‘WFH Makes You Dumber’? Nimbyx CEO Explains Controversial Take at FutureProof Summit
Paolo Kalaw, the chief executive officer and founder of Nimbyx, explained his previous statement that went viral, “Working from home will make you dumber every day.”
- His explanation was part of his keynote speech during the FutureProof Tech Summit 2024, organized by Web3PH.
- Kalaw attended the event virtually from his home office due to a conflict in schedule.
In Focus: Paolo Kalaw is an entrepreneur focused on healthcare technology. Aside from Nimbyx, he is currently the CEO of EVA Digital Clinic, ALINA, and Evident, all are digital platforms for dentistry.
- Recent news: BitPinas spoke with several crypto professionals in the Philippines to share their experiences and views on working remotely in the crypto industry.
The following excerpt from the keynote speech focuses on Kalaw explanation on why he mentioned the statement, clarifying things to employees and freelancers who work remotely who are offended by Nimbyx’s content.
Table of Contents
Keynote Speech by Paolo Kalaw of Nimbyx
Paolo Kalaw, Chief Executive Officer and Founder, Nimbyx: “Working from home will make you dumber every day,” so what do I mean by that?
In the context of a business, people working from home have actually become more productive at the tasks they’re doing. They keep doing the same thing repeatedly and getting better at it.
The difference is when companies evolve, change, or adjust their strategy. The people working remotely often get left behind—they’re good at one thing, but they lose context within the organization. Especially as the economy becomes tougher, companies are forced to innovate, and most of the ideas actually come when people are together.
When you work remotely by yourself, you tend to measure how productive you are at the tasks you learned early on. But as companies or the world change, the value of those old tasks may decline relative to new ways of doing things.
You owe it to yourself to keep evolving your skills. A lot of people lack the discipline and grit to learn new things unless someone is forcing or coaching them in person, and that’s the challenge with working from home.
On Tips on How to Work Remotely
Kalaw: So, what can you do if you’re a new grad—or really anyone working remotely?
The first one is to show up at the office.
I don’t care what company you talk about—every one of them struggles to fill middle and senior management roles when everyone is working from home. Show up and get to know other people in the organization so they know you. There’s currently a gap between workers, managers, and leaders.
Every CEO I talk to says the same thing: There’s a huge opportunity for people willing to take initiative, go to the office, and become connectors—the person who knows everyone. That way, when they need something, they’ll think of you.
The second one is to master AI tools.
You have to ask people in your organization which AI tools you need to learn to excel in your role. I guarantee most people in your field aren’t learning them. Set aside one hour daily to practice these tools—if you’re saving time by working remotely, use that extra time to improve. Doing this will make you stand out.
That’s my two cents—take it for what it’s worth. I hope you enjoyed the talk.
Nimbyx CEO Expands Two Tips
Consequently, Kalaw shared stories that reflect on what he thinks is the future of the professional workspace, which is also about the two tips he gave.
Story #1: The Influence of AI
According to Kalaw, he and his two colleagues were in San Francisco, U.S.A. when they saw a driverless taxi called Waymo, where they can rent using a mobile application similar to Grab and Uber.
- Upon trying this initiative, they expressed that they were impressed with the experience, as the taxi was clean, they felt safe, and they could pick the music they wanted to play during the ride.
- However, when they were about to have another Waymo ride, they were blocked by a taxi with a frustrated driver that he thinks has been waiting for a passenger for about 30 to 40 minutes already.
- Kalaw then reflected that he realized that taxi drivers are threatened today because more passengers are choosing Waymo.
“This shows how AI is reshaping industries. Even Uber announced plans to include Waymo cars in its fleet. While traditional driver roles are changing, Waymo still needs customer support, software engineers, and logistics people to manage the system.”
Paolo Kalaw, Chief Executive Officer and Founder, Nimbyx
Story #2: Kalaw Adopting His Own Tips
Talking about adopting his tips for his own company, Kalaw shared that one of the companies that he is serving as the CEO, Evident, is now working to digitize dentistry.
- He shared that one of their products is about AI tools for receptionists, which automates repetitive tasks performed by front-desk staff at dental offices.
“For example, we developed a virtual robot (RTA) that handles repetitive tasks like managing digital files. This allows front-desk staff to focus on more important things—like making patients feel comfortable.”
Paolo Kalaw, Chief Executive Officer and Founder, Nimbyx
Attending Virtually
One of the notable scenarios during the conference is that Kalaw delivered his keynote speech virtually—he was in his home office.
- According to the CEO, the video was recorded on a Sunday afternoon.
- He also expressed his interest in attending the tech summit in person, but his travel arrangements did not work out.
Key Quote:
“I’m doing my best to deliver value despite that. Thanks to the organizers and to Web3PH. Anyone working to support the startup community in the Philippines deserves our full backing because, in the long run, this effort will improve livelihoods and elevate the status of Filipinos. So, more power to you.”
Paolo Kalaw, Chief Executive Officer and Founder, Nimbyx
This article is published on BitPinas: ‘WFH Makes You Dumber’? Nimbyx CEO Explains Controversial Take at FutureProof Summit
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