Hey there... If you're reading this, you probably worked/work/will-work with me, or you want to copy my readme. In any case, I'm happy to have you here. I'm here to learn, add value, and enjoy the ride. I'm not a visionary, and probably you're smarter than me... let's start.

Feel free to ping me on Twitter or Linkedin.

I'm Matias. I'm from Argentina, and I'm married; I have three kids, I live in Barcelona (Spain), I'm a software engineer (more console than dev, build/release engineer, or DevOps kind). I like padel and mountain bike... A frustrated squash player. I speak Spanish/English/French, and I'm learning Catalan. I'm not an native English speaker, so please be patient; corrections are accepted (this is how I grow). I'm an extrovert, but lately, with age, I have become more selective with people in my personal life.

Default to action. I always find something to do; my TODO list is endless as my willingness. A downside is that in some cases, I start acting before thinking, even before identifying the issue that I'm trying to solve, which leads to iterating more than desired. I'm aware of this, and I continuously loop my ideas/solutions with people around; feedback is a blessing.

Good vibes. I don't want to work in a rigid environment; I want space to say what I think and add value to topics. And with time, I've learned that having good energy and being empathetic is a MUST for me; it's my way to promote a safe/relaxed environment.

Relentless. I'm direct, with respect/carefulness but direct. If I see something and consider that my feedback can help, I'll share it even if it's uncomfortable. I'm also relentless; I constantly embrace input and (try to) improve my behavior/profile.

Here to help. I will help you if you ask or detect that I can add value to your proposal. I'm self-organized, and I'll always find time for others. I believe that software results from social interaction (ex: PR reviews), and participating from different angles in that construction is vital for achieving outstanding results.

People first. I like people and technology. Being an engineer manager combines both. We're complex systems, with commonalities and differences, in constant evolution. Reading what's around me is a challenge; people are my main challenge. Projects come and go (don't misread this, I believe in excellence). Side note... I consider that in the software industry, we're a bit spoiled and that in some cases, we lose contact with reality; I try to be honest with my truth and transmit that to people.

Written ideas are better. I prefer written ideas, it gives me time to think more deeply. My brain is a storm of ideas, so writing is good for me to organize my ideas and to understand other's ideas.

• Hard worker. I will always try, over and over.
• Order. I make lists and I use clear visual tools to understand and share ideas.
• Customer-oriented. I want to understand what you need.
• Easy going. I pay a lot of attention to the mood of people, I try and then observe reactions, for me guaranteeing a good atmosphere is key, but don't get me wrong, I won't sugarcoat a message just for the sake of being cool.

• My personal recognition.
  • I usually put people's achievements over mine, to the point that I rarely take credit for my achievements.
• Clarity sharing strategies orally.
  • Speaking, I could look messy even if my proposal is evident in my brain. I tend to write a lot because this process helps me organize the pitch. (if you see long agendas, don't worry is more a script than something for you).
  • In some cases I provide too much context before going to the point.
  • I use too much "I don't know" when in fact, I know.
  • Being a non-English speaker doesn't help here.
• Networking.
  • It used to be a strength, but with age, I tend to valuate focus time which collides with the creation of bonds across teams/organizations. Now it's conscious and planned action.
• English.
  • As a non-English native speaker in some cases my vocabulary is very simple and my perspectives could sound a bit opinionated.

We will have a 1:1 every week for at least 30 minutes.

• These meetings are for you first, and me second
• These are not status meetings unless you want them to be. I prefer offline status reports
• We both can add topics to the agenda, you have priority. We should add talking points before each meeting
• Focus of this meeting: Help, get context, resolve issues (blockers), and career growth
  • Personal connection
  • How you're feeling at work
  • Feedback (you and them)
  • Improving team/company
  • Learning/growth
  • Work engagement
  • Questions or information you need
• Note: 200 One-On-One Meeting Questions for Managers

Do not wait if you have something urgent. Slack me immediately, and we will get on a video call

In order of preference:

• Face-to-face
• Face-to-face in zoom
• Slack
• Other

Probably we're in different time zones, so my answer won't be instant in Slack or emails.

• You have good intentions
• You're here to help and learn
• You will ask if something is not clear
• You won't monopolize a discussion
• You understand that we have roles to add value from different perspectives

Public and available, and my business hours too. Feel free to set up a 1:1 or to invite me to a meeting, if I can't I'll say "no" or reschedule. Our shared Google Calendar appointments are editable by default, feel free to reschedule. I'm in Europe and for most of my career, I worked with different time zones, primarly us-west, which means a 9hs shift. I learned to work in this environment (async, write, be clear, give context, consistent, etc)... but in some cases meetings are necessary.

Wednesday I work until 12:00 Pacific time (PST), please use my time wisely

Time zones comparison

I like receiving it in any form, at any time.

I like giving it, and it's also part of my role. Always assume the best intentions from me. Giving feedback is hard and takes time, if I do it is because I care about you.

Please be timely with feedback because I'll try to take action asap or enjoy it asap. :)

Complete report

SOCIAL ENERGY

• sociable, communicative, at ease in groups
• Stress Reactions: withdrawal, over-eagerness to please the group

PHYSICAL ENERGY

• enthusiastic, energetic, forceful
• Stress Reactions: edginess, feeling fatigued

EMOTIONAL ENERGY

• practical, logical, objective
• Stress Reactions: detachment, getting discouraged

SELF-CONSCIOUSNESS

• frank and direct, unevasive, matter-of-fact
• Stress Reactions: embarrassment, shyness, over-sensitivity

ASSERTIVENESS

• balance of assertion and discussion, authoritative yet agreeable, moderate in handling authority
• Stress Reactions: becoming argumentative, feelings of intimidation

INSISTENCE

• alert to new ideas, combines initiative with procedure, self-starting but adaptable
• Stress Reactions: resistance to routine, neglect of detail, weakened follow-through

INCENTIVES

• trustful, loyal, service-oriented
• Stress Reactions: becoming distrustful, becoming impractical

RESTLESSNESS

• easy to stimulate, responsive and attentive, adaptive
• Stress Reactions: annoyance at delays, problems with self-discipline, inability to concentrate

THOUGHT

• direct and to-the-point, decisive, matter-of-fact
• Stress Reactions: tendency to over-simplify, fear of making mistakes

It's not my idea... believe me.

• https://hackernoon.com/12-manager-readmes-from-silicon-valleys-top-tech-companies-26588a660afe
• https://medium.com/@kawomersley/why-and-how-to-share-your-manager-readme-plus-heres-mine-8a4fe188ee1b
• https://hbr.org/2017/05/do-you-know-how-each-person-on-your-team-likes-to-work
• https://managerreadme.com/