Work Anywhere You Want

If you think you need an office to work, think again — especially if you work in the technology sector.

There’s a growing trend among today’s technology workers called WAYW, or “work anywhere you want,” and there’s one guy who’s way ahead of the curve. His name is Pieter Levels, and he’s started 12 different businesses over the course of a single year — not from an office but from wherever he felt like working.

A dedicated serial entrepreneur, Levels prefers to work alone and on the go, using only what he carries with him in a backpack. He handles every aspect of his businesses, from the marketing and backend coding of his platforms to the front-end design. And rather than using the latest coding languages or frameworks, he writes all his raw code by hand.

The businesses he creates often reflect his passion for working at locations of his choosing. For example, Remote Okay helps people find remote jobs, while Startup Retreats offers a platform for finding and booking remote work retreats. Nomad List rates the best cities for living in and working remotely, and updates users on new mobile apps, websites, hardware projects, and tech creations.

This Isn’t Your Parent’s Work WorldLevels’ experience, and the whole WAYW movement, reflect two fundamental changes in the work environment that are rapidly reshaping the way entrepreneurs start and build new businesses.First, building a successful technology product no longer requires living in or near a major technology hub like Silicon Valley. With today’s new programming languages, open source codes, and sophisticated technology tools, one person working alone can build a marketable product or application on their own — working anywhere they choose.

Second, advanced technology tools are making it increasingly easier to build new software products without having great programming skills. As the tools get better and easier to use, it will soon become possible to build new apps and start new businesses without even knowing how to program.

What’s really cool is that companies like Ideator, an online platform for helping entrepreneurs launch and build new businesses, make it easy to be a part of this trend. By providing simple, easy-to-use tools for publishing business ideas, accessing resources, and connecting with potential advisors and investors, these platforms are helping to lay the foundation for a new generation of WAYW workers.

Just because you can work anywhere you want doesn’t mean you have to do everything yourself. If you’re looking to build a team, Ideator can help with that as well by enabling you to connect with a community of experienced entrepreneurs and other people who have the diverse skills needed to start and grow a technology business.

Not everyone can launch 12 new businesses in a year. But with the right technology tools and a little imagination, you can work anywhere you want.