I've worked remotely/hybrid since 2018. Most of that time, I was either the only or lead dev on the project. I was rarely the subject matter expert.
With no senior colleague to lean on, I spent countless hours researching online, asking dumb questions on Stack Overflow, and experimenting on my own. Would a mentor have sped things up? Absolutely.
But my self-driven research went far deeper than any Slack reply to "how do I do X?" ever could. I learned more, not less.
Not everyone gets that luxury, I know. Often you need to move fast, prove yourself, and asking a colleague is the obvious shortcut.
But here's the thing: every time you ask someone else (be it senior or AI) instead of working through the problem yourself, the knowledge you gain is shallower. The real value of help isn't getting answers. It's not staying stuck and frustrated.
That's exactly why I think AI is the best thing that could happen to juniors. It's always available. It explains complex topics simply. It draws diagrams. It meets you where you are. The old saying still holds: "it's not about the tools you have, but how you use them".
As for remote work, I love it. But it's not for everyone, and that's the hard part for businesses: spotting people who run errands, and postpone everything instead of delivering.
Just few companies do remote well. Most just copy in-office playbook. That doesn't work. Remote demands its own processes - structured check-ins, intentional gatherings, and deliberate time spent with junior teammates to compensate for the missing hallway conversations.
Remote work is harder than office work. Not technically, but socially and operationally. It exposes every management gap.
If your remote setup isn't working, don't default to "see you in the office." Audit your processes first. Because that same wall will hit you in the office too - you just won't see it as clearly.
Office doesn't fix bad management. It just hides the symptoms.
I’m looking for an opportunity at startup or smaller company where I can wear many hats, work in close cooperation with the customers and have big impact on the company/product.
I have an experience working with US clients, being founding engineer and managing engineering teams.
With no senior colleague to lean on, I spent countless hours researching online, asking dumb questions on Stack Overflow, and experimenting on my own. Would a mentor have sped things up? Absolutely.
But my self-driven research went far deeper than any Slack reply to "how do I do X?" ever could. I learned more, not less.
Not everyone gets that luxury, I know. Often you need to move fast, prove yourself, and asking a colleague is the obvious shortcut.
But here's the thing: every time you ask someone else (be it senior or AI) instead of working through the problem yourself, the knowledge you gain is shallower. The real value of help isn't getting answers. It's not staying stuck and frustrated.
That's exactly why I think AI is the best thing that could happen to juniors. It's always available. It explains complex topics simply. It draws diagrams. It meets you where you are. The old saying still holds: "it's not about the tools you have, but how you use them".
As for remote work, I love it. But it's not for everyone, and that's the hard part for businesses: spotting people who run errands, and postpone everything instead of delivering.
Just few companies do remote well. Most just copy in-office playbook. That doesn't work. Remote demands its own processes - structured check-ins, intentional gatherings, and deliberate time spent with junior teammates to compensate for the missing hallway conversations.
Remote work is harder than office work. Not technically, but socially and operationally. It exposes every management gap.
If your remote setup isn't working, don't default to "see you in the office." Audit your processes first. Because that same wall will hit you in the office too - you just won't see it as clearly.
Office doesn't fix bad management. It just hides the symptoms.