We initially planned to maintain an office in San Francisco and focus on local hiring, but after evolving our approach, we shifted towards a remote-first model. Our decision was influenced by the benefits of remote work, including increased flexibility and talent pool diversity. We overestimated the negative impact of shifting to remote-first, but found that employees working remotely were just as effective as those in the office. To support our growing remote team, we introduced a compensation philosophy that pays everyone equally regardless of location within the U.S., made cultural and communication expectations more explicit, and implemented new onboarding activities. Our 30-day review process for new hires now focuses on behavioral indicators of success rather than just performance metrics. The transition to a remote-first model has been well-received by our team and candidates alike, increasing our inbound talent pipeline across all roles.