Whether or not there are some measurable benefits to the company for telecommuting does not matter.
What matters is this:
(1) The software company needs your software skills more than you need the company.
(2) You decided and plan your life around telecommuting.
(3) So telecommuting is non-negotiable.
Non-telecommuters tend to be wary of remote workers, not because they are any more or less productive. There's an underlying fear and a need to control risk. A manager who is not used to this want to reassure himself that things are going smoothly. You address that, then things fall into place.
In other words, the managers, speaking for the company say they want more "productivity". What they really need is more control and reduction of risk. They feel a certain level of assurance when they can see people walking into the office on time, every day. It assures themselves of their own continued employment. Give the manager what he needs (the assurance), and this conflict goes away.
As for recruiters, at the end of the day, they are salespeople trying to close a commission. There are only a few exceptions where a recruiter acts more like an agent, rather than trading you like a commodity. Obviously, such people are worth keeping contact with.
Whether or not there are some measurable benefits to the company for telecommuting does not matter.
I don't think that it's always this clear cut.
In other words, the managers, speaking for the company say they want more "productivity". What they really need is more control and reduction of risk. They feel a certain level of assurance when they can see people walking into the office on time, every day. It assures themselves of their own continued employment. Give the manager what he needs (the assurance), and this conflict goes away.
This isn't always true - or necessarily often true. Most managers I've deal with over the years are much more focussed on productivity than control. Some maybe think that control is the best route to productivity - but that's a different problem to solve.
For a start - everybody here who's building a startup. As soon as you get employee #1 - congratulations. You're a manager. Are you suddenly unconcerned about productivity ;-)
As somebody who is considering non-founder hires in the next year I'm thinking about ways that I can have them be local and co-located. Despite the fact that this may involve getting an office for the first time, possibly moving locations, hiring newbies and training up rather than hiring for skills, etc. Because, in my experience, the productivity gains could well be worth it. I'm going to experiment at the very least.
Productivity is what employees generally want. For every want, there is an underlying need that may or may not match that want.
If you only address that want, then you are not addressing the underlying need.
Lots of people say they need to get stuff done, but that is not the true underlying need. These are usually driven by deeper motives, generally relating to need for parental approval (fame, glory, success, achievement, etc.), need for security, and need to eat.
Why do you really want to build a startup? If you're honest with yourself, you'll generally find that your want and need don't match. (And if you are impeccable, and your want and need matches, things tend to go smoother).
What matters is this:
(1) The software company needs your software skills more than you need the company.
(2) You decided and plan your life around telecommuting.
(3) So telecommuting is non-negotiable.
Non-telecommuters tend to be wary of remote workers, not because they are any more or less productive. There's an underlying fear and a need to control risk. A manager who is not used to this want to reassure himself that things are going smoothly. You address that, then things fall into place.
In other words, the managers, speaking for the company say they want more "productivity". What they really need is more control and reduction of risk. They feel a certain level of assurance when they can see people walking into the office on time, every day. It assures themselves of their own continued employment. Give the manager what he needs (the assurance), and this conflict goes away.
As for recruiters, at the end of the day, they are salespeople trying to close a commission. There are only a few exceptions where a recruiter acts more like an agent, rather than trading you like a commodity. Obviously, such people are worth keeping contact with.