3 Winners & 3 Losers from Paradigm’s Pandemic

Paradigm is coming up on four months of our team working remotely in response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. It’s been the greatest social experiment that no one asked for. And now that we’ve settled into a routine, it’s time to analyze the results. Let’s reflect on a few winners and losers that have emerged.

Winner: The Exclamation Point

Hey! Just sending you a quick message with an exclamation point! That’s how you know I’m not mad at you! Tone is tough to convey over Slack or email, so it’s easy to fall back on the trusty exclamation point to prove just how friendly and upbeat you are. We don’t have any statistical way of tracking its usage across the web, but we imagine that’s one curve that hasn’t been flattened.

Loser: Lunch Buffets

We’re pretty serious about lunch. Most of us go out and most of us like ordering from menus. Not Matt and Scott. For those two, it never stopped being 1986, when you could travel the culinary world with one trip down the buffet. We’re honestly not sure what they’re doing for lunch these days, but we know they can’t be happy about it. If the coronavirus really is the final nail in the buffet’s coffin, expect Matt and Scott to deliver the eulogy.

Winner: Pets

Here’s a fun fact: everyone on the Zoom wants to see your pet. You’re probably making some great business points, but if your dog is even a little bit in the frame—that’s where our focus is. Pets are living their absolute best lives right now. They get to spend the whole day with us and no one puts up a fight when they’re ready for a walk.

Loser: Ergonomics

We really took those office chairs for granted, with their plush cushioning and advanced lumbar support. Working from home is the wild west of workspaces. Some of us have settled into kitchen tables, others are holding it down from the couch—and none of us feel great about our postures. John has a nice setup, but it begs the question: how many LED strips is too many?

Winner: Hobbies

More time at home means we’re all finding new ways to pass the time. That pile of dusty books on the shelf? Done. How about the puzzles your grandma gave you in sixth grade? That’s your Friday night now. As much as we all miss people and places, we can agree that the quarantine has given us a chance to refocus and recenter ourselves.

Loser: The Mute Button

You would think the mute button would be having a heyday right now. You would be wrong. The mute button needs to fire its marketing agency, because it’s lost in the shuffle of virtual backgrounds and reaction emojis. If you take away one thing from this piece, let it be this: mute yourself before you wish you had muted yourself.

The last few months have been a total blur, but for all the winners and losers, we’re still working hard for our clients. As much as we’d love to welcome everyone back to our office, this is our new normal for the time being. But don’t worry—we’re only a Zoom call away.