Jack had been working as a software developer for a while, and he was overjoyed at Clevertech, where he could focus on programming instead of spending so much of his time finding clients and doing the project management parts. At Clevertech, we were overjoyed to hire someone who had great interpersonal skills and a knack for asking the right questions before starting work. Client services is a priority, so we’re always looking for people who will listen well and make a great impression on our clients.

Recently we hired “Jack”

Within a few days, though, Jack was confused. Clevertech seemed more focused on appearances than he expected. He had expected the meetings with customers for the product launch and the “soft skills” training, but the team seemed obsessed with details. Was he wearing a pressed shirt? How was his camera quality and lighting? Was he not just listening intently, but looking like he was listening? Jack enjoyed being judged by his coding skills, not by how he looked on camera. Was he in the wrong place?


Into details

Programmers are expected to get involved in the project planning stages, and even in the customer relations. Everyone is expected to show up on time and have a professional look and attitude at all times. Some people relish this type of involvement and others—well let’s just say this mindset doesn’t fit everyone.
What Jack quickly learned is that the push for excellence pervades every aspect of the company. Making a great impression on the client starts with looking good in meetings and continues through impeccable coding, rigorous testing and working with the best tooling available for programmers. He also found that the management had thought deeply about the culture, and understood well the division of labor between managers and makers.

What we expect from you

Many coders relish the time that they are in [“flow”, that enviable state of complete focus on their creative work](https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?research=7205). To get into flow, most creative workers require big chunks of time set aside with no disruptions. As outlined [by Paul Graham in his article about makers versus managers](http://www.paulgraham.com/makersschedule.html), the optimal “maker” schedule is completely different than the optimal “manager” schedule. Makers need hours of uninterrupted time to get into flow and keep their train of thought focused on complex or creative tasks. This flow state is one of the most enjoyable states for people in a creative process, such as programmers, writers and artists.

The opposite is true of managers. Managers have short slots of time in which they focus on reducing blockers and bottlenecks, checking for updates, and providing feedback, as we’ll be discussing in an upcoming blog. Sometimes makers and managers clash, because when a maker is in a state of flow, the last thing they want is a meeting, text, email or other disruption to their focus and flow. For these people, client services can seem like an unnecessary burden. As long as the product is delivered, the logic goes, what does it matter whether I gave an update along the way? That’s someone else’s job. Unfortunately, the client doesn’t see it that way, and neither do we at Clevertech.

Flowing between manager and maker

Everyone has different roles at different moments in their day. We act differently in the role of parent or child, customer or supplier, friend or colleague. The trick is getting the balance right. Whether you are a programmer, product manager, or finance coordinator, you will have some interactions with clients. In those interactions, you are always wearing the “client services” hat. Whether it’s about delivering a product or delivering an invoice makes no difference. 

What hat are you wearing?

The team had clarity about the work needed and the time frame, and the client trusted them to deliver. The obvious result was that getting into flow was even easier, because all of the details were handled up front. Also, the project manager was responsive and quickly provided resources and handled any issues that came up internally. 

The commitment to high standards, fast response, and impeccable service aren’t just for the clients, he discovered. The Clevertech staff treated one another with the same courtesy, deep listening, and care.   

The care, integrity and trust that Jack experienced are all part of the Clevertech paradigm of the perfect host, which we cover in our next blog,[ Part 2 of the Obsession with Impression. ](https://www.clevertech.biz/thoughts/obsession-with-impression-part-2-the-perfect-host-paradigm)

[Reach out](https://www.clevertech.biz/contact) to find out more about why the top global corporations prefer Clevertech as their outsourced development team.

If you’d like to find out more about our culture and current job openings, check out our [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/c/clevertechlife) channel and visit [clevertech.careers](https://www.clevertech.careers/).

Maintaining high standards

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For people who are accustomed to “typical” remote work environments, joining Clevertech can be a bit of a shock. We are obsessed with client services and we do pay attention to every detail. Onboarding involves extensive training.

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Obsession with impression, Part 1: The mode for the code

There’s a popular coding joke that asks “Why did it only take the Lord six days to create the entire world?” The answer: He started from scratch. Developers laugh because every programmer has had the experience of trying to improve code written by someone else, and struggling to understand why it was written that way in the first place. Handling someone else’s code is one of the trickiest—and sometimes most frustrating—parts of programming. For that reason, it can be tempting to want to get rid of an entire project or large modules and just start from scratch. 

That’s a very risky approach and it almost never succeeds.

###### 
Handling a [legacy application](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gC3FmjlpbPE&feature=youtu.be), website or software project is a lot more like the joke that asks how to eat an elephant: one bite at a time. We have a deep respect for working systems, as complex as they are. It takes time, persistence and curiosity to build the extensive background required to get a complete understanding of complex systems.

More often than not, when you start to dive into the code, you find some odd quirk which is unclear but was developed for a particular business reason. Maybe in some geographies they don’t have PayPal and needed to integrate a cash-on-delivery software module programmed in some other language. Perhaps a particular supplier only takes orders over a certain size, so the inventory system has to create a certain backlog before triggering an order. Each of the peculiarities of the specific business leads to peculiarities in the code. Therefore, when you refactor, you are going to have to find alternatives - or recognize the wisdom of the original program and work around it.




###### Optimizing for upgrades

When optimizing code for upgrades,[ faster build times](https://www.clevertech.biz/thoughts/planning-for-the-flood-instrumentation-and-foresight), or [better page rending responses](https://www.clevertech.biz/thoughts/words-and-action-ramping-up-performance-for-seo), the first step is looking at how to decouple different parts of code into more modular fragments. Decoupling code requires a more modular approach, where each module has calls or cues to communicate between different parts of the system. 

Once you’ve decoupled the modules, you can start to tackle each part of the legacy code and make improvements. Perhaps it does make sense to get rid of an outdated open source script or replace an entire module with an updated code base. Maybe it’s better to simply tweak some of the database calls. Once you’ve got the code broken down into manageable chunks, you can make internal changes that update the functionality without affecting any of the other modules in the project. You can then test those changes, and move on. 

Code decoupling also has major advantages when it comes to upgrades, bug fixes, and other types of improvements. By taking a modular approach, it’s possible to phase out functionality that’s no longer needed, identify and fix edge cases, and pinpoint bugs. It also provides developers a cleaner environment for reading legacy code and understanding the purpose of each section of code they are working on.

[Reach out](https://www.clevertech.biz/contact) to find out more about why the top global corporations prefer Clevertech as their outsourced development team.

If you’d like to find out more about our culture and current job openings, check out our [YouTube channel ](https://www.youtube.com/c/clevertechlife)and visit [clevertech.careers.](https://www.clevertech.careers/)

Refactoring is always going to be a part of any software development project. The only question is how to do the refactoring in a way that provides the minimum disruption and the maximum chances for success. By keeping changes local, it’s possible to dramatically increase the quality of the outcomes while keeping a steady stream of improvements to the software.  

Starting Over - A Very Risky Choice

###### Loading speed

It’s obvious as a retailer or other dynamic site owner that the speed of your page loading is important for user experience, and Google cares about that. Google wants to provide search results that people love, and if consumers find your site slow, it won’t make the grade as a top site in the rankings. 

Fortunately, Google deploys tools for developers to identify where websites are loading slowly, giving programmers the information they need to shorten loading times and improve SEO. 

The following screenshot shows the performance of a site Clevertech recently inherited from another website development house. With a 48% performance rate, you can be sure that the SEO is going to be negatively impacted - and this site already has a mediocre SEO ranking. 

###### Reducing fetching amount

Digging deeper, the **performance metrics** give the developers a handle on where the problems are coming from. Most developers are aware of the basic tricks such as pre-caching large files and using CDN infrastructure for faster response times. 

The metrics shown provide more specific information on how quickly the images load, the speed of the page, and other types of performance indicators. Each of the indicators points to different areas of the code which can be improved to boost the SEO of the site. 

###### Reducing fetching amount


Dynamic websites interact with databases, and, as we described in [our blog about build times](https://www.clevertech.biz/thoughts/planning-for-the-flood-instrumentation-and-foresight), reducing the number and frequency of those database calls can speed up your site. Clevertech utilizes a number of different methodologies both for consolidating and reducing database calls as well as for pre-loading certain types of content.

Many of these optimization processes are built into the software when we go through the reduction in build times and testing times. Others are specifically addressed when we check the code using the [Google Lighthouse tooling](https://developers.google.com/web/tools/lighthouse). Simply going through the checklist provided by Google is a great place to start upgrading the code for SEO.



###### Legacy code

When looking at legacy code or code that we have inherited from other developers, it’s important to take on small chunks when upgrading for speed. Typically, we find code using outdated libraries or rendering web pages using methodologies that were once cutting edge but no longer give an adequate performance. 

It can be tempting to refactor large parts of the code, but generally, this slows down the development time and creates as many new problems as it solves. Choosing the right chunks of code for refactoring is one of the important decisions to make when it comes to speeding up website rendering times. 

###### Analysis Tools

For programmers who want to choose which bits of code to prioritize for web optimization, Google Lighthouse doesn’t provide enough precision in pinpointing the issues. Clevertech uses a variety of other tools for deeper analysis inside the code itself. 

Experienced coders can look more deeply into each section of the code and start by decoupling certain parts of the code from one another so that refactoring can be performed in a more gradual way. The bad news is that this can take time. The good news is that the continual improvement of site performance sends a positive signal to the Google algorithms, improving the site ranking over time.

[Reach out](https://www.clevertech.biz/contact) to find out more about why the top global corporations prefer Clevertech as their outsourced development team.

If you’d like to find out more about our culture and current job openings, check out our [YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/c/clevertechlife) and visit [clevertech.careers.](https://www.clevertech.careers/)

When most people think of Search Engine Optimization, they think of keywords and content, but for dynamic sites in particular, site performance is equally potent for improving SEO rankings. 

Words and Action: Ramping up Performance for SEO

The problem for many developers is the tedium of running a test every time they make a tweak. But testing doesn’t have to be tedious, if your development process includes proper attention to the testing time. 

In our previous blog, we discussed [shortening the build time](https://www.clevertech.biz/thoughts/build-time-minimalization-the-not-so-invisible-secrets-of-great-coding). That’s the first step in making it easy for a developer to make quick tweaks and try them out. The second step is rapid testing. If you can test in a matter of minutes, fixing a bug transforms from a burden to a task that a developer can quickly cross off their to-do lists. 

Less build time, more productivity

At Clevertech we create automated testing environments that allow our developers to quickly test an app in the time it takes them to grab a cup of coffee. They don’t have to wait overnight for a test to run. This means that programmers can perform bug fixes, upgrades and improvements to each part of the code, test the functionality, and then make the next improvement along the line. The result is precision crafted code with no detail overlooked.

Automated testings

Fast tests also mean [speedy response to customer demands](https://www.clevertech.biz/thoughts/planning-for-the-flood-instrumentation-and-foresight) and bug reports. Small bugs might affect only a few users or specific use cases, but lots of small bugs add up to an overall poor experience for corporate customers, who want their apps to work every time for every use case. By creating an environment where it is easy for developers to quickly build and test the software, Clevertech creates the basis for rapid response to customer demands. Every bug can easily be reproduced in the test environment, and developers can make changes and figure out, in a matter of minutes, if the changes have repaired the problem. As we repair the bugs, we also add the use case to our automatic testing requirement—making sure to test for that particular feature in future tests as well. 

Avoid the customer finding bugs

The other result, just as important, is the satisfaction of developers. Ultimately, the key to outstanding code is having a team of outstanding coders. As with every profession, the best people are in high demand, but when you have a great working environment, they come and stay with you for years. 



Satisfaction is the key

That’s why Clevertech puts such a strong emphasis on **top-notch developer tools.** Great tools make the developers happier and more effective. Happy and effective developers take pride in their craft and create better code. They also tell their friends about their great jobs and working environment. At Clevertech, we’re as proud of our reputation as a great employer as we are as a great software development house. The two go hand in hand. 

[Reach out](https://www.clevertech.biz/contact) to find out more about why the top global corporations prefer Clevertech as their outsourced development team.

If you’d like to find out more about our culture and current job openings, check out our [YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/c/clevertechlife) and visit[ clevertech.careers](https://www.clevertech.careers/).

Better tools, better developers

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You’ll never hear a developer talk about how excited they are to fix bugs, yet the only way to get the code perfect is to pay careful attention to every detail. 

Faster Tests, Happier Staff and Better Apps

###### 1. We are all 100% Remote

We are a remote-first company, and we want to work with people where working remotely is important to them for some reason. Maybe you want the freedom to build an exciting new career, or be there when your baby takes their first steps, or to move to a sunnier climate where you can surf and hike. We have got your back!

So you found Clevertech and you are thinking about applying. Likely because we are 100% remote and have been since we started 20 years ago. And perhaps you also want to use the latest professional tools surrounded by experienced developers to grow your skills?

###### 2. Go the extra mile

We are looking for people who have ambition, smarts, and grit, who are choosing the [freedom to](https://www.clevertech.biz/thoughts/freedom-from-versus-freedom-to) create and achieve significant accomplishments. 

Being in the consulting business means that our clients are coming to us as experts. So you have to be an expert! You have to be willing to make a professional commitment to our company and our clients. It might mean fighting to keep up with the latest trends in the industry, sacrificing a bit of time when things are busy, or going that extra mile to make sure our clients have the best possible experience.

###### 3. Communication. But really. Communication.

Show us that you know how to communicate, especially when working remotely. Is your writing clear? Do you have a blog? Are you a visual artist, and do you create clear site maps? Are you a video editor that can communicate with video and audio?

We are always working on better ways to coordinate with one another, and working on a shared language is one of the secrets at Clevertech.

###### 4. Training

At Clevertech, we build people first, and then software. When it comes to our internal courses and training, we don't follow the conventional path, and you can't expect to learn via videos or books. We believe that the only way to build a skill is via practice. And we create a space where you can [actively train](https://hbr.org/2019/02/ideas-for-helping-remote-colleagues-bond) in the skills of coordination with others.

Are you ready to commit? We’re sharing our hiring process with you because we believe in transparency, and want you to enjoy getting to know our team.

###### Step 1: Applying with Clevertech

We’ve made this a simple process that doesn’t require a resume or cover letter. We honestly just want to get to you. Here are some questions we ask in our online application:

- Where can we learn more about you?
- What technology are you great with?
- What are some impressive work accomplishments?
- Why is remote important to you?
- What are your salary requirements, and when can you start?
- Another important one is, what flexibility do you have to work in EST/PST time zones?

We are enthusiastic about having this barbell-like approach. Freedom and Mastery. Freedom of location, flexibility with time to take care of your other concerns in life. Opportunities for you to gain mastery while achieving significant accomplishments for ambitious clients. And we acknowledge the tension between the two and declare our level of care for the client and the developer at a high standard.


**Technical Skills Assessment**
If your application stands out to us and we see a good fit through the information you’ve provided us, we’ll be sending you a technical skills assessment.

It’s important for us to have a deeper understanding of your real-world technical abilities so we can ensure we’re providing the highest quality of work on each and every project. Our team is stacked with talented programmers that are excited to talk about their projects - both professional experiences and skilled hobbies - we want you, and them, to thrive working alongside each other.

**Just what you know**
Our technical assessment mimics a real-world coding task and won't take more than 2 hours to complete. There are no whiteboards, no tricks, no brain teasers! If you have worked with the technology regularly, you will be able to ace the assessment, and show us where you shine!

###### Step 2: Interview with our Talent team

During your first interview, we want you to be prepared to showcase your best self! To set yourself up for success, educate yourself on [What We Do](https://www.clevertech.biz/about), [How We Work](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5czUQK6dPms&feature=youtu.be), [Who We Are](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_xY8p1vCP39eeDUPyDY1OA), and HIGH FIVE, you’ve already started off on the right foot by reading this blog!

**You can expect to hear questions like:**

**- You’re looking for a new company, what drew you to Clevertech in particular?**
Be honest with us! Let’s start this journey off with 100% transparency - it’s best for both parties if we’re honest about our motivations and aspirations to ensure we’re a great match. We want you to be happy for years to come. And why wouldn’t you be if it’s a true match?

At Clevertech, the products you’ll be building will impact the entire tech industry moving forward, make an impact on real users lives (millions of them, btw), and challenge you with growth opportunities that can’t be matched.

**- What have you been doing (professionally) for the last few years?**

Our application is not your average application - when we ask “where can we learn more about you?”, this is your time to drop all your links! What do we want to hear about?
Tell us about your difficult to achieve accomplishments. Share the story of what made them hard, where you were challenged and how you succeeded.

**- Tech Stack?**

One of the most exciting joys of working at Clevertech is that you’ll have the opportunity to use the right tools for the job. We want to hear what you’re strongest in, what you’ve dabbled in/used on personal projects, and what you’re interested in learning in the future. This information helps us determine your best fit within the organization!

This is a two-sided conversation! We’ll have plenty of questions to ask you, but please come prepared with a few of your own. We want you to leave this interview feeling confident in your understanding of what it’s like to be a CleverPerson, the opportunity you’re being considered for, and anything else that is highly important to you in your search for your next career home.

###### Step 3:  Interview with Kuty

Kuty is our CEO. He’ll dive more into your background, ask more technical questions, and get a better understanding of who you are.

Before talking with Kuty, we highly recommend watching [this series of videos](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TU9lJi3vLy4&list=PLcxu446RY6EfkH5Cic3mWOa7IBr-1YPEU). We put together FAQ’s on Clevertech for you to have a better idea and keep you feeling informed during your interview process.

###### Step 4: Optional Final interview with Michael


Michael is our President, and you’ll be doing this optional interview via phone. Michael will ask a series of his own technical questions, learning more about you, and will also confirm any outstanding questions. Michael is working with clients all the time, the pace of this interview will match that pace! Be prepared to be on your toes!


It’s important for us to keep you in the loop during the interview process. No matter what, we’ll always maintain communication with you. We know applying, interviewing, and taking technical assessments are time consuming and we appreciate it.  

Even more interested in applying with Clevertech? [Check out our open roles](https://www.clevertech.biz/careers)!

Our care for developing mastery extends beyond technical skills We provide unique training to gain skills in leadership, coordinating actions with others, focused on developing expertise in remote work.

Interviewing with Clevertech

What some people don’t recognize is that an app that runs for 1000 users isn’t the same as an app that runs for 100,000 or a million users. Whether you’re in retail or insurance, you know that the peak times are completely different than the day-to-day workload. 

If your app developer is telling you that they’ll worry about scaling up later, that’s probably because they haven’t invested in the proper tooling to predict and prevent problems of scaling. At Clevertech, we aren’t prophets, but we have the instrumentation to reveal the chokepoints of an application - the performance of the critical resources that make up the application so that we can implement robust coding that future-proofs our clients’ applications. 

Peering into the Future

The following screen gives a general view of an application’s performance under high volume. It shows the number of requests per minute, the performance of the processor, response times, and other indicators of key performance. This type of view allows us to identify problems during stress tests as well as actual peak times in a production environment.

Database calls can impact performance under stress. In dynamic applications, it’s important to take a look at how long it takes to query the database as well as the processing power needed to make those calls. Because dynamic applications are reliant on the database, this is where the right instrumentation can prevent the worst bottlenecks.

Proper planning of the application allows the programmers to conserve the amount of dependence on the database, knowing that each call to the database can cause a slowdown in performance. A variety of methodologies such as caching and pre-processing all reduce database calls that can contribute to the rapid performance of an application. When many people are using the application simultaneously, reduction in the database calls affects users across the board.

Dynamic Apps and Preparing Your Codebase

Sophisticated applications tend to use queues to manage the communications between distributed applications allowing them to stay decoupled and improve speed. Managing queues becomes important. The queue size indicates how many requests are waiting for handling. Clevertech uses tools that allow programmers to constantly monitor the queue size for handling of data, images, and other types of calls to maintain rapid communication.

When a large number of users simultaneously log into an application, the queue time can balloon, causing apps to experience slow response times. For example, in the retail application shown below, having fast response time on inventory means that the application will accurately display both the items in stock and the relevant price for that customer at that moment. During a sale or advertising campaign for a particular product, the app needs to know when an item is sold out or when a coupon is or isn’t valid for a specific item. Showing an item that is sold out causes disappointment for customers and damage to the retailer. Showing the wrong price causes losses or lost opportunities.

The success of our customers is equivalent to our success. That’s why we build apps that have your success built-in from the beginning. Software development is a craft, and we take pride in creating software that serves our clients in the long run. With the right instrumentation, it’s easy to take a glance and know that we are delivering robust solutions that will serve your needs during the times when you need them the most.

[Reach out](https://www.clevertech.biz/contact) to find out more about why the top global corporations prefer Clevertech as their outsourced development team.

If you’d like to find out more about our culture at Clevertech and current job openings, check out our [YouTube channe](https://www.youtube.com/c/clevertechlife) l and visit [clevertech.careers](https://www.clevertech.careers/).

Success Planning through Proper Craftsmanship

For most apps and websites, a sign of success is when people flood in to use the application. Ironically, however, most companies don’t plan for success. If the app is up and running with the initial users, it’s generally considered good enough.

Planning for the flood: instrumentation and foresight

They had invested in an app to help employees submit their expenses simply by scanning or taking a picture of their receipts. The app was well-received and increased the rates of on-time expense submission, except… when they interviewed employees with low rates of usage, they found they were all iPhone users. 

As it turned out, the app was booting slowly for those employees, so while they were waiting for the app to boot, they often got distracted by other tasks.


A Fortune-500 client had a problem:

Since submitting receipts wasn’t a high priority for these people, they just procrastinated submitting the receipt another day or week. Even more annoying for these employees was when they were expensing something on the spot—for example, the invoice at a restaurant. It was embarrassing and frustrating to pull out the phone and not have it immediately click and upload the receipt, especially if they were with other employees or a client. Then, when they came back to it later, they ended up wasting time later searching for where they had put the receipt.


Low priority, low usage

Jesse, the Clevertech team leader working on the app was working according to a project plan, and the app booting time wasn’t first on her list of priorities. However, at Clevertech, all of our employees are trained to listen carefully to the client’s concerns. Even though technologists and business people don’t always speak the same language, when everyone cares about the success of the project, we can reach an understanding. In Jesse’s weekly meeting with the client, they brought up this as the primary issue they were dealing with.

As it turned out, this client felt they weren’t getting the results they wanted, and it was starting to erode the trust. Jesse quickly turned around the development team to focus on the immediate task of speeding up the start time, taking care to document their research and development so they could share the results with the client.

Clevertech will handle it

Jesse started with the APM and Kibana data, shown here. It turned out, of course, that the customer was correct and the startup time was slow. The first finding was that the average duration for calling the “SubscribeApple” function was taking 1,126 milliseconds, and for some users, the time was more than triple that: 3,592 milliseconds. That’s certainly enough time for a user to get distracted or frustrated and close the app. If they were just using it to photograph one receipt, well, it’s easy to see why they didn’t bother to wait for the app to boot up. In fact, as shown in the “Impact” column below, this issue has a very high impact on the overall operation of the application. 

In this particular case, the answer had to come through rapid and accurate analysis of the problem. The customer didn’t have the tools to show Jesse what was happening, but at Clevertech, we use a combination of tools that allow us to get to the source, pinpoint problems, and fix them rapidly.

Jesse started with the APM and Kibana data, shown below. It turned out, of course, that the customer was correct and the startup time was slow. The first finding was that the average duration for calling the “SubscribeApple” function was taking 1,126 milliseconds, and for some users, the time was more than triple that: 3,592 milliseconds. That’s certainly enough time for a user to get distracted or frustrated and close the app. If they were just using it to photograph one receipt, well, it’s easy to see why they didn’t bother to wait for the app to boot up. In fact, as shown in the “Impact” column below, this issue has a very high impact on the overall operation of the application. 

How quickly can you repair the damage?

A deeper dive showed that the app was calling up a number of functions on startups that it didn’t need right away, so Jesse was able to minimize those calls. Furthermore, she increased the indexing and cache speed, bringing the average duration down to 398 milliseconds, a drop to close to 1/3 of the duration on average. For the 95th percentile, the time went down to 628 milliseconds, an even more dramatic shift. 

At this point, Jesse was able to show the before-and-after results to the client. In other words, the communication wasn’t just a feeling or perception on the part of the client. It was also based on speaking a different language. Jesse was looking at statistics that showed her success - but the client didn’t have access to those same tools. When she showed them the graph below, they could see in a visual way how the startup time had moved from that danger zone down to a consistently low time frame. This gave the client confidence to make an announcement in the organization that this problem was resolved, and ask iOS users to try again with the new upgrade

Always compare results

Data-driven development makes a huge difference in software projects like these, because people get wrapped up on their desire for immediate results. Optimizing a software app is done in stages and small shifts. This entire example was about the shift of one second in startup time, which is not necessarily perceivable to a human - particularly if they are biased to look for a slower start time. 

Similarly, trust is built up over time, building proofs that a team can deliver, that they tell the truth, and that they treat others well. A common language - particularly a data-driven language - builds that trust similarly. By showing the incremental changes on a week-by-week basis, service providers build the trust of those they serve. By viewing the same statistics, we can ensure that we are communicating about the same problems, or, if we aren’t, we can look at other ways to address the problem.

Data-driven impact

Data-driven tools gave the team a shared language, so that communication moved from the realm of perception into the realm of reality. At Clevertech, we put an emphasis on developing trust. We care, but we know that’s not enough. Showing real results is as important as showing you care. In fact, when you care, the focus moves to getting real results, resulting in increased trust and a better outcome for everyone involved. 

Creativity and data aren’t at odds with one another. Clevertech employs a highly creative team, but we work within the constraints of the real world. We train all of our team members in listening and communication skills, so that we can effectively address the most important concerns of our customers. Knowing the facts and seeing the data allows us to have the basis for our creativity. Measuring, monitoring and logging data over time provides the performance tracking that allows us to apply creative solutions to real world problems.


Listening, learning and visualizing

Working with Clevertech means you get a team that cares deeply about your project. We use the latest technologies and data-driven development to get results. 

[Reach out](https://www.clevertech.careers/) to find out more about why the top global corporations prefer Clevertech as their outsourced development team.

If you’d like to find out more about our culture at Clevertech and current job openings, check out our [YouTube channel ](https://www.youtube.com/c/clevertechlife) and visit [clevertech.careers](http://clevertech.careers).

**Disclaimer: The story is a fictionalized account to protect our client, but the statistics from APM and Kibana are real data from a real project.**

In our personal and professional lives, we often think our explanation of why we didn’t do something will do the trick, but that’s rarely the case. Nobody wants to hear excuses, reasons, or circumstances.

The Hidden Value of Data-Driven Development

Although he loves the problem-solving and creativity that being a developer brings, he did not love what he was doing. He was chained to a one hour commute every day, felt like his job was just paying for daycare, and missed watching his kids grow up.

One day he decided he was done. He wanted to pursue his creative interests and find a way to make money doing it. He started his own business where he could dictate his work schedule and have more time for his family. Finally, freedom from the shackles of his office job.

Even though he enjoyed working from home, he was constantly worried about finding clients in order to maintain his financial stability. Although it was a different kind of stress, he had still not achieved his goal of turning his passion of software development into an enjoyable source of income for his family.

But it wasn't quite that simple. 

He was running from his job, not to the life he wanted. While building a business from the ground up might be exciting to some people, for Sam, it was trading one bad situation for another. When Sam was honest with himself about his own strengths and started focusing on what he really wanted, both personally and professionally, he realized that he wanted to achieve real freedom. The freedom to work from home and have a flexible schedule was most important to him. 

So where’d he go wrong? 

This is when Sam found Clevertech. 

Sam started working as a software developer with Clevertech on a fully remote team. He worked on projects that mattered and challenged him. While doing this, he was also able to cut his commute, obtain financial stability, and watch his kids grow up. Clevertech gave him the freedom to work in a way that feels deeply satisfying and fulfilling.

But was the combination of meaningful work and freedom possible? Or was he just wishing for the best of both worlds?

David Brooks is a moralist who believes that true freedom is the freedom to. Meaning, we have the “ability to do something that’s difficult and requires effort and expertise... Freedom in this sense does not mean the absence of restraint, but rather, choosing the right restraint. That involves commitment, which involves a choice to forego certain choices.”

At Clevertech, it is important to us that we bring on people who are looking for freedom, but who also acknowledge that good work requires hard work. We want employees who are looking for freedom to do what they love—whatever that might be. Maybe they want the freedom to build an exciting new career, or be there when their baby takes their first steps, or to move to a sunnier climate where they can surf and hike.

Are you running from an unsatisfying job? Or running to a meaningful life?

We want employees who are willing to work hard at what they love so that they can have the freedom they’re looking for. For example, maybe they want the freedom to ‘become an expert in big data’. That freedom will require many hours of labor and learning, that might not look like freedom, but it is the ultimate freedom! They’ve done the work to achieve the goal that will change their life. It's called commitment.

Brooks says, “my favourite definition of commitment is falling in love with something and then building a structure of behaviour around it for the moment when love falters.” At Clevertech, we don’t expect people to be in love with their work all the time, but we do want people to have the freedom to do what they love, where they want, and expect them to commit to doing the hard work when things get tough. 



Commitment

1. We are looking for people who are choosing freedom to. 
2. We want people who are willing to make a professional commitment to our company and our clients. It might mean fighting to keep up with the latest trends in the industry, sacrificing a bit of time when things are busy, or going that extra mile to make sure our clients have the best experience. 
3. Ultimately, we want someone who is committed to doing what they love with excellence in a way that satisfies their soul.

If you’d like to find out more about our culture at Clevertech and current job openings, check out our [YouTube channel ](https://www.youtube.com/c/clevertechlife) and visit [clevertech.careers](http://clevertech.careers).

Choose freedom

Sam used to be stuck in a 9-5 office job as a software developer that was draining him both mentally and emotionally. 

Freedom From Versus Freedom To

Some uniforms we all recognize, like nurses or doctors or members of the military. Others are less official, like a construction worker’s neon vest or the suit and tie of a business professional. Uniforms are symbols of authority. You wouldn’t accept a ticket from a randomly dressed person—they need to look like a police officer. We give instant authority to the uniform as an indication of their skills and responsibilities in society.

For those of us who work remotely, our “uniform” can be whatever we want it to be! But with that freedom, we have an opportunity to reflect on what we’re trying to achieve with our uniform. The choice of what we are wearing is still purposeful. 

If you walk into a doctor’s office, you expect a person in a white coat. You expect an exam room. You expect certain tools, like a stethoscope. In the remote workspace, we have to expand the boundaries of what our uniform is. For instance, what we wear becomes less important, but our home internet connection is a tool that becomes vitally important. We might not have to worry about renting an office space and how that looks, but we need to make sure that we have superior communication tools in place.

 Almost every job requires a uniform.

Whether it is how people show up on video, their Slack profile, or the tone of our emails, we want to nourish trust. This is what allows us to coordinate at a standard that takes care of important concerns that are often unspoken. 

We make sure our employees are using the best, most effective communication tools like [Slack](https://slack.com), [Asana](https://asana.com/), and [Monosnap](https://www.clevertech.biz/thoughts/clever-ways-to-build-trust-with-rapid-communication), to make interactions with our clients and each other easy. We can quickly and effectively share messages, documents, or show a client what we think something should look like. 

At Clevertech, we pay close attention to our communication spaces.

We all work in different places, wear different types of clothes, but everything we do is centered around providing our clients with the best possible experience. That begins with appearances—not only how we look on-camera and in meetings, but also the appearance of our communication tools. 

The uniform is a shortcut to building trust and authority which creates seamless communication. When someone looks out from your camera, are you providing communication that is even better than meeting face to face?

If you’d like to find out more about our culture at Clevertech and current job openings, check out our [YouTube channel ](https://www.youtube.com/c/clevertechlife) and visit [clevertech.careers](http://clevertech.careers).



Put simply, our “uniform” at Clevertech is client care. 

Uniforms are evolving, often becoming more casual. Many offices have casual Fridays and it’s no longer out of the ordinary to see a CEO in jeans.

The Remote Workplace Uniform

- My son interacts with his classmates on a daily basis, does he have COVID-19? 
- Do I have COVID-19? 
- Did I give it to my elderly relatives? 

Panicking

You may read these questions and hear a replay of your own thoughts over the past few weeks. The current situation has, at some level, threatened our survival which causes an emotional, often irrational, response in us all.

Stress and anxiety alter us. There is a psychological response to a very real threat. It is one thing to watch this impact others from afar and be able to think rationally about how we will respond to it, and another when it knocks at your own door. 

Although we cannot always control the emotions that arise because of our circumstances, we can control what we do with these emotions, how we respond to the situation. There is a switch that is possible when, in the moment, we are able to step back and observe the emotions we are experiencing and then decide what we want to do with them, how we want to act. 

Stress and Anxiety

In emotional situations, many of us use the term “losing it”. We can look back on situations and recognize that, in a time of emotion, we “lost it”. Often, this feels uncontrollable. It feels like an automatic response. However, there is power when we step back, give time, and observe ourselves losing ourselves. The power in stepping back from our immediate response is the realization that we are not trapped by our emotions. We can recognize our moods and make a different choice than the one that we are initially triggered toward. 

Right now, this is particularly obvious to many of us as we are faced with real and pressing fear, anxiety, and stress as we navigate through an unknown future with COVID-19. However, we experience this everyday on a more micro-level. 

Maybe someone says something to you in a meeting that sounds like an attack and immediately puts you on the defensive. Maybe you just realized that your project is not going to be finished by the deadline and stress and anxiety set in. 

"Losing it"


It is important to remember that we have the power to harness and guide our moods in these situations. You can alter your mood from feeling defensive to feeling curious, from perceiving an attack to deciphering why the other person might be feeling a certain way. This can be [particularly useful with stress](https://www.ted.com/talks/kelly_mcgonigal_how_to_make_stress_your_friend?language=en#t-2505). We can hone in on the essential portions of a project and then harness stress for focus and motivation.

The ability to pull back, look at ourselves, and recognize how we are feeling, can make us more skillful in handling human situations. Although we do not always have control over our initial emotions that arise in response to our circumstances, we do have the power to control how we respond to these moods.

Guide our moods

Feeling Panicked? Manage the maniac that is your Self

Use tools that allow you to go from "I have an idea" to "let's collaborate on my idea" within a few seconds. The digital equivalent to being able to walk over to someone's desk in an office and discuss a thought that popped into your mind.

What tools? We use [Zoom](https://zoom.us/), [Slack](https://slack.com/), and cloud-based, multi-collaboration tools such as [Google Drive](https://www.google.com/drive/) and [Monday.com](https://monday.com/), but your needs may be different. However, the tools are just table stakes.

🖥 Using The Right Tools

Limit yourself. Create boundaries. Create a designated workspace. Even if it is only a few feet away from your living room, it allows you to have a space that triggers "work mode" and keeps your living room couch from triggering thoughts about your to-do list every time you try to relax at night.

Don’t bring your work into your home space. Don’t bring your home into your work space.

Bonus: Don’t check the internet for coronavirus while in your work space. Thank me later.

🌿 Creating A Mental Space

**- You made it?** Good. This is where the good stuff is. 

Once you are in quarantine for a bit, you notice that you are suffering but you might not realize from what. You might feel like you are losing your mind! 

**- Why?** Because a person is not an island. 

A person is defined by the groups they belong to. And they need to interact with those groups to feel connected. Those groups can be anyone. They could be the 3:30pm coffee group. They could be the SoulCycle bunch. They could be your close knit siblings or your commuting train car buds.

**- So what can we do?** We can hold the space for people to connect.

We can create time and have tools for people to nurture relationships that build up purely because we are human and occupy the same time and place. 

**- How?** Use the tools you chose and make some time together.

Be creative in the space, ask questions, and share yourself. Then wait. Let everyone talk. Nurture conversations and let everyone have a voice, even if people disagree. The space is for the relationship.

A Zoom chat with a coffee will never be able to replace sitting in a café, we still have a human desire for community that needs to be filled.

We can celebrate a friend's birthday, get together for a study group, or have an unofficial Zoom meeting to vent about what went on in the official Zoom meeting. This means letting everyone create groups and videos - so that people can meet without the boss. 

One of the ways we do this at Clevertech is through Slack channels. We have channels that range from #thebachelor to #clever-pets to #cooking and now, our most recent channel, #covid-19_discussion. 

The most robust communication is over video, and we do this via Zoom meetings, ideally in smaller groups about 6-10 people.

Make space to take care of each other, and trust that each person will then take care of the work.

If you’d like to find out more about our culture at Clevertech and current job openings, check out our [YouTube channel ](https://www.youtube.com/c/clevertechlife )and visit [clevertech.careers.](https://www.clevertech.careers/)

🤝 Hold the Space to Connect

In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, companies and schools across the world are scrambling to go remote. I want to offer what may be a surprising perspective from a company that has been learning and refining what it looks like to work completely remote for nearly 20 years.

Need to go Remote? Don’t forget this

**Zara**

Zara is a clothing company that specializes in “fast fashion.” The quality of the clothes they sell is lower than a lot of their competitors, at a lower price point. In fact, their clothes are only supposed to last for a little while, because Zara wants their customers to come back over and over again to buy the latest fashion—which changes quickly. For someone who wants to keep up with the latest trends, it would get expensive to purchase high-quality designer items each time styles changed. 

Zara’s strategy is a brilliant way to take on the establishment. They’re meeting their customer's needs in a way that makes sense—even though it’s different from what’s expected. 

**So what does this have to do with a remote workplace? **


When companies want to start implementing a remote environment, we believe they have to think differently—to go against the establishment—to go all in. 

As more and more companies move to remote options for their employees, it’s becoming crystal clear that not all remote is created equal. And just like carefully following a recipe, if they don’t include all of the most important ingredients, it might fall apart. 



In spite of its growing popularity, many remote workspaces still struggle to create an environment that fosters a successful, inclusive remote workspace. Basically, they’re not getting the recipe quite right. 

For many companies, their business is still based primarily in a physical office, with most employees reporting and working there together. Then, they add a person or a handful of people who are allowed to work remotely, maybe full time or a couple days a week. 

Offering remote options might seem like a good deal for the people who want to work remotely and the company feels good about offering a more progressive benefit, but in the end it doesn’t work. 

Imagine being the person working remotely. You’re loving not having a commute, working in comfortable clothes all day, and getting to pet your dog whenever you want. But slowly, you start to realize you’re missing out... 

###### 7 to fail

01. You’re still expected to call in for meetings, but you realize they’re talking about things you know nothing about. Then they have to fill you in on what they talked about that morning while making their coffee. 

02. No one invested in a remote communication solution, so you call in instead of using full video. After all the people in the office are not comfortable with video. Who needs it anyway? And your remote experience feels very…. distant.

03. You might find out about long lunches at the restaurant down the street from the office or after-work drinks you can’t participate in, so you’re missing out on building important relationships with your co-workers with no alternatives.

04. Maybe you have a decent video based communication software, but the in-office people are sitting around a conference room table and you miss out on what they’re drawing on the board or a facial expression the boss made - they look so small and far away. 

05. You are all alone, with your breakfast coffee, coding away, and then get stuck. And there is no good way to communicate until your next scheduled call, tomorrow! Your day becomes a wreck.

06. You miss all the quick meetings after the meeting, in the hallway or by the coffee pot, where the critical decision is made and you’re never informed


If a company wants to offer remote options for their employees, they have to build a system that is set up for remote success. A system that’s set up for only partial remote is inherently more complicated because there are two systems trying to run together. When it’s set up for remote success, by definition it will be less complex, more straightforward, and make it easier for everyone to be successful That’s what we’ve done at Clevertech. 

We are a 100% remote workspace. Everyone on our team is 100% remote. We’ve set our business up to support a totally remote workforce and it shows in the way our operations run and the effectiveness of our employees. Here are some of the ways we make it work. 

###### 🖥 We invest in tech.

We have the most up to date technology available to make remote work for us. We listen to our employees about what’s working and what’s not and make sure we have communication, project management, and other tools in place so they can do their jobs. 

###### 🤝 Find ways to connect.

You don’t have to be best friends with your co-workers, but fostering relationships with the people you spend so much time with is important to workplace happiness. It can be difficult when working remotely, as you can’t just swing by someone’s desk to ask about their daughter’s soccer game or grab coffee together when that 2pm exhaustion hits. 

Spending time with the team to talk about non-work items is part of the expected traditions at Clevertech. Creating space to allow the cultivation of non-work interactions is critical to create a thicker relationship. 

###### 💡 Innovation

We are continuing to innovate all the time in this space. We never know where the next hot piece of technology that’s going to make working remote even easier is going to come from, but we’re listening. It might be a new conference feature or a virtual reality headset. Whatever it is, we’re willing to experiment with it and we’re set up to do that. 

###### 👔 We’re not hampered by traditional expectations

Many companies think that their business is too “serious” to have a remote workforce or that it can’t function without working face-to-face or that remote only works for “non-essential” employees. At Clevertech we are in a “serious” business. But we work remotely while maintaining our professionalism. We still appreciate face-to-face interactions and have kickoffs and presentations, where we get together to meet with clients and spend a day or two where we solidify the human connections. But we continue those connections in a remote fashion. 

###### A recipe that includes everyone

As technology evolves and more and more employees look for remote options, it’s vital that companies learn how to create and follow a recipe designed specifically with remote success as the intended outcome—a recipe that includes everyone, helps all employees work efficiently and effectively, and works great for the clients. 

If you’d like to learn more about how we do remote here at Clevertech and the career openings we currently have available, check out our YouTube channel and visit clevertech.careers. 

What would you say if a business owner told you they were purposely selling lower quality items that only lasted a little while and were meant to be replaced? You’d probably think they were crazy and that strategy is the exact opposite of what successful businesses should be doing.

Our Remote Versus Their Remote

At Clevertech, we use a lot of tech, obviously. It’s what we do. Our clients have expectations of professionalism and look to us to be an industry-leader. That means we keep raising the standards on all our technology decisions —big and small—to keep our operations running optimally for our clients.

Industry-leader

One of those things we use is two-factor authentication, or 2FA. It’s one of those not-very-exciting things (some might even say a little annoying!), that are crucial to protecting information for our business and our clients. And if you’re not using it, you should be.

We’ve shared one of our favorite [password hacks](https://www.clevertech.biz/thoughts/a-surprisingly-easy-way-to-hack-yourself-every-day) before, but 2FA takes password security to the next level. At Clevertech, all critical resources such as code, documents, emails, etc., are protected behind 2FA. 

Two-factor authentication adds another step to your basic login process. With 2FA, you’ll use your username and password to log in, but there will be a second step, usually a code generated and delivered to you that you have to input in order to complete the log in process.  Contrast this with single-factor, where your only protection is your username and password -- both of which rarely change, if ever, making them easier for hackers to predict and/or steal.

When you add a second factor, you’ve got 2FA. It’s another way to verify your identify to better protect your credentials. And it works. [Google found](https://techcrunch.com/2019/05/20/google-data-two-factor-security/) that when they started implementing 2FA, it eliminated 100% of automated bot attacks and 96% of phishing attacks. 

There are a number of different kinds of 2FA, including app-generated, thumbprint and facial, SMS, and hardware-based. You can also combine several of these methods to have MFA, or Multi-Factor Authentication. We’re going to talk about what these are and the benefits of each. 

Two-factor authentication (2FA)

SMS messages are a popular 2FA option. An SMS service will generate a short, one-time-use code every time you log in that you’ll have to enter to complete logging in. This is a convenient method—but not the best option.

The problem with SMS 2FA is that hackers can easily hack your phone by intercepting the messages. Hackers have gone to conferences to showcase just how easy it is. For example, they can call the support center for a cellular company, play audio of a baby crying, explain this problem and that problem, acting flustered and confused, and the support team gives out the private account information without going through the proper security channels.

App-generated 2FA does not require a cellular intermediary to deliver the codes, instead relying on pre-shared seeds for number generation (i.e. a QR code).  There are a number of apps available that can generate an authentication code, such as Google Authenticator. You simply install the app, use the code when setting up a new account, and then the app will generate new codes about every 30 seconds. Then, in the future, when you log in, it will display a code on your phone to complete the log in process. 

App-generated

Hardware-based 2FA (Also known as FIDO U2F (Fast IDentity Online Alliance -- Universal 2nd Factor)) is the most secure way to keep your credentials safe and is the type of 2FA we use at Clevertech. It’s usually a small USB key you keep with you. When you want to log in to your account, you insert the USB and press a button. And that’s it! Another option is using thumbprint and facial recognition. Hardware-based 2FA is safer because they can’t be intercepted and tampered with. Unfortunately, hardware tokens can be lost, so it’s good to always have a back-up or two (or even three) so you don’t accidentally get locked out.

Hardware-based 

The issue with hardware-based is that it is a separate thing to carry. Having a dedicated app that does the same cryptography using faceID and does not rely on SMS is super convenient and maintains a high security standard.  

FaceID, however, has had some issues where people who look like you can still unlock your phone. It was shown to be particularly bad with non-white users, who more frequently are allowed to unlock each others' phones. This may improve over time. 

Biometrics such as fingerprints are certainly more convenient (you can't easily lose them and they're quick to enter) but while they can't easily be stolen, they have been faked before.

App + FaceID

While it is true that some 2FA methods are more secure than others, the best defense is a combination of the above options. Multi-factor authentication (MFA) combines biometrics, hardware tokens, and sometimes also app-based authentication for advanced access control.

The bottom line is that 2FA adds necessary security to your authentication flow, and while simple 2FA like SMS may be convenient, it’s best to opt for either app-based 2Fa or, better yet, hardware tokens.  Biometrics can be used as a convenience; however, biometrics should be used in combination with a more secure 2FA option for extra account protection.  Look into options like [Centrify](https://www.centrify.com/pam/privileged-access-service/mfa-vault/), [Duo](https://duo.com/), and [Okta](https://www.okta.com/) -- additionally, AWS Cognito and other pre-built authentication services support MFA out of the box.

If you’d like to find out more about Clevertech  check out our [YouTube channel ](https://www.youtube.com/c/clevertechlife) and visit [clevertech.careers](http://clevertech.careers).

So often in life, the things that have the biggest impact on our day-to-day operations at work and at home are the daily habits we perform at an ever increasing standard. 

2FA or Not 2FA: Password Protection You Need

Sometimes care means paying attention to the big things—like meeting deadlines, providing our services at a competitive price, and upleveling our offerings to clients. But sometimes it’s small things, like finding better ways to communicate and introducing clients to new ways to make processes more efficient and effective. 

At Clevertech, our primary focus is about client care. 

With the speed of technological advancements, there are always new things that will make our jobs easier, improve communication with clients, and simply help us be better at our jobs.

One app that has changed the way we work at Clevertech is [Monosnap](https://monosnap.com/). Monosnap is an application for screenshots. That sounds basic, especially if your machine has built-in features for taking screenshots, but Monosnap allows you to do much more. 

Smarter, not harder

01. Well, the first thing to do is to use Monosnap and take a screenshot. 

02. As soon as you take the screenshot, the shareable URL is loaded onto your clipboard so you can share it with a simple Ctrl+V. That cuts out a number of steps. 

03. You can also quickly pull up an editor tool where you can draw arrows and write a few words directly onto the screenshot–it’s fast and easy to share in real time. 

04. You can even do a video if you like.

There is taking a screenshot and then there is making screenshots a rapid communication tool. What does that mean?

In the end, it’s a super-effective communication tool, particularly important for our team here at Clevertech. We work remotely with our clients so a tool like Monosnap allows us to show them updates in real-time, illustrate exactly what edits we’re talking about, and get their feedback. 

Well, as much as we’d all like to think we’re really great at explaining ourselves and believe that the person we’re communicating with hears what we’re saying in the same way we intended it, that is simply not always the case. Monosnap allows us to take the principal of “show, don’t tell” into the digital world. 

 Why is that important?

We’ve introduced some of our clients to technology like Monosnap, taught them how to use it, and made their processes better. Finding the best tools and forms of communication improve your business and your work with clients. In essence, they allow you to provide exceptional care. 

If you’d like to find out more about our culture at Clevertech and current job openings, check out our [YouTube channel ](https://www.youtube.com/c/clevertechlife) and visit [clevertech.careers](http://clevertech.careers).

The implementation of apps and shortcuts like Monosnap goes far beyond just productivity - it goes back to care.

We take care of our clients. We’ve found that when we focus on care, the other stuff—the money and recognition and more clients—always follow. 

Build Trust with Rapid Communication

I’ve never been attracted to the idea of working in an office. I always felt like the office killed creativity, morale, and spirit. Days are spent droning into an office, trying to push yourself to create any amount of forced productivity that might exist. In 2009, I decided to stop forcing it and decided to go fully remote. Instantly. No starting part time; no testing the waters. I went all in. Of course, it took getting used to at the beginning… but I knew my income, my livelihood depended on it. I took the changes in my routine seriously and enforced discipline.


Not my place to work

I felt everything was going smoothly. There were daily talks, Skyping, chatting… the whole lot. But the companies I worked with were all companies that had a majority of their employees working on-site. Although they allowed some of us to work remotely, the overall attitude was one of distrust. The automatic assumption was that we weren’t working and there was always someone watching me closely.

It wasn’t until I joined Clevertech in 2014 that I noticed something. There is a huge difference between working remotely and remote work.

This type of working environment was new to me. Where I was previously having to defend my work and my professionalism, Clevertech immediately trusted me (and expected me) to work excellently without the boss looking over my shoulder.

Trust your remote workers

Here at Clevertech, we mostly make use of Slack and Zoom but it’s not about the tools we use; it’s about the way we use them. We are dotted all over the globe but we talk to each other constantly about the things we are doing, the way we are implementing them, and how we should approach certain tasks. It’s much more communicative than working in an office ever was for me. Even with the major time zone differences, we’re still able to be effective and trust that we’re all professionals working toward the same goal.

I’m based in the UK and my current client is based in the Los Angeles area, which means I’m a full 8 hours ahead of them. Therefore, my day is slightly different than the normal 9-to-5 worker.

My 2 young boys wake me every day at 7:30am (no need for an alarm clock!). We complete our morning routine and have a family breakfast. Then, I walk my eldest to school, drop him off, walk the scenic route back to the house, and start to make some coffee.

I sit down to work around 9:30am. I check out the things I missed last night, see if I am mentioned anywhere, and review any progress made on issues relating to my work. I greet the people at Clevertech who are already up and start with my day.

Around noon, I take a two hour break for my lunch. This allows me to have more overlap with my client. I spend my break playing some video games, reading, meditating, or taking a long walk of an hour or longer. I live in [a very rural area](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weardale); so why not enjoy it, right?

What does a ‘typical day’ mean for a remote worker?

At 2:00pm, I usually start work again. Most of my current team is awake and working, as well. Everyday at 5:00pm, we hold a stand up. Most of the team discusses what they completed the day before and what they plan to do today. I discuss what I completed today and what I am going to do tomorrow. It’s funny how that works. After a good 15 to 20 minute stand up, I enjoy dinner with my family. Then, I continue to work until around 8:00pm.

I like my schedule. I get to spend more time with my kids and they regularly bring me drawings to put on the wall for everyone to see. They know that when my door is closed, they can’t come in without knocking and that when my door is open, I can be distracted. This would never happen with traditional office work.

Daily Stand Up

Don’t work remotely for companies that aren’t remote first. They will almost always have a bit a distrust for you and the communication will almost always be lacking. It’s too easy for those who work in an office to meet up without you, causing you to miss out on specific information or context.

Once you do find a remote first company, set a schedule for yourself that you can keep from Day One. You can change it and perfect it over time but start with a schedule right away. The hardest part of remote work is creating and keeping consistency and discipline. If you can handle that, you’ll be set.

What tips would you offer to someone who wants to start remote work?

Clevertech is a fully remote company. There is no office, no people in a centralized location… everyone is spread around the world, working together efficiently.

How To Work Remotely – And Enjoy It, Too

Our client is a leading retailer who designs every shopping experience to be the best you’ll ever have. One of their core challenges has been to humanize their brands and strengthen their position as a design driven company, and they knew that they  needed to build and evolve their design capabilities to do so.


Challenge / Idea

Together we built **StudioConnect -** a digital platform that creates a direct & collaborative relationship between thousands of guests and a group of 500 product designers to turn ideas & insights into more relevant products on shelves at an accelerated rate, measured by long term revenue strengthening per product.

Solution / Approach

**StudioConnect ** works much like a blog, where a designer will post their ideas and challenge their community of guests for valuable feedback through comments. It delivers product insights at a lower cost and decreases the new product design process by over 50%.


Impact

The main platform consisted of an Ionic based hybrid mobile app built with a React & Redux core; a web-based app & admin dashboard built using Mithril & Redux w/Semantic UI; a reactive API and microservices architecture built-in Node; a real-time Firebase database engine; a BigQuery data warehouse; and extensive cloud for hosting the many service containers and apps.



Leading retailer who designs every shopping experience to be the best you’ll ever have.

Studio Connect


In my not so distant past, team calls were difficult and unproductive – they were audio only, and some percentage of those were "coffee talks" or "townhalls" (read "no active participation necessary").  Clevertech is remote-first and video-first. This operating style creates the most efficient, productive and connected environment for our geographically dispersed teams. 

Why do we even bother with conference calls? On the phone, no one can see what you are doing; and on mute, no one can hear what you are doing. This create a sense of autonomy that disconnects us all from the task at hand; in other words, **this creates lack of engagement. **On a conference call, it was easy for me to check out and start doing other things if the topic at the moment wasn't relevant to me. Suddenly, I would find myself multitasking: trying to keep one ear in the meeting while doing something unrelated. Humans are notoriously bad at this - and unfortunately, there would be 3 more meetings just like that one on my calendar for the day, with a very good chance of those being too long to begin with.

Conference Calls and the Inevitable Disconnect

My name is Tim and I am an IT architect from California, coming from an enterprise environment.  Working at Clevertech has been a refreshing experience and I've been given the opportunity to make some positive adjustments while transitioning to a remote-first company.

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Ionic Deploy: When Custom App Development Is Your Only Solution

How Custom Mobile Application Development Solved a Hard Problem at Clevertech.

Read all our insights

Turn your toughest challenges into tangible business impact

Read all
our insights