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Jacques Montagne

Posted on Dec 24

Remote Mobbing That Doesn't Suck: The 2025 Operational Guide (Part 3)

#remotework #productivity #tools #management

Low-Latency Cockpits, RustDesk, and the Git Handover Protocol.

"Okay, you convinced me."

In my previous posts, I argued that Tiger Teams (cross-functional Commando Units) are the only way to modernize Legacy Systems effectively. But there is one objection I keep getting:

"Jacques, we are 100% remote. Sitting on a Zoom call for 6 hours a day sounds like hell. How do we do this without killing each other?"

Valid point. If you try to run a Mob Session using Microsoft Teams or Zoom, you will fail. The Deep Research is clear: these tools optimize for video smoothing, creating a latency of 100-150ms.

For code, we need the "Gold Standard": <50ms.
If there is a delay between me typing and you seeing it, our brains disconnect. We stop "collaborating" and start "instructing."

To survive, you need to build a "Digital Cockpit". Here is the operational guide based on the 2025 market landscape.

1. The "Pixel Streaming" Layer (Desktop Sharing)

This is the heavy artillery. You need to see the whole context: The IDE, the Terminal, the AWS Console, and the Database Client.

Option A: The Mac-First Choice (Tuple)

If your team is 100% macOS, stop reading and buy Tuple.

The Tech: It uses a custom WebRTC engine stripped of browser bloat, defaulting to Peer-to-Peer (P2P).
💰 The Concrete Gain: 5K Resolution at 60fps. It renders text sharply enough that you forget you are streaming. It feels local.

Option B: The Multi-Window Choice (CoScreen)

If you need to debug complex distributed systems.

The Tech: It allows you to share individual windows simultaneously. I can type in your Terminal window while you type in my IDE window.
💰 The Concrete Gain: True Mobbing. It eliminates the "Driver/Navigator" locking. Everyone has a mouse. It turns a "presentation" into a "war room."

Option C: The "Sovereign" Choice (RustDesk)

For those in Banking, Defense, or heavy Linux shops. Tuple has a "Linux Gap," and TeamViewer is expensive corporate bloat.

rustdesk / rustdesk

An open-source remote desktop application designed for self-hosting, as an alternative to TeamViewer.

Caution

Misuse Disclaimer:
The developers of RustDesk do not condone or support any unethical or illegal use of this software. Misuse…

View on GitHub

The Tech: Open-source, written in Rust. Crucially, it allows Self-Hosting.
💰 The Concrete Gain: Data Sovereignty. You can deploy the Relay Server inside your own VPC. No pixels ever leave your corporate network. It is the "TeamViewer Killer" for security-conscious commandos.

2. The "State Sync" Layer (IDE Native)

Sometimes you don't need pixels. You need raw speed on a low-bandwidth connection. These tools stream the Abstract Syntax Tree (AST), not video.

The Standard: JetBrains Code With Me / VS Code Live Share

💰 The Concrete Gain: Bandwidth Efficiency. You can pair on a 4G hotspot. Plus, I can navigate to User.java to check a reference while you are writing code in UserService.java. We are unblocked.

The Disruptor: Cursor (The "Synthetic Pair")

The market has shifted in 2025. "Pairing" no longer just means two humans.

The Tech: A fork of VS Code with native LLM integration.
💰 The Concrete Gain: The AI Driver. With features like "Composer," you can prompt the AI to refactor 5 files simultaneously while the Mob reviews the diffs. The "Mob" becomes: 3 Humans + 1 AI Agent.

3. The "Hacker" Layer (Terminal Sharing)

For DevOps and Platform Engineers, the GUI is a distraction. The truth lives in the shell. Do not share your screen for this; share the session.

The Tool: Zellij (The Modern `tmux`)

If you still use tmux or screen, it's time to upgrade. Zellij is a terminal multiplexer written in Rust.

zellij-org / zellij

A terminal workspace with batteries included

Zellij

[Installation] [Screencasts & Tutorials] [Configuration] [Layouts] [FAQ]

What is this?

Zellij is a workspace aimed at developers, ops-oriented people and anyone who loves the terminal. Similar programs are sometimes called "Terminal Multiplexers".

Zellij is designed around the philosophy that one must not sacrifice simplicity for power, taking pride in its great experience out of the box as well as the advanced features it places at its users' fingertips.

Zellij is geared toward beginner and power users alike - allowing deep customizability, personal automation through layouts, true multiplayer collaboration, unique UX features such as floating and stacked panes, and a plugin system allowing one to create plugins in any language that compiles to WebAssembly.

Zellij includes a built-in web-client, making a terminal optional.

You can get started by installing Zellij and checking out the Screencasts & Tutorials.

…

View on GitHub

The Feature: zellij --session pairing.
💰 The Concrete Gain: Instant Multi-Cursor in CLI.
- You don't need to install a client.
- You SSH into the bastion, attach to the session, and fix the server together.
- It works where GUIs fear to tread.

4. The Protocol: The "Git Handover"

Tools reduce friction, but Process prevents burnout. In a remote setting, the "Alpha Geek" tends to dominate the keyboard.

The 15-Minute Timer Rule:

Set a timer.
When it rings, the Driver stops immediately.

Command:

git commit -am "wip: handoff to [Name]" && git push

Next Driver: git pull and shares screen.

💰 The Concrete Gain:

Forced Engagement: You cannot tune out (check Instagram) because you are driving in 12 minutes.
Atomic History: You generate a granular commit history. If you go down a rabbit hole, you revert 15 minutes, not 4 hours.

Appendix: The 2025 Tooling Tier List

I have analyzed the market so you don't have to. Here is what you should fight for.

Tool	Category	Rating	The Concrete Gain (ROI)	Best For
RustDesk	Screen Sharing	5/5	Total Sovereignty. Self-hostable, zero spying risk.	Banks / DevOps
Tuple	Screen Sharing	4.5/5	Input Latency. The crispest remote control (<40ms).	macOS Teams
CoScreen	Multi-Window	4.5/5	Context Mixing. I share IDE, you share Terminal.	Debugging
Zellij	Terminal	5/5	Ops Velocity. Collaborative SSH without lag.	SRE / Platform
Cursor	AI Editor	5/5	Velocity Multiplier. The AI becomes the "Driver".	Greenfield
Teams/Zoom	Corporate	1/5	Nothing. High latency, blurry text. Avoid.	Presentations

The Bottom Line:
If you are a backend team on Linux, build a RustDesk + Zellij stack.
If you are a frontend team on Mac, buy Tuple + Cursor.

Stop trying to code on Zoom.