The Future of Virtual Work with Renji Bijoy

No one could have imagined how the COVID-19 pandemic would shape the future of work. The number of people working from home tripled between 2019 and 2021, from 5.7% to nearly 18%, according to 2022 data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Many employees would rather quit than return to an office full-time, valuing flexibility and autonomy over higher paychecks. While several employers have adopted a hybrid model to accommodate employees’ preferences, some interactions simply aren’t the same over Zoom.  As a software engineer in 2017, Renji Bijoy noticed that collaborating virtually was difficult in hybrid settings. This inspired Renji to become the CEO/CTO and Founder of Immersed, a Techstars startup, to enhance remote working environments with virtual reality. It wasn’t until remote work became the norm in 2020 that his company gained traction with Meta and Microsoft to build virtual reality offices. Now, Immersed has raised $12M to date and it doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon. Renji chats with Tommy about the importance of flexibility in a startup environment, the key to selecting a high-performing team, and the role virtual offices will play in the next generation of the workforce. Key Takeaways [02:08] - Renji’s entrepreneurial journey. [07:35] - The DARPA Grand Challenge. [10:20] - The idea that Renji initially brought to TechStars. [12:40] - How Renji pivoted to solve a new problem. [14:34] - How Renji secured a partnership with Meta. [15:29] - The financial hardship Renji faced in 2019. [17:23] - Renji’s unconventional approach to hiring. [20:38] - Renji’s secret to building a top-performing team.  [23:13] - How crowdfunding works. [25:57] - How Immerse became a fundraising success. [28:45] - The virtual reality experience. [31:37] - The future of virtual reality. [36:50] -The next step for telepresence. [39:00] - Renji’s favorite business contractor. [43:54] - The best way to reach out to Renji. Quotes [35:35] - “Immersed is not something that we’re building because we love remote work, it’s something that we’re building because we actually hate remote work. We are trying to unite our world in such a way that actually allows people to get to the same space, regardless of where you’re at.” ~ Renji Bijoy [43:06] - “Zoom is not the solution for hybrid remote teams now that companies want people in the office and only half of them want to come back.” ~ Renji Bijoy [45:04] - “You start creating a global workforce as if you had everyone on-site. This is going to be the next generation of the workforce.” ~ Renji Bijoy Links  Renji Bijoy on LinkedIn Renji Bijoy in Forbes 30 Under 30 Immersed on LinkedIn The Grand Challenge Sebastian Thrun on LinkedIn Ryan Yep on LinkedIn Techstars Wefunder U.S. Census Bureau - Working From Home Connect with our hosts Mammoth Tommy on LinkedIn Subscribe and stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify Google Podcasts Learn more about Mammoth Scientific's Health & Tech Fund 1 When you move beyond the point of making sure your retirement goals are on track, your investment opportunities are wider than just publicly traded funds. Step into the world of investing in venture capital by learning more about Mammoth Scientific's Health & Tech Fund 1. Curated by some of the leading medical and fintech experts, Mammoth's Fund 1 is paving the way for health science and tech innovation. If you're interested in helping patient care, provider insight, and instrumentation go beyond possibility and into reality, check it out today at Mammoth.vc. Visit Mammoth.vc today!