It’s the people who make this what it is.
From first conversations to lasting connections — this room brought together leaders, builders, and operators shaping how work actually gets done.
Thank you to everyone who joined us at Running Remote Conference 2026.
For showing up, sharing openly, and being part of something bigger than just an event.
Until next time 👏🚀
NEW: Questions From the Running Remote Community 💬
At Running Remote 2026, attendees used our spaces feature in the Brella app to ask honest questions, share challenges, and spark conversations with other leaders navigating the future of work.
We loved the questions so much that we’re bringing some of them here.
First up from Susan Teague:
“How does having a remote workforce impact your approach to leadership development?”
Has remote work changed:
• how you coach managers?
• how leaders build trust?
• how feedback and growth happen?
• what leadership skills matter most?
We’d love to hear how your organization is thinking about this 👇
Two weeks since Running Remote 2026… and we’re still thinking about the conversations, ideas, and connections that came out of those few days in Austin 💜
From AI and distributed leadership to culture, trust, and intentional connection, this year’s discussions went far beyond remote work policies.
Now we’re curious:
What’s the biggest lesson, insight, or shift in perspective you took away from Running Remote 2026?
👇 Tell us below.
Are you choosing the right people tech, or just going with the most compelling pitch in the moment?
The HR tech market is moving faster than ever. Between AI disruption, tighter budgets, shifting pricing models, and new platforms launching constantly, there's no room for bad buying decisions.
That’s exactly why our dear Shelby Wolpa created the People Tech Systems Guide (Fifth Edition)—now available as a FREE RESOURCE
The guide is used by hundreds of People leaders navigating critical systems decisions, drawing on my experiences over the last 20+ years building and advising People teams.
What’s new this year:
• Where AI is truly driving value across the HR stack
• How recruiting is evolving amid AI, applicant fraud, and hiring volume shifts
• Guidance on what to buy, when to buy it, and why
• SaaS pricing + negotiation strategies for today’s market
100+ pre-vetted tools, including featured spotlights on solutions pushing the market forward from ChartHop, Gem, Kinfolk, Nava, and GoodTime
Plus, operator playbooks and resources, and insights from industry experts, including Cara Brennan Allamano, Theresa Fesinstine, Mindy H., Brett Ungashick, and more.
Download the guide: link in @runningremote 's bio.
Bonus: The first 200 people to download the guide will be entered to win 1 of 5 free coaching sessions with me to review your tech stack questions in detail.
Where does AI actually improve the employee experience…
and where does the human layer matter even more?
That was the conversation in:
⚡ The Evolving Remote Employee Journey: Where AI Meets the Human Experience
at Running Remote 2026
Featuring:
• Tracy St.Dic - Zapier
• Chase Gharrity - Binance.US
• Lucy Stein - Givebutter
• Stacey Nordwall - Pyn
From hiring and onboarding to growth and retention, the panel explored:
• Where automation creates real value
• How AI is changing the employee journey
• Why trust, judgment, and care still can’t be outsourced
• What People leaders need to redesign right now
One theme came up again and again:
AI can remove friction.
But connection, culture, and leadership still need humans.
The future of work isn’t AI or people.
It’s how intentionally we design both together. 🚀
AI isn’t coming for remote work. It’s already reshaping it.
At Running Remote 2026, this panel brought together operators who are actually doing the work:
Michael Melen - SmartSites
David Siegel - Glide
Beth White - MeBeBot®
Liam Martin - Time Doctor
No hype. No hypotheticals.
Just real conversations on:
• What roles are already changing
• How teams are restructuring around AI
• What’s actually working (and what’s not)
• What leaders need to do in the next 12 months
Remote teams aren’t starting from zero.
They’re already built on:
async work, documentation, and outcomes —
the exact foundations AI needs.
The question now isn’t if things will change.
It’s how fast you’re adapting. 🚀
Watch our team transform another Austin iconic venue for Running Remote - 2nd year in a row 💪🏽
Thank you @runningremote for having us out at @fairmarketatx
🎥: @verygraceworld
#EventProfs #CustomFabrication
Remote work isn’t going away. It’s getting more serious.
At Running Remote 2026, Nick Francis, Founder of Help Scout broke down what he calls the next phase:
⚡ The Second Wave of Remote Work — and Who Wins It
The first wave was reactive.
The second wave is intentional.
As return-to-office policies push talent back into the market, the advantage shifts to companies that actually know how to operate remotely — not just offer it.
The difference?
Not policy.
Operating model.
How decisions are made.
How work is reviewed.
How culture is built.
The takeaway:
The companies that win won’t be the ones offering remote work.
They’ll be the ones designed for it.
And that gap is only getting wider. 🚀
What happens when your next coworker… isn’t human?
At Running Remote 2026, Andrew Warner sat down with Wade Foster to unpack one of the biggest shifts happening right now:
⚡ Your Next Coworker Is a Twin: How Zapier Thinks About AI Transformation
This wasn’t speculation.
It was a real look inside how Zapier is already thinking about:
• AI agents as actual coworkers
• Digital twins for employees
• Where automation replaces work vs. where it augments it
Including the now-famous “Wade Test” — and what it reveals about how leaders are evaluating AI inside their organizations.
The takeaway?
We’re not just adding tools.
We’re redefining what a team even is.
And the companies figuring this out early won’t just move faster — they’ll operate differently.
This shift is already happening. 🚀
Speed is increasing. But control isn’t the answer.
At Running Remote 2026, Dionn Schaffner, MBA challenged leaders to rethink how they operate in an AI-driven world.
Her message:
The best leaders don’t respond to complexity by tightening control.
They respond by designing better conditions.
In a world where AI accelerates decisions and output, leadership becomes about:
• Building trust at scale
• Designing for accountability and outcomes
• Creating space for healthy dissent and real participation
This isn’t about moving faster for the sake of speed.
It’s about making sure teams can keep up — without losing what makes them human.
If you’re leading distributed teams today, this shift isn’t optional.
It’s already happening.
Where is distributed work actually heading?
Straight into human + AI collaboration.
At Running Remote 2026, Brandon Sammut of Zapier took the stage to break down what that really looks like in practice.
His message was clear:
Distributed teams aren’t behind in AI.
They’re ahead.
Why? Because they’re already built on:
• Async work
• Documentation-first culture
• Outcome-based performance
The foundations AI actually needs to work.
This wasn’t theory.
It was a practical playbook for leaders:
How to redesign roles,
Rethink culture,
And rebuild systems for the AI era.
If you’re leading a distributed team — this isn’t optional anymore.
It’s already happening. 🚀
We kicked off Day 2 with the person who started it all.
Liam Martin took the stage to open the 10th edition of Running Remote 2026 — setting the tone for what’s next in how we work.
Remote work isn’t a trend.
It’s an operating system.
And as AI reshapes how teams function, the conversation is no longer about where we work — but how we build environments where people (and technology) can perform at their best.
Grateful to have Time Doctor hosting this milestone edition — and to everyone in the room pushing the conversation forward.
Let’s go 🚀
