Very Remote Work
TL;DR - when 5G and satellite web comes around, we’ll live and work from anywhere.

Cities aren’t going anywhere. But I’m thinking carefully about where I want to work now that Shopify is digital by default. And I’m not the only one.
As more and more tech companies switch to digital-first, it will reshape Silicon Valley and the tech industry. I’m sure Silicon Valley will survive through COVID. Less crowded, with all of the new remote workers forced out, it will continue to be where founders meet their VCs.
Where will all those tech workers go?
An ex-colleague who lives in the Bay Area is waiting for his current employer to make a decision to permanently shift to remote work. He wants to move because of the enormous cost of living and high taxes. He doesn’t know where yet, but he’s confident that he wants to leave the Bay Area.
I spoke to a friend who has been working remotely for 4 years from his base in Russia. I wanted to learn what has changed since he left the office. He said that he left the city for a village, traveled more than while working from the office, and now he has more time for exercising. Also, he mentioned that every winter, he leaves Russia for “zimovka.” Zimovka - a Russian term that can describe how migratory birds fly to the south for wintering. Nowadays, this term is also used to describe how location-independent workers leave for warm countries to skip the Russian winter.
A fundamental shift in lifestyle.
Some would never leave the comfort of urban living, while others can’t wait to escape. But, often the Internet outside of cities is the worst. For many, the Internet is the only reason they’re not working from a cottage or a camping trailer. Cabins and ranches are considered to be quiet summer retreats to bring you closer to nature for a few weeks in a year. Some people are already turning their remote cottage into a permanent base.
In 2015, Pieter Levels predicted that there will be 1 billion digital nomads by 2035. The projection of the world’s population in 2035 is almost 9 billion people. If he is right, 1 in every 9 people on the planet will be a location-independent worker by 2035. Personally, I find these numbers unreal.
But I agree with him that by 2035 there probably won’t be a place on Earth without high-speed Internet, thanks to the new emerging technologies - 5G and satellite web. This year is perhaps the last year when you can find a place in North America without Internet coverage. SpaceX targets the launch of the public beta of its Starlink in the US & Canada in November 2020.
Once the Internet coverage issue is solved, I believe we will see massive migration of remote workers from cities to rural areas.
Those who would rather stay in the cities may choose changing locations to explore the world. New tech hubs are emerging across the globe that will try to draw in location-independent tech workers. Estonia just launched a new visa specifically targeted for remote workers https://e-resident.gov.ee/nomadvisa/.

Bali may become a major tech hub of the Asia-Pacific region due to its fast-growing community of location-independent entrepreneurs and tech workers. They come to stay in the paradise island. Investments in infrastructure are probably required to succeed. Still the best place for “zimovka,” though.