13 Top Tips and Resources to Stay Current While Working Remotely
Staying current in a remote work environment requires deliberate strategy and proven techniques. This article compiles 13 practical tips and resources, drawn from insights shared by experts in the field, to help professionals maintain their edge without being in a traditional office. From building consistent knowledge pipelines to prioritizing ground truth over hype, these strategies offer actionable ways to keep skills sharp and information fresh.
Let Real Signals Lead You
Working remotely forces you to be intentional about staying sharp, because you don't get those natural industry conversations you'd pick up in an office. For me, the way I stay up-to-date is by following the real signals in our own data first, and then pairing that with a few reliable external sources.
At Eprezto, our weekly growth meetings are honestly one of my biggest sources of learning. When you're looking at conversion data, CAC trends, drop-offs, and customer behavior every single week, you start noticing industry shifts before they're written about in any newsletter. That internal "pulse check" keeps me grounded in what actually matters.
Outside of that, I keep things simple. I consume content from other high-intent markets, and I watch case studies from companies solving similar problems in different industries. I've found that's way more useful than trying to keep up with every generic "insurance trends" report.
And honestly, a lot of my professional development comes from listening to customers. Their questions change before the market does. When you see the same new doubts or behaviors popping up in chat or in our funnel, that tells you where things are heading.
So my strategy is basically: Data first. Real operators second. Customers always. It keeps me current without getting overwhelmed by noise, which, in remote work, is half the battle.
Adopt A Newsroom Rhythm
Remote work can turn you into a silo, so I run my week like a newsroom. Monday morning I skim three newsletters, then I pick one theme and ignore the rest. I save links in one folder and tag them by domain. On Wednesday I read one long piece, take notes, and write a five line summary for my team. That tiny deadline keeps me honest, and it stops doom scrolling.
For skill growth, I do short learning sprints. One hour blocks, two times a week, no multitasking. I rotate sources: arXiv for ideas, GitHub release notes for reality, and recorded conference talks for context. I build a mini demo or a checklist, not a slide deck. I also keep a small peer circle, plus one monthly chat with a junior engineer who is closer to the tools. If a trend cannot survive those conversations, it is noise.
Prioritize Ground Truth Over Hype
Running an IT services company remotely means you're either constantly learning or you're falling behind. Here's my stack:
1. **Micro-learning during dead time**: I consume YouTube tech channels (Linus Tech Tips, NetworkChuck, Jeff Geerling) at 1.5x speed during morning coffee or while commuting. 15-20 minutes daily adds up fast.
2. **Vendor webinars with skin in the game**: Microsoft, Pax8, and ConnectWise run monthly sessions on new features. I only attend if there's a clear business application—no generic fluff.
3. **Reddit + Discord communities**: r/msp and MSP-focused Discord servers give you unfiltered ground truth. No marketing spin, just real operators sharing what's working (or breaking).
4. **LinkedIn for strategic content**: I follow 10-15 thought leaders in the MSP/IT space. I skim daily, but deep-dive on posts about pricing models, hiring, or emerging threats like AI-driven phishing.
5. **Monthly "learning sprint"**: Last Friday of each month, my team and I each pick one new tool or skill to test—could be a new RMM feature, a security framework, or even a sales technique. We share results the following Monday.
The key: Filter ruthlessly. 80% of "industry content" is noise. Focus on what directly impacts your bottom line or client satisfaction.
Test Ideas, Trust Controlled Results
Remote work sharpens the need for deliberate learning because there is no office buzz to keep you aligned with the pace of the field, and that reality shaped how we operate at Scale By SEO. I build my routine around signal sources rather than volume. A few trusted research feeds track algorithm updates, emerging tooling, and shifts in user behavior. Industry slack groups help surface real world issues hours before they become public threads. The most important habit involves running small experiments inside our own systems. When a new ranking pattern or model update appears, we test it quietly on controlled pages before drawing conclusions. That rhythm keeps theory grounded in data. I also rotate through long form materials each month since deep reading corrects the bias that comes from living in fast moving channels. Podcasts fill the gaps during travel or chores and often surface frameworks that blend well with our workflows. Remote work works best when professional development becomes part of the daily cadence rather than a quarterly chore, and building a predictable stream of insights helps keep decisions sharp without feeling overwhelmed.
Dissect Competitors' Specs And Patents
Staying up-to-date with industry trends while working remotely is about enforcing structural discipline to actively seek knowledge, rather than passively waiting for it. The conflict is the trade-off: traditional learning relies on scheduled, in-person events, which creates a massive structural failure when you are decentralized. I rely on strategies that enforce verifiable, hands-on intellectual engagement.
The core strategy I rely on is the "Competitive Structural Disassembly" Audit. I don't read general news. Instead, I dedicate non-billable time to analyzing the technical specifications and patent filings of new specialized materials and heavy duty equipment being launched by our direct competitors. This provides the single most reliable structural indicator of where the market is actually shifting and what problems they are trying to solve. This forces me to immediately pivot my professional development toward mastering the emerging structural technology before it becomes standard.
The primary resources I use are specialized manufacturer technical bulletins and structural engineering journals. These resources provide verifiable, hands-on data on material stress testing, wind-uplift codes, and advanced flashing protocols, not abstract industry predictions. This disciplined process secures my intellectual foundation by ensuring that my knowledge is always anchored to the latest verifiable structural facts.
Meet Industry Contacts In Person
I travel a lot when I am working remotely. When I do this, I try to connect with people in person. Overall, I focus a lot on my professional network, so I have a lot of great connections in the industry. Traveling just gives me the opportunity to meet with a lot of my connections in person from time to time. I try to get together with people to talk about things like industry trends and what we're both seeing headed our way.
Tie Updates To Live Cases
At RGV Direct Care we learned that staying current while working remotely depends less on chasing every new update and more on building a rhythm that keeps information flowing without overwhelming the day. I rely on a short morning scan of two or three trusted clinical newsletters that summarize regulatory shifts, medication updates and primary care trends in plain language. That routine gives enough context to stay oriented without pulling attention away from patients. I also keep one standing virtual session each month with colleagues from nearby practices. We talk through what is changing in reimbursement, telehealth workflows and patient behavior. Those conversations surface insights long before they appear in formal reports.
The strategy that carries the most weight is tying learning to real cases. When a patient's issue raises a question, I track it back to current guidelines and recent studies instead of relying on memory. That habit keeps the learning practical and prevents remote work from becoming isolating. It mirrors how we approach ongoing development at RGV Direct Care. Information stays meaningful when it is connected to the people we serve, and that connection keeps professional growth steady even when the workspace is quiet and distant.
Make Projects Spark Fresh Research
Staying up to date is easier when you work remotely. Research is part of our work. Each brief pushes us to look at new sources, use AI for quick summaries, and then check our findings with a team specialist. We capture the best takeaways in ClickUp so the next project starts smarter.
Schedule Nonnegotiable Weekly Practice Blocks
For someone running a physical service business like Honeycomb Air, staying current in the HVAC industry isn't just about reading; it's about applying knowledge to maintain compliance and efficiency. While I might not be fully remote, a lot of my strategic work happens away from the shop. I prioritize staying current through three specific channels: trade organizations, manufacturer bulletins, and dedicated learning blocks. I need to know about new refrigerant standards or energy efficiency mandates before anyone else in San Antonio.
My main resource strategy relies on mandatory learning blocks. I literally schedule one hour every Friday afternoon, without fail, for professional development. This hour is dedicated to reading technical journals, reviewing updates from key trade organizations like ACCA, and studying technical training videos provided by major equipment manufacturers. I treat this time just like I would treat a high-priority customer repair—it is non-negotiable and essential to the health of the business.
The unexpected benefit of this structured approach is that it forces me to formalize training for my team. If I find a valuable new industry standard or technique, I immediately push it down to my lead technicians and schedule a short, required internal training session. This cascade effect ensures that every member of Honeycomb Air is benefiting from my personal development, which keeps our whole operation modern and reliable for the customer.
Curate, Deepen, Then Protect Study
Working remotely has made me much more focused on keeping up with industry trends and my own professional growth. Without the spontaneous learning that comes from in-person conversations, I depend on a structured mix of habits and resources.
I begin each week with a planned information routine. I maintain a short list of trusted newsletters that cover global hiring, compliance, remote work models, and the larger HR tech field. This helps me stay ahead of regulatory changes and talent market patterns, which is crucial for the work we do at Wisemonk. Each month, I also set aside time to study one topic in depth, whether it's a new compliance requirement, an emerging technology, or a leadership approach I want to improve.
Community is important too. I stay involved in a few founder and HR leadership groups where people share what they are experiencing. Those discussions often reveal insights well before they become common knowledge. I also encourage my team to share what they learn from their own networks and projects so we can grow together.
Lastly, I use a simple practice. I schedule time on my calendar for learning just like I would for any important meeting. Remote work can blur boundaries, so if you don't make learning a priority, it often doesn't happen.
This blend of curated information, peer learning, and dedicated time keeps me informed and helps me make better decisions for my team and the companies we support.
Audit Fleet Metrics For Movement
I work remotely a lot, so staying current is a discipline. What keeps me sharp is tracking the data that matters. Every Monday I review carrier change logs, device OS update cycles, and any shifts in roaming policies. That tells you more about real industry movement than most newsletters. I also lean on a small circle of mobility managers and TEM leads. We trade notes on things like rising international usage or new security gaps. If you want one strategy, build a habit of reviewing your own fleet metrics monthly. Line utilization, roaming spikes, device age. The trends show up there first.
Build A Consistent Knowledge Pipeline
Staying up-to-date as a remote founder starts with treating information like a system, not a stream. At WhatAreTheBest.com, we track 25,000+ products across 3,000 SaaS and consumer categories, so staying current isn't optional—it's operational. Instead of relying on scattered newsletters or social feeds, I use a structured signal-to-noise approach: curated RSS feeds for macro trends, AI summaries for dense reports, and automated alerts for category shifts so I'm always aware of emerging tools or behavior patterns.
The strategy that makes the biggest difference is building a "learning pipeline" instead of consuming content reactively. I allocate 20 minutes per day to three buckets: new technologies, competitor movement, and changes in consumer search behavior. This keeps me sharp without overwhelming my day. The key is consistency—small daily inputs compound into real expertise faster than occasional deep dives.
— Albert Richer, Founder of WhatAreTheBest.com
A research-driven platform analyzing 25,000+ consumer and SaaS products.
Seek Straight Talk And Data
I stay updated by staying close to people who work with real numbers and real decisions. Trends show up in their problems before they appear in any article. I speak with founders, investors, bankers, and compliance professionals every week. These conversations show you where the market is moving and why it matters.
I track policy and regulatory changes on my own. Tax updates, reporting rules, and compliance shifts influence your decisions fast. When I see a change, I adjust my plans and guide my teams with clear steps.
I keep my sources simple. A few reliable reports on SaaS metrics. A few strong finance forums. No noise. Remote work creates enough distractions already.
I rely on two things to stay sharp.
Strong conversations.
Clean data.
They give you clarity, they help you make firm decisions, and they keep you ahead of problems before they grow.
