Beyond the Blue Ticks: Why Trust is the Best Tool we Have
I’ve spent many years in the Nepali IT industry. I’ve seen our teams grow and do amazing things. But there is one thing that makes me sad: we are still obsessed with monitoring people instead of leading them.
Let me share two stories that show what I mean.
The “Commute” Call
Imagine you are on a public bus, fighting through Kathmandu traffic, you might have heard if you travel using public bus,
- “Dai/Bhai yeta farkera basnu” (Brother, turn this way and stand.)
- “Dai Bag yeta rakhnu” (Brother, put your bag right here.)
- “Tapaile 2 jana ko thau linu bhayo, milera basnu” (You are taking up the space of two people.)
- “alik pachadi janu” (Move a little to the back.)
- “yeta farkinu, uta farkinu” (Turn this way, now turn that way.)
I mean, this is another level of frustration already, just to get to work. Your phone rings. It’s a colleague calling because the manager told them to.
“Manager X sent you an email. He told me to call you and say you should read it immediately.”
Think about that. The frustration of the bus ride actually feels small compared to the frustration of that phone call. On a bus, we tolerate this because the space is small. But in a professional office? When a manager acts like a Khalasi, telling you where to “put your bag” and which way to “turn” every minute, they aren’t managing a project. They are just making the ride uncomfortable for everyone.
The manager couldn’t even wait for you to reach your desk, did not even ask if the person is on leave. They had to track you while you were still on the road. This isn’t efficiency. What does your clients want here in real? Open your laptop and work from the bus, right there? Is this kind of emergency they are putting in manager’s shoulder and for that he/she had to take this step? No, this is just a lack of trust.
The “Blue Tick” Investigation
Then there is the “Blue Tick” drama. Once, a professional turned off their “Read Receipts” on the office chat app. They did it so they could focus on work without the pressure of an instant reply or the best defense could be they did this to focus on deep work, wanting to reply to messages when they actually had the right answers, rather than rushing a “Yes” just because a tick turned blue.
Instead of talking about work progress, the manager went to HR. The complaint? “I can’t track him anymore. Tell him to turn the blue ticks back on because I have no idea if the team member really ignoring my messages or not replying even after he/she read the message.
When HR has to get involved because of a chat app setting, the company has lost its way. They aren’t looking for results; they are just looking for a digital leash.
Why these stories matter
When we see these behaviors, the cost to the company is hidden but very high:
- Initiative: If you treat adults like children, they will act like children. They will stop thinking and just wait for your “command.”
- Creativity: You can’t innovate when someone is breathing down your neck.
- Your Team: The best developers and PMs in Nepal aren’t staying for the free tea. They stay for respect they want to be feel valued. The moment they feel “monitored,” they start looking for remote jobs with companies that actually trust them.
The Government School Lesson
This hits me personally because of my background. I studied in a Government School.
In our classrooms, we didn’t have teachers watching every move or private tutors tracking our every minute. The monitoring was very low. But we knew we had to pass our exams. We took responsibility for our own study, we did the work, and we passed our SLC (if this is the milestone of how much good we did or prepared) with good marks.
We learnt to be independent. We learnt that we don’t need someone hovering over us to do a good job.
If we could manage our studies as kids, why are we being treated like we can’t manage our time as IT professionals? Professionalism doesn’t need a babysitter.
A Wake-Up Call
This is a message for the people running the business: The kind of monitoring is costing you money.
Every time a manager wastes time tracking “Blue Ticks” or calling people about emails, your balance sheet suffers. You are paying for “Productivity Theatre,” not real work. And the worst part? Your best talent will leave. They won’t stay in a place that treats them like children.
Identify the monitors in your office. If they can’t lead without tracking, they are not leaders. Teach them to trust your team, or watch your best people walk out the door.
In 2026, talent has choices. If you want to keep yours, stop watching the screen and start trusting the people.
A Note on why I’m sharing this: I’m proud of my 15 years in this industry. I’m sharing this not to point fingers at any one person or company, but because I want our industry to get better. If we want Nepal to be a global tech leader, we have to move past these old habits. Let’s build a culture of trust.
Is it just me, or did I first think it was about Instagram’s blue tick? Lol
Haha, everywhere the impact is same. It is destroying both personal and professional relationships.
Is it just me, or did I first think it was about Instagram’s blue tick? Lol
Great read, excellent work.