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. 

large_remote-dress.png

medium_remote-dress.png

small_remote-dress.png

thumbnail_remote-dress.png

remote-dress.png

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

###### Stress and more bugs

After thirty minutes of being drilled by his boss, Dan, who served as the CTO, wanted to throw his computer across the room. His team had not been able to push all of the new features that he promised they would push before this meeting, and the ones they did push had bugs! 

Dan sat there seething. He couldn't help but wonder where he went wrong. His team had worked hard, long hours. They pushed many lines of code and closed heaps of tickets. How had the result turned out so grossly short of their ambitions and promises?

As he reflected further, he remembered his team ignoring the overload of monitoring alerts which caused them to miss the crucial ones. Their builds were taking what felt like forever so they couldn’t waste time updating minor bugs. They just kept moving forward, piling complication on top of complication in hopes of reaching the deadline. 

So where did Dan go wrong? What could he have paid attention to that would have saved him the frustration and embarrassment of that morning's meeting?

Ideally, he would be able to look at one keystone measurement that would have been indicative of the overall health of their software development. 

###### So, for a custom development company, what is the keystone measurement for health?


At Clevertech, this is build time. Since constantly delivering builds is at the foundation of what we do, our build time becomes a keystone indicator for the health of our code and production environment. Measuring how quickly we can get each build up into the system ensures that we identify bottlenecks in our production system. 



**We measure build time for three primary reasons: **

- Speed: One of our core values allowing us to operate at maximum efficiency. 
- Performance: If the build time is taking more than a handful of minutes it may reveal that we are using an old library and, instead of building on top of it, we need to update it so that we can drive build time down and performance up.  
- Developer Delight: If a build is taking 30 minutes and a developer has to push it three times in a day, they have now wasted an hour and a half of their time for a process that could have taken less than 10 minutes.  

To achieve this at Clevertech, we have a full continuous integration suite where software is constantly being compiled in a containerized fashion with a variety of tests that are run against it. After the tests pass, it is deployed in a way that allows for zero downtime in the system. This even allows for things like feature flags so that you can deploy to only 10% of the traffic before deciding to deploy to the full load.

Build time uncovers insights about where there is bloat in the production system. Ultimately, it allows us to use one keystone measurement that pinpoints speed, performance, health, and optimizes for developer delight with just one simple question.

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).

large_agence-olloweb-d9ILr-dbEdg-unsplash.jpg

medium_agence-olloweb-d9ILr-dbEdg-unsplash.jpg

small_agence-olloweb-d9ILr-dbEdg-unsplash.jpg

thumbnail_agence-olloweb-d9ILr-dbEdg-unsplash.jpg

agence-olloweb-d9ILr-dbEdg-unsplash.jpg

One example of a keystone measurement is the temperature of the body. When you feel ill, one of the first things you do is take your temperature because it is indicative of health. When your temperature is high, it flags that something is wrong and needs to be further inspected and fixed.

One simple tool to diagnose the health of long term software development

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).

small_What-is-Cyber-Security.jpg

thumbnail_What-is-Cyber-Security.jpg

What-is-Cyber-Security.jpg

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

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

Cydcor-Why-Good-Impressions-Matter-scaled.jpg

large_Cydcor-Why-Good-Impressions-Matter-scaled.jpg

medium_Cydcor-Why-Good-Impressions-Matter-scaled.jpg

small_Cydcor-Why-Good-Impressions-Matter-scaled.jpg

thumbnail_Cydcor-Why-Good-Impressions-Matter-scaled.jpg

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.

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/)

large_risky jobs.webp

medium_risky jobs.webp

small_risky jobs.webp

thumbnail_risky jobs.webp

risky jobs.webp

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/)

large_XPB_891191_HiRes.jpg

medium_XPB_891191_HiRes.jpg

small_XPB_891191_HiRes.jpg

thumbnail_XPB_891191_HiRes.jpg

XPB_891191_HiRes.jpg

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

large_juan-gomez-rfIRuSnmBZw-unsplash.jpg

medium_juan-gomez-rfIRuSnmBZw-unsplash.jpg

small_juan-gomez-rfIRuSnmBZw-unsplash.jpg

thumbnail_juan-gomez-rfIRuSnmBZw-unsplash.jpg

juan-gomez-rfIRuSnmBZw-unsplash.jpg

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!

P1033294-1200x628-1-1024x536.jpg

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?

apply-to-study-how-to-apply.jpg

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.

What-is-Research-Purpose-of-Research-phul4s3cbwe0xam190dnc4kz3z616ajmfkygodcdqg.png

###### 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)!

large_1_inQHzUhDqFw86f--4RQHQw.png

medium_1_inQHzUhDqFw86f--4RQHQw.png

small_1_inQHzUhDqFw86f--4RQHQw.png

thumbnail_1_inQHzUhDqFw86f--4RQHQw.png

1_inQHzUhDqFw86f--4RQHQw.png

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

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

DYNAMIC-MOBILE-APPLICATION-820x400.png

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

20150512050128-shutterstock-124904123.jpeg

large_20150512050128-shutterstock-124904123.jpeg

medium_20150512050128-shutterstock-124904123.jpeg

small_20150512050128-shutterstock-124904123.jpeg

thumbnail_20150512050128-shutterstock-124904123.jpeg

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.

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

Read all
our insights

Turn your toughest challenges into tangible business impact

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

Read all our insights

Turn your toughest challenges into tangible business impact

Read all
our insights

Read all
our insights