Remote Developer Highlight: Thiago

This series illustrates diverse ways of finding flow and productivity as remote developer. Our staff share unique ways they structure their days. Read on to get motivated and see how you can learn from others and improve your workspace, workflow and work/life balance!

Name: Thiago Current Role: Remote Senior Full Stack Developer Current Location: Sapucaí Mirim - MG, Brazil

• What led you to choose remote work with Clevertech? I needed to find a better life/work balance, since I worked fixed and inflexible hours on past jobs, and at CT, work is efficient and productive, giving me space for family and hobbies. Also, project technologies and work culture contributed to my change.

• What is your favorite tech stack to use? I focused my career in JavaScript frameworks and related tools, so I mainly use NodeJS and React in daily basis (I have used a lot of Angular in the past) and I love the Serverless Framework in conjunction with GitHub Actions, AWS CodeBuild or BitBucket Pipelines, since I am a big fan of microservices architecture, infrastructure as code and automated CI/CD pipelines.

What does your typical work day look like?

7-8am: I wake up around this time to take a shower (since I’m not a fully a morning person haha). Then I do my daily ritual of making a coffee and watching some videos or podcasts about a few technologies I am interested in. My wife and daughter usually are still asleep at this time. I enjoy breakfast with them after they wake up, before going to my office.

8-10am: I just moved to a new and bigger house, with a full office room for me to work, so I’m still getting things in place, and there’s a new office table on the way. Around this time, I get to my office to read emails, check Pull Requests and make code reviews for my team, and help any colleague that may be in need of a second pair of eyes. If I can spare the time, I jump into a study session about a topic I want to learn, or something relevant to the project I’m working on. This is happening while listening to some relaxing music, like jazz, blues or a chill electronic music. As you can imagine, I cannot get through my day without my headphones! I currently use an Edifier W820BT, which is built like a tank with metal parts, since I already had quite a few different models, but all of the headbands broke.

10am-12pm: Around this time I have meetings with the team and client, some days with Planning and Review meetings, others with short meetings to deal with specific subjects. My wife takes my daughter to swimming classes, or ballet classes in the meantime.

12pm-2pm: Time for lunch! My wife is back with my daughter from class, so we prepare some lunch together and enjoy a delicious meal! After lunch I play with my daughter a little, or take a short nap to recharge the batteries.

2pm-5pm: Focus time! This is the time of the day that I can focus on clearing out tasks, like coding, testing and communicating with client and team to get info about work to be done. My daughter is usually taking a nap around this time, so it’s a perfect moment to get things done! I like to listen to more fast and loud music at this time, my favorites are Iron Maiden, Savant and The Dread Crew of Oddwood (awesome pirate music band).

5pm-6pm: Time to finish my work day, so I get to check emails once more, answer messages and take notes of tasks for the next day, usually accompanied by some snacks and another cup of coffee.

6pm-7pm-ish: This is my “ME” time. I go to the gym a few days a week, take a massage session another day, play games on my notebook or get out for a photowalk on the sunset, enjoy the silence and nature of the countryside.

7pm-10pm: This is family time, where we gather together to play and enjoy each other’s company and have dinner. My daughter gets sleepy by 10pm, so we get the pajamas ready and cuddle watching a cartoon, until she falls asleep, so I put her to bed.

10pm-sleep time: I get to have time with my wife to watch a movie, have a glass of wine and talk about our day, and plans for the near future, thinking about next vacations and trips, and things we want to do together. This is where my biggest inspiring ideas come to me, from those talks I have with my wife, who is my biggest supporter and friend!