I had the opportunity to start working as web developer and I was very interested in it, still I am. I have done a lot of other things before but now I definitely will stay on the web.
It has gotten better all the time. When I first started in Berlin my life changed completely. I started working in a very small company where my partners were my friends. I learned how nice it is not to have a conventional office work. This got empowered on welance where I opened myself to a great community and the possibility to explore a lot more like all the new web coding technologies. My work now is extremely flexible and makes it even more interesting.
What I want to take with me is cultural.
I like the mix between professionalism and spontaneity. When you work with german people the result must be prefect down to the last detail. Things are delivered on time and must be done properly. It's surprising that these people are relaxed at the same time and like to have fun. In Berlin you can reach a lot with little efforts. This is spirit I want to take with me.
The situation is far from being optimal. The crisis hit us very badly and perhaps we will never be again on the same situation as before. Having said that I feel in Barcelona what we do has not died, the city has been a place for creative people and still it is. I’m very optimistic about the people and the projects I'm going to find here.
Berlin: Space and spaces. The underground is still strong. The culture, vast.
Barcelona: The sun, the quiet life, the food culture. I have realized coming back after some time - the good thing here really is the mediterranean life.
I think there should be a moment for both in life.
In Berlin I’ve entered a place that was already set up. I had all the necessary infrastructure, from the beginning. In Barcelona it's still in the process. I'm working somewhere between my home and the welance studio. Finding a constant space to have the regularity which I had in Berlin before will be wonderful.
As I said before, I work the exact same way like I did in Berlin with the only difference now that I'm doing a lot more remote work. It has advantages - working from the studio allows you to focus without being distracted very often as in an office. On the other hand for the near future I want to start working more outside, I think it's very healthy to have contact with other people and being out to work on the long run.
In order of importance:
1. Like what you do
2. Always be communicating ;) People like to know what are you doing even if they don't ask.
3. Self discipline
4. Regularity, life is a lot easier when you have a daily rhythm.
5. Learning to be sometimes a bit relaxed it's also important.
First thing I did was to get advice about which are the best possibilities to start working legally in Spain and how this can grow. Now I'm building the corporate identity. I've gotten cards as a present and soon we'll have our portfolio website running.
After that I will do my social presentation, I will start visiting coworking spaces, introducing myself and see if I can find a place that fits my expectations, so I can get in contact with like-minded people. Afterwards, I want a community like the Berlin one growing out of it. This last point of course will take time but it's part of the vision!
To accomplish that I will need to improve my social and project management skills. Usually, I've been acting in the background. I've been the developer doing things nobody wanted to know or talk about it. Now I have to be communicative and social to share the welance project with other professionals and clients as I'm doing now.
In the future a similar network as welance Berlin. A big community of great professionals doing cool stuff and improving all the time their skills by working together and learning from each other. Generally, by liking what they are doing.
To see I’ll repeat a topic. Gaudi buildings. I think it’s special and beautiful, I have seen them very often and still I feel something when I'm in front of them.
Secondly, go out and eat in the sun! Meet your friends at mid day, order Vermouth with some olives, Spanish chips, mussels... Sit in the sun on a terrace. After that, go to a restaurant and discover "Paella", or "Calçots" as it is time for it now. Our meat is done on the fire with potatoes and "pa amb tomaquet". You'll be done around 5 p.m. and you'll be understanding the meaning of the siesta :)
