I agree, hybrid is definitely the best for most companies. Some in-person collaboration and socializing is always going to beneficial, even if rest of the work is done remotely. Having a long commute isn't that bad either if you only do it once or twice a week, so it gives people much more freedom over where they can live.
Depends what long means. A 2 hour commute each way is still going to be that day you dread even if it's just once a week. What seems a more common scenario in my experience is that people get together for a few days meetings maybe once a month and people who aren't local fly in.
If the meetings are scheduled appropriately, you can commute in and out outside rush hours, which should make it less dreadful. Especially if you are not required to be present for 8 hours on meeting day(s).
So the question is is GitLab an aberration or ahead of the curve? To me it feels like the latter but I admit I don't have evidence of what the future holds.
