New Job in 2018

This time last year I secured a position at a small startup here in South Florida as a front-end developer. It was an awesome position and I learned a ton in my time at the company.

It seems I'm starting a personal trend, as I've officially moved on from that company after a little less than a year. A month ago I accepted a position as a front-end engineer at Linio, an e-commerce marketplace based in Latin America.

I had no plans of jumping ship, but when I was contacted by Linio about the position and what I'd be doing it was just too good to pass up. It's a large step forward for my career. I will be working full time with an awesome stack of technologies:

• React
• Redux
• Flow
• Jest

to name a few.

Full-time react

The main reason for taking the position was the fact that I'd get to work with React full-time. It's a joy to use, and in high demand right now. In my previous job I did not have this luxury, so I would routinely feel the pressure of needing to come home after a long day at work and spend a few hours growing my skillset in this area. I don't have this feeling anymore. I get a ton of learning experiences on the job.

What I'll be working on

I have a joined a team of 5 developers working on a greenfield project for internal use at the company. The challenges we aim to solve should bring a ton of value to the company. We recently finished bootstrapping the project and are now mocking up designs for the initial product.

Some thoughts on remote work

One of the big allures of the position was the fact that it's fully remote. We have a small office in a co-working space here in South Florida as well. The company's main headquarters are located in Mexico.

Working remotely is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it's a joy that I get to avoid daily commutes. I can wake up a little later if I need some rest. I can take a break and go for a walk in my neighborhood. I can tend to household chores if needed. These are small luxuries that make a difference when it comes to claiming back some of my time. Time is the greatest asset after all, is it not?

On the other hand, if you lack the discipline needed to get work done, you're in for a rough time. Nobody is around to keep you focused. Nobody is there to make sure you're doing what you need to do. It reminds me of the first time I went away to college. My mother was no longer around to make sure I got my ass out of bed so I'd make it to class on time.

Discipline is a major factor in remote work. Consider it the next time you are planning on taking a remote gig.

And one more thing. Sometimes working remotely can get very lonely. There is the occasional Thursday afternoon when I look up from my computer and realize I haven't left my apartment in 4 days. That's why it's important to make sure you get out and avoid the vampire-like habits that some remote employees become accustomed to.

What to expect from this blog going forward

I'm really excited about this new adventure of mine, and part of that excitement comes from the fact that I'll be getting a lot more exposure to awesome technologies. That means more to learn, and more to write. Expect a steady flow of content revolving around the tech I mentioned above. Cheers!

👾