Actions versus tasks is a split that has dogged all my attempts to manage time, projects, goals, dreams and the ultimate end of just “being”. This is a new, and delightfully put, puzzle piece I am adding to my overall picture. Granted, it’s more than a 10,000 piece puzzle, but I’ll take all the help that I can get.

Pat – I telework occasionally, and when I work in a coffee shop, my productivity spikes. I need that interaction, even if I am a plugged in iPod user. The hum of activity sinks far into the subconscious and keeps me going.

I find it motivates me, and is much better for communication – IM and VoIP can’t display my gestures all that well. And things like office cricket or basketball, impromtu hallway chats, team lunches – they build a company culture that I don’t think could be mirrored to the same extent virtually.

All that said, the idea of a virtual company has a level of romantic appeal for me – to be able to wander into a coffee shop and work there, to work from home with the music up loud – it’s cool and provides a great level of freedom and independance.

Where I work, I have the option of working from home occasionally, and I could always take my laptop down to a nearby coffee shop if I so wished – but those options just can’t compete with a nice office full of fun people.

Sorry, this (perhaps a little too verbose) comment might have come across as ‘You’re stupid for being a virtual company’ – I don’t mean that at all, I just see some flaws (and you’ve pointed out some too), and I’m interested in how you get around those.