In this Arc Developer interview, we chat with\u00a0S\u00e9rgio Moura\u00a0about why working remotely increases your efficiency, how a project manager can make or break a project, and how being a developer has made him a little part of a football club’s history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Looking for top talent fast? See how <\/em>Arc<\/a> can help you:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u26a1\ufe0f Find developers, designers, marketers, and more Hire top talent with Arc risk-free \u2192<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n I started almost 10 years ago, working as a researcher on an AI project. It used to be my dream job, but soon I realized that it was a nightmare. So after finishing my master\u2019s thesis, I switched to software development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I started as an iOS developer, switched to the web, and finally, about 8 years ago, started Android development. This was probably not a common decision, because I know many more developers that started as Android devs and switched to iOS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since I started working, I wanted to try a remote job, but there was always a problem \u2014 lack of remote working experience, so I was always rejected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I wanted to try remote work for two main reasons:<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, four years ago, I received a very good job offer. After I accepted, the new company gave me the contract to sign. This contract had lots of terms that I thought were both inadequate and excessive, so I resigned before starting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At that moment, I had to start looking for a new job. A friend told me that his company was looking for an Android dev, and they were fully remote, so I accepted the challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Read More<\/strong>: Asynchronous vs Synchronous Communication<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n It couldn\u2019t be more different \u2014 and almost everything for the better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The first thing I noted was the efficiency. I needed less time to do more work, compared to working on-site. When you are in an office for an eight-hour day, you get distracted by other colleagues, there\u2019s noise, you take more breaks, and you end up actually working four to five hours. When you\u2019re home, you do the same work in less than those eight hours, and you feel that you have to work more to fulfill the remaining time. So you end up doing more, in less time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The second part is working from everywhere. I could work with my pajamas on, but I could also work from a terrace in front of the sea, or in a coworking space with some friends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But not everything is perfect, and I encountered some problems during these years. Communication is not always easy. All team members have to be aware of different time zones, which makes communication asynchronous, and it\u2019s not easy to overlap all members for a meeting (for example).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Also related to this, some companies are trying to change and accept remote workers, but forget that asynchronous communication is even more important and essential to allow remote work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To finish the worst part: defining the limits of your work. It\u2019s very easy to overwork or underwork. It\u2019s important to define working hours (even if it\u2019s flexible and you change from one day to another) and define your daily goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Read More<\/strong>: How & Why Hiring Remote Developers Builds Strong and Diverse Teams<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n I like to work in hours not compatible with an on-site job, but this doesn\u2019t make me a good fit for a remote job \u2014 it makes remote work a good fit for me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Also being available (I\u2019m usually available from 9am to 11pm for any urgent issue) is very important in an asynchronous and remote team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I never had a manager job in a remote team and, to be honest, that\u2019s the hardest job in a remote team. This is because you need to be available for many more hours than on an on-site job, sync different time zones to schedule meetings, etc. It\u2019s the glue that keeps the team together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I worked in teams where you feel that the project manager is keeping the team together, smoothing the communication and the working flow. That said, I have also worked in teams where you can feel the impact of the lack of a good project manager: it stops the team from being productive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was very fast. In my early days as a developer, I worked with startups, so I learned a lot, had to do lots of very different tasks, and worked on very different projects (and collaborate with different people<\/a>). This gave me experience and knowledge about different areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One time I read that if you only know about one thing, you don\u2019t know anything<\/em> \u2014 and I totally agree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Working on an app used by millions of people to shop, a football team app that allows you to access the stadium, or a short-lived music festival app, gives you a different vision about software development and a new perspective to approach challenges during a software development process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That made me a team lead in three years, more or less.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Read More<\/strong>: How to Work Across Time Zones as a Remote Team<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Humility, desire to learn, passion about the job, and being a good communicator<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The most important part is communication. I need to feel that the candidate can communicate easily with me in the official language of the team (usually English).<\/p>\n\n\n\n I always try to have a live code exercise, so I can understand how the candidate deals with the time pressure and the approach they use to solve the problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the technical part, the skills I look for depend on the job I\u2019m hiring for. If I\u2019m looking for a junior developer, I only check the basic concepts of software engineering<\/a> (and Android skills, specifically) \u2014 but if I\u2019m looking for a senior developer<\/a>, I need to make sure the candidate is a fully-independent software engineer<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By listening to them and giving them responsibility. A team member that feels that they have a voice in the team, and that is good enough to be responsible for something, is a happy worker<\/a> and is going to evolve faster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Read More<\/strong>: Can You Encourage Self-Discipline in Remote Workers? Yes, Here\u2019s How<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n An iOS application to work as a city guide for a Portuguese city. It\u2019s no longer available (I hope!!).<\/p>\n\n\n\n I have to say 3 different projects:<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s the main challenge every day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Balancing my hobbies, my family, and work takes discipline, but working remotely makes it so much easier<\/a> than before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Read More<\/strong>: 4 Misconceptions About Hiring Remote Developers & What To Do About Them<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n I know it\u2019s risky and challenging, but give it a try: you won\u2019t regret it, and you will not want to go back. Once you get used to it, your life will improve a lot. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re afraid of feeling lonely and lost, start with a coworking space (that will make it easier).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thanks for chatting with us,\u00a0S\u00e9rgio!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n You can also try <\/em>Arc<\/a>, your<\/em> shortcut to the world’s best remote talent:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u26a1\ufe0f Access 450,000 top developers, designers, and marketers <\/a>Try Arc and hire top talent now \u2192<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Here\u2019s the story of how Arc S\u00e9rgio Moura became a remote developer, and what he learned along the way.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":641,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-639","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-case-studies"],"yoast_head":"\n
\u26a1\ufe0f Freelance or full-time remote + fully vetted<\/em>
\u26a1\ufe0f Save up to 80% with global hires<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nHow did you start your career?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What was your main motivation to go from on-site to remote?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How is working remotely different from working on-site?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What soft skills do you have that make you a good fit as a remote developer?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How do you manage projects in a remote team?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How did you evolve from a junior developer to a team lead?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Which personality traits do you look for when recruiting new team members?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What are the most important skills you evaluate candidates for in a technical interview?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How do you inspire your team members and keep them motivated?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What is the first software application you ever built?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What are the most exciting projects that you\u2019ve worked on?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How do you balance your life when it comes to work, family, and leisure?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What advice would you give to a developer looking to go remote?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\u26a1\ufe0f Vetted and ready to interview<\/em>
\u26a1\ufe0f Freelance or full-time<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n