'This is a company for grown ups': Nothing CEO Carl Pei ends work-from-home, announces return to five-day in-office

Carl Pei, the CEO of Nothing, has announced a shift in the company's work culture, transitioning its London-based team back to a five-day in-office workweek. Pei communicated this change through an internal email, which he later shared publicly on LinkedIn.

In his message, Pei described the decision as essential for Nothing’s long-term ambitions, positioning the move as a necessary step to fully realise the company's potential. “We are at 0.1% of our potential,” Pei wrote, emphasising that Nothing aims to become a generation-defining tech company rather than simply a successful business.

Pei acknowledged that the decision might not be universally popular, recognising that many companies have adopted remote or hybrid models since the COVID-19 pandemic. However, he stressed that Nothing’s goals require a different approach. “This is a company for grown ups,” Pei asserted, indicating that while the workweek will be office-based, flexibility will remain for those who need it.

Pei outlined three key reasons for the shift:

Collaboration on physical products: Nothing specialises in creating physical products, where close collaboration between design, engineering, manufacturing, and quality teams is critical. Pei argued that this level of coordination is difficult to achieve remotely.

Driving creativity and innovation: Competing against larger tech companies requires high levels of creativity and innovation. Pei believes that in-person interactions foster the kind of dynamic problem-solving needed to stay ahead with fewer resources.

Maintaining high ambition and speed: Pei made it clear that Nothing’s ambitions go beyond merely building a profitable business. The company is focused on rapid growth and becoming a major player in the tech industry—a goal he feels is incompatible with remote work.

Despite the shift, Pei assured employees that flexibility would still be part of Nothing’s culture, particularly for roles like sales and PR that require frequent out-of-office engagements. He also acknowledged that the in-office requirement might not be a fit for everyone, encouraging those who feel misaligned with the company's direction to seek environments where they can thrive.

The new policy is set to take effect in two months, with Pei planning to address any concerns in an upcoming Town Hall meeting in London.

Since its launch during the pandemic, Nothing has quickly made a name for itself, particularly in the competitive smartphone market, where it has become the fastest-growing brand in India with a 567 per cent year-over-year growth rate.