Operating without a phone number is a choice. This article explains the strategy behind it.

Reliance on synchronous mobile communication creates a culture of managing emergencies. By eliminating my mobile, I prioritize asynchronous deep work, mobility and control.

Being "always reachable" is often a euphemism for "unrestricted access to one's attention". Worse, some belive that "being available" is a way of "being productive". The reality is that carrying a phone is allowing the world to interrupt you whenever it wants, making your priorities lower than someone else's.

I am aware that, for some reader, the idea of not having a phone is shocking and raises a lot of questions. Is he saying he doesn't want to be reachable? No, I am saying I want to be reachable on my own terms.

So, how does it work in practice?

Note: The best way to contact me is by email. I do have the device (the smartphone), I read emails on it :)

Being asynchronous is about organization and discipline

Modern work suffers from synchronous fatigue. I live and operate across multiple time zones. A phone number attached to a geography and a network. Both are constraints I do not want to live with.

If I am not in front of a terminal, I am rarely in work mode.

Having buffers allows you and me to operate at our own optimal speeds without crashing into each other. Not having a phone is a way to enforce this buffer. It requires the discipline to document and communicate clearly. It also asks for clarity and precision in the way we interact. On the other hand, that organization allows everyone autonomy. Making phone calls unneccessary.

The fallacy of presence

When I spend time with a partner, a client, or a friend, I am committed to that specific interaction. Receiving a call, or even starting one, introduces a latency into the conversation. It signals that the person in front of me can be superseded by a notification at any moment.

This is an issue of Experience Design (XD). By removing the phone, I respect the time of others by ensuring that my presence is real. If we are talking, you have my attention. Anything less is a failure of empathy and a breach of the social contract. Presence (physical or virtual) is the prerequisite for depth.

The culture of autonomy

Good management principles ensures that "service value" is delivered through stable systems, not heroic individual interventions. When communication is deliberate, everyone gains peace. No one is disturbed, and issues are resolved through logic rather than panic. Reliability is a managed system, not a reactive state.

Sovereignty and global logic

From a technical perspective, a phone number is a fragile identifier. It changes across borders, incurs arbitrary operational costs, and serves as a primary vector for baseband tracking and geo-location. My email address remains consistent whether I am in London, Hong Kong, or a remote village in the Australian outback. It is a stable node in a global network.

Operating across multiple timezones reinforces this logic. You might be awake, but my system is effectively offline.

This reduces the surface area for tracking and eliminates the "cellular leash" that ties a person to a specific geography or telecom provider.

Operational Integrity

The boundary between "working" and "living" must be strictly defined by design. Generally, when I am not at a computer, I am not working. This simple constraint ensures that when I do answer an email, I have the necessary tools and mental space to provide a precise, evidence-based response.

Handling an emergency should be a rare. Any event being urgent is an incident. Incidents should be avoided by good design. Should they occur, they require full commitment and focus. Reducing even more the usage of a phone.

If a situation requires my intervention, an email or a scheduled call provides the context necessary for a high-integrity resolution. This is not about being unavailable. This is about being maximizing the value of my presence.