GitLab

The all-remote software company that proves distributed work isn't about Zoom - it's about intentional topology.

GitLab is the exemplar of distributed-first organization in the digital era. But the company's insight wasn't "let people work from home" - it was that remote work requires different network topology, not just distributed locations. Most companies digitized office structures: private messages instead of hallway conversations, video calls instead of meetings, silos transferred to Slack. GitLab redesigned the entire information architecture.

The topology: all communication public by default (Slack channels, not DMs), asynchronous-first documentation so information flows without synchronous presence, and explicit brokerage roles connecting internal and external networks. This isn't remote work - it's a different operating system. Information doesn't flow through managers in a hierarchy; it flows through documentation accessible to anyone. Decisions don't require meetings; they happen in merge requests and issues visible to the entire company.

The result: GitLab scaled to 2,000+ employees across 65+ countries without a headquarters, went public at $15B valuation, and maintains high engagement scores despite zero offices. The lesson: distributed work fails when companies try to replicate office culture remotely. It succeeds when you redesign information topology for asynchronous, transparent, documentation-first communication. The constraint isn't technology - it's organizational design.