The (almost) perfect remote Setup

Slides for the talk at Madrid Android Developer Group (MADG) about Remote or WFH (Working From Home).
Video available on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9-LAdDpudw

Transcript

1. The (almost) perfect remote setup
2. Olmo Gallegos Android Dev @ Devengo voghDev 2 @voghDev olmo@devengo.com
3. Table of contents ◇ Basics ◇ The Setup ◇ Communication ◇ Remote life, Remote mindset 3
4. Basics Just a few definitions 1
5. What it is Having complete control on your workplace Remote What it’s not Working in an office in a different location than your teammates “Remote 1 day a week” 5
6. Synchronous A meeting, a phone call, a person who comes to your desk, an IRL conversation Requires full attention Not easy to postpone, or ideal Synchronous vs. Asynchronous Asynchronous Email, Instant Messaging, a pull request We can decide the level of attention it requires Can be easily postponed 6
7. Soft skills ◇ Crucial ◇ Cover a wide range of social, mental and technical skills ◇ Seniority implies soft skills 7
8. A proper setup Makes our daily work pleasant 2
9. Get a nice Gear Don’t be mean A nice gear will substantially improve your quality of life Please take care Correct distance, ergonomic posture Wireless NC is better NC considerably improves your QOL. Bell is ringing? No problem Monitor Make a good choice. One, two, or three, but quality above all A Notebook The best tool ever. Write as much quick notes as possible (μtasks) 9
10. web browser Identify & Isolate distractions Use a different browser for off-topic tasks Time tracker Track working time with as much detail as possible. Be honest with wasted time Don’t mix offtopic IM An IDE and offtopic IM are not good friends Distraction-free days Good isolation produces good results Tabs management A million tabs is a common pattern. Avoid it Notifications: Disable’em all! 10
11. Communication Take care of your Etiquette 3
12. Make it asynchronous Would I have a beer with this person? 12
13. “ Self-sufficiency 13 Take notes, organize & highlight ideas, know without asking. Before asking a teammate, dive deep and ask yourself.
14. Meetings tips Always muted Mute yourself until you are going to talk. Meet: Ctrl+D, Slack: M, Zoom: Alt+A Prepare meetings Notebook to the rescue! Effective communication Every word you say can have big impact and lead to confusion. Be concise, correct, accurate, and careful! Like a swiss watch Being on time gives a great sensation Use the lobby Adjust mic volume, camera angle, how you look before joining. Even use sound recorder if necessary 14
15. Communicating Broadcasting De facto synchronous communication. Use with caution. Confirmation when possible Optimize your IM Use bold, cross out, emojis, quotes, highlighting. Use (and abuse) status Edit edit edit Everyone is human, humans make mistakes 15 Notifications Configure and finetune your phone and IM client Context Add links to PRs, add context in parentheses
16. “ Just one word: Over-communicate 16 Especially if you manage people
17. Respect above all Calibrate Observe, treat everyone right, ask respectful questions Confidence Not too little, not too much Avoid blaming “CI is not passing” is not the same as “You’ve broken master branch”. Also in groups Find consensus “If you find it convenient”, “What’s your opinion?” 17 Awareness React to feedback accordingly
18. A couple of quick tips Photos everywhere Make an effort to complete your user profile in all platforms, even in the less important ones “Smart offtopics” Ask about recent events. Take notes if necessary 18
19. “ Your brief Introduction 19 “… And that’s it”
20. As simple as Never hurt anyone. 20
21. Remote mindset “Thinking remote”, Remote lifestyle 4
22. Changing mindset Be remote, think remote From morning to evening Internal wellness Is reflected in your day to day work. The work you deliver Is what others receive from you. Take care of details The work we deliver Belongs to us. We win together, we fail together 22 Have a plan, have goals Brainstorm, materialize into documents
23. Changing mindset Relation with your work Keep it as healthy as possible Make the most of timeouts Apparently wasting time can be worth it No nicknames In the day, in the night, Say it right, say it all Loneliness Offsite events, company trips, team building 23 Continuous improvement Divide & conquer. Work hard on improving small parts
24. “ I have reached a point where me la suda todo 24
25. Thanks! Slido time Feel free to reach out ◇ @voghDev ◇ olmo@devengo.com 25