forward by async-friendly projects tools like Notion.

From Sahil: Instead of having meetings, people “talk” to each other via GitHub, Notion, and (occasionally) Slack, expecting responses within 24 hours. Because there are no standups or “syncs” and some projects can involve expensive feedback loops to collaborate, working this way requires clear and thoughtful communication.‍

Gumroad Values 

Gumroad have some interesting values that will help you get a feel for how they work:

• Judged by the work - emphasis on how the product, content, and community are judged by Gumroad customers.
• Seek superlinearities - It should be considered a failure if you can't look back one month and see what is significantly different about your output.
• Everyone is a CEO - You need to think strategically (about business and product), proactively get things done, ask for help when needed, and hold yourself accountable before I need to.
• Dare to be open - Being open about everything is the flywheel that brings more amazing people into our ecosystem.

Unique benefits of working at Gumroad 

• Gumroad will pay everyone the same, no matter their location. 

• You can literally work from anywhere in the world, so work from where you're happiest.
• Gumroad’s asynchronous, no meetings policy allows you to get on with deep work and removes the stress and fatigue often associated with traditional workplaces.
• Autonomy ownership. The ability to think like a CEO at Gumroad makes you accountable for your decisions. It also keeps you engaged and gives you a controlling stake in the growth of the company.
  

Traits For Working At Gumroad

There are certain traits that will make you a better fit for finding a role at Gumroad, including:

• Good writers - As all communication is done via writing it’s natural that people who can write succinctly and with humility will do well at Gumroad.‍
• Autonomous/self-managing - People who are energised by being given responsibility to manage their schedule and think like an owner are going to thrive in Gumroad’s autonomous environment. ‍
• Seeks improvement - Being humble enough to know what you don’t know and to embrace continually learning the latest ways to improve your craft.‍
• Have fun - Above all, people who don’t take themselves too seriously and are able to have some fun whilst also moving projects forward.

Bull Case For Working At Gumroad

• Gumroad could be one of the most exciting companies to join if it’s freedom that you're after. You can live anywhere, work part-time, have a life outside of your day job and not be tied down by meetings and rigid schedules.
• They are profitable and growing, it’s not a Silicon Valley rocketship but there’s a lot to be said for a calm work environment that is also commercially successful. Gumroad is also serving the growing creator economy which is bound to grow over the next decade.
• You will work with some of the smartest people on the Internet including folks like Sahil and Daniel Vassalo.

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