[harnhua]

For (1), from a young company's perspective, I've found it much easier to communicate and steer in the same direction when a teammate on a project is in the same room. As another person pointed out, face-to-face collaboration is vital at the growth stage.

As for (2), I sort of telecommute (work from a cafe or public place) sometimes when I need to work on an individual task that requires some creativity or sustained concentration. Changing my physical environment from time to time also seems to help stimulate creative juices. During those times, the office environment can be detrimental.