Hi, I’m Gwion—one of the newer faces here at Querio. I joined the engineering team not too long ago, and in typical first-blog-post fashion, I’ve been asked to introduce myself and share a few thoughts. My background’s a bit of a mix: I’ve worked in green energy, finance, manufacturing, and even had a brief stint trying to teach machines how to spot tiny scratches on car paint.

This is my first blog post here, so no deep technical dive today. Think of it more as an intro of sorts—a bit of a reflection on the shift from working fully remote to being back in the office, and why, despite my best assumptions, I’ve ended up really enjoying it. Somewhere between a diary entry and a quiet apology to past me, who was fairly convinced that anything before 9am was unreasonable.

After a few years of working fully remote at a solar tech startup—solid team, a respectable amount of Slack gifs—I’ve now joined Querio, where things are properly in-office again. Five(ish) days a week. Desks. Colleagues. Communal cutlery.

Remote Had Its Vantagens

There’s a lot to appreciate about remote work. The flexibility, the quiet, the ability to shape your day without much friction. I found a rhythm that suited me, and having that trust to manage my own time was something I valued.

During that period, I also spent a few months working remotely from Lisbon. The change of scenery was refreshing—different pace, different surroundings, and the chance to step outside at the end of the day and actually feel like I’d gone somewhere. It worked well, and it’s an experience I’m really glad I had.

But looking back, I started to realise that while I was managing just fine, there were parts of the office—routine, pace, a sense of shared focus—that I hadn’t fully appreciated until they were gone. Nothing dramatic, just a shift in what seems to work better for me now.

The Office

When I joined Querio and found out it was fully office-based, I wasn’t exactly buzzing. I’d got used to remote work and genuinely liked it—there was structure to my days, and I didn’t feel like I was cutting corners. But I’d quietly filed myself under “probably not a morning person,” so the thought of heading in five days a week felt like a bit of a push.

It just so happened that cycling to work sliced the commute in half—and weirdly, that’s been one of the best parts of the shift. There’s something about starting the day with a bit of movement that sets the tone. By the time I arrive, I’m alert, I’ve had some fresh air, and my brain’s already doing useful things.

Once I’m in the office, I’ve noticed the momentum tends to carry on. It’s not about getting more done or being watched over—it’s just easier to get going and stay with the task. There’s a sense of pace and shared focus that makes the day feel a bit more solid.

Still Not Romanticising It

Let’s not pretend it’s all inspiration and synergy. There are days when I’d still rather be horizontal, headphones in, churning out tickets. And commuting when it’s cold and raining and you’ve forgotten your jacket is... well, still exactly as annoying as it always was.

The office doesn’t magically make work easier, but for me, it makes starting work easier. Which is often half the battle.

The Focus Thing

Not to wade too deep into the well-trodden ADHD discourse, but working remotely left me a bit scattered. Too many options, not enough nudges. The silence and freedom was nice until it wasn’t. The office doesn’t fix everything, but the movement, the people, the general background hum—it all helps to keep things ticking along. Less doom-scrolling or staring into the fridge, more getting on with it.

Also, the People Are Ace

One thing that’s made the return to office life genuinely enjoyable is the team. My new colleagues at Querio are sharp, thoughtful, and from all over the place—culturally, professionally, intellectually. It makes for a really energising environment to work in. Conversations jump easily between deep technical ideas, random cultural references, and whatever just popped off in the slack chat.

There’s a lot of curiosity here, and that’s contagious. It pushes you to raise your game a bit, but without any weird competitiveness. Just people who want to build cool stuff, and want to do it well—with a healthy dose of humour along the way.

So Yeah… Who Knew?

I used to think office life was something to tolerate at best. Now I’ve got a regular desk, a bike route I genuinely look forward to, and a working day that feels a bit more held together.

Remote work gave me a lot, and I wouldn’t trade those Lisbon months for anything. But for now, the rhythm of turning up somewhere, seeing familiar faces, and starting the day with a bit of purpose—it works.

It’s not about choosing sides. Just noticing that sometimes, what you thought was a compromise turns out to be a better fit. And maybe even enjoying it a bit more than you’re willing to admit out loud.