Digital nomadism, a world where work and travel collide in the most exciting ways, has become second nature for a growing number of remote workers. For many people, however, it's still uncharted territory because they don't know when or how to take the plunge to experience more freedom while earning a living.
Fortunately, digital nomads have proven to be very generous with their time, expertise, and insights, leaving clear footprints for others who are still at the beginning of this journey or who want to give this lifestyle a try.
Yair Sterman, co-founder and CTO of Digital Nomad World, is one of those who decided to create a platform by digital nomads for other digital nomads that addresses all aspects of this way of living and working.
A seasoned developer who has been involved in numerous startups and web ventures, Yair has been traveling the world since 2013 and living as a digital nomad since 2019.
“I asked myself how I see my entire day to day life, and that led me to understand that I want to travel, meet new people, learn about different ways of living, experience, create, and help others achieve these as well,” he told Flatio when asked about the most important question that led him to become a globetrotting remote worker.
In pursuit of this vision, he and his team at Digital Nomad World offer support in various forms to new and more experienced members of the digital nomad community. From a remote job search section to city guides, consulting services, and community events, their platform has it all.
Want to learn more about Digital Nomad World and Yair, who “likes to spend his time playing guitar, piano, and dabbling in electronic music production” in between his travels?
Then read our interview with him, where he talks about how music inspires his work, how he envisions the ideal world for digital nomads, how digital nomads can benefit from AI tools like ChatGPT, the importance of self-care, time management and budgeting, and how to invest in personal and professional development, among other topics.
Yair, how would you describe an ideal world for digital nomads?
An ideal world for digital nomads is, in my opinion, an ideal world for many other groups of people. I see an ideal world as a place where companies hire globally and are not dependent on location, where employers respect their employees, give them the freedom to manage their own time, and encourage a healthy work-life balance. It’s a world where governments accelerate work permits to promote exchange of ideas and foreign entrepreneurship.
How do you think the development of AI tools like ChatGPT can change the status quo for digital nomads? How do you think they can best benefit from it?
It’ll change the status quo for everyone in the digital fields. It will revolutionize the entire market of content creation, be it social media, articles, or product reviews. There will be many benefits for using AI tools, most of them we can’t even imagine yet. So the best thing digital professionals can do is to embrace these new tools.
What are the most important things a digital nomad should incorporate into their daily routine?
Me time, even if you have to force yourself or put it in your schedule, you have to dedicate some time for yourself and your wellbeing. Do something that you enjoy; exercise, meditate, walk barefoot on the beach, meet some friends. This is all so important I can’t even stress enough. Nothing is worth doing if you are not giving yourself the joy and peace you deserve.
What surprised you the most about the digital nomad lifestyle?
That many people want to live this way. I find myself in many situations explaining my lifestyle and other people absolutely love it.
What are the three most important skills you would never have learned if you weren't a digital nomad?
- Time management: When you work on your own schedule, you have to figure out how to manage your time so that, on the one hand, you manage to complete your tasks, and on the other, you don’t end up over working.
- Budgeting: Since your costs of living are always changing, you have to really be on top of your budget.
- Making new friends: When you're always stuck in your comfort zone, it’s hard to interact with new people or even want to add them into your social life. But when you’re constantly in different environments and in new social circles, you sort of naturally begin a conversation with anyone, which was something entirely unfamiliar to me.
What are the trends that you think will emerge or gain further momentum in the digital nomad space in 2023?
We will for sure see an increase in fully remote and hybrid companies, many employees will work from home or closeby, which will increase the need for local coworking spaces. I think this can also create an impact on other fields such as transportation, environment, and real estate.
On the other hand I think regulation and compliance for remote work abroad will ease, allowing for more flexible traveling. We already see this with many countries coming out with a “Digital Nomad Visa” or “Remote Work Visa”, since they understand that this is a new form of tourism and it is here to stay, so they might as well get on board with it and incorporate it.
What was the most important question you asked yourself that led you to try the digital nomad lifestyle?
Probably “What do you want to do with your life?”. And I don’t mean in the sense that our teachers would ask us what we want to be when we grow up, which they usually expected us to answer with what career we want to choose (doctor, fireman, lawyer).
I asked myself how I see my entire day to day life, and that led me to understand that I want to travel, meet new people, learn about different ways of living, experience, create, and help others achieve these as well.
These answers have steered my life to become, among other things, someone who tries to experience as much of this world as I can while still making a living. And that in my opinion is what the digital nomad lifestyle is all about.
How are you investing in your personal and professional development as a digital nomad and digital entrepreneur?
On the professional level, I am always looking for new opportunities, and partnerships. This helps me understand what is happening in the market and what new challenges we are facing. And if I run into something I feel I need to know more about, then I just start learning about it.
On a personal level, I try to invest also in things I enjoy. Sometimes I will buy myself a new musical instrument or take singing lessons. It’s important to encourage yourself to do more of what you love doing.
How does music inspire you in your work?
Music is my true passion and in another life (or maybe in another period of my life) I would be a professional musician. Music connects people on the most primal level, it is something everyone has in common and a constant reminder that life is simpler than we make it out to be.
When I play or create music, I am experimenting with new sounds and trying to get the perfect riff or the exact sound I want. I could practice for hours until I am satisfied with the piece I was working on.
This has really helped boost my creativity and self-discipline. I believe it makes me look at the world differently and analyze situations in a more creative and innovative way.
What are two underrated destinations for digital nomads?
I don’t know if they are underrated, but I don’t usually hear much about them:
Philippines: Beautiful beaches and extremely friendly people.
Greece: Amazing food and so many different things to do that you sometimes forget that it’s all still the same country.
In our opinion, your website has the most detailed and practical guides for digital nomads on living in different cities. What are the most important elements of a good destination for digital nomads?
We consider a destination suitable for digital nomads if there are easily accessible workspaces, high value for money, and an above average quality of living.
What advice do you give to digital nomads when it comes to taxes?
Hire an accountant! Taxes are way complicated as it is, once you get into cross-border taxation - you should definitely not be doing it yourself.
What do you think about digital nomad visas?
I think it is an inevitable outcome of this new situation. It is simply a correction of outdated immigration laws that don’t really apply to people who are visiting a country as long-term tourists but happen to have a job that they could do online while traveling.
What are the three biggest misconceptions about digital nomads?
- They don’t work from the beach - that is extremely unproductive.
- They don’t have the dream life - a lot of them work very hard to maintain this way of living.
- They are not all the same - digital nomads have already crossed into many demographics and many occupations. Digital nomads are a global movement, and the more digital and globalized the world becomes, the larger the movement will grow. It is hard to say something that generalizes the entire community.
What factors should digital nomads consider when choosing their accommodation?
Don’t compromise just because you are traveling, especially if you are staying there for a while. Having a comfortable place to stay has a lot of impact on your overall experience of the place.
Is there a book or course you would recommend to digital nomads?
Just always keep on learning new things, it doesn’t matter what your profession is, everything can teach you something and be relevant to your life.
What are your favorite productivity hacks or tools?
When you feel like you’re starting to lose focus or find yourself reading the same line over and over again, take a break. Stop what you are doing, go rest for a couple of minutes, and close your eyes, or do anything other than work. The time you might feel that you waste in this break is extremely small compared to the hours some people waste trying to work when they’re not focused and unproductive.
To learn more about Yair and Digital Nomad World, visit their website. And to know more about our Partner Program, visit this page.
All the photos were supplied to Flatio by the interviewee.
