Mindera Yellow Box

Mindera

Tech, business and cultural conversations relating to Mindera and Software Engineering in general

  1. Sep 3

    Mindera Yellow Box S3 E4 – A Decade at Mindera with Diogo Borges

    Standing on Mindera's Yellow Box in this episode is Senior Software Engineer Diogo Borges, who explodes the myth about career development at Mindera, telling Pedro Vicente the story of this journey across the business.  Diogo proves that a career in a company without a traditional ladder is possible through self-management, continuous learning, and adapting to new responsibilities.  Key topics include: Career Evolution and Professional Philosophy Diogo joined Mandera in 2015 when it was a startup. He describes his initial experience as a "shock" that felt like a "social experiment" due to the company's non-hierarchical, flat structure. He emphasises the importance of autonomy, responsibility, and the ability to contribute strategically rather than just fulfilling assigned tasks. Adaptability and Skill Development A central theme is the value of being a "polyglot" developer. Diogo  notes that after a project was defunded in 2017, he was challenged to work with stacks he had never touched, which taught him that fundamentals are more important than specific languages. He recommends focusing on essentials because "frameworks will come and go". Culture and Remote Work Diogo believes that even in a remote-friendly world, face-to-face interaction remains irreplaceable for building strong, long-lasting client relationships. He actively uses techniques to improve virtual connection, such as keeping the camera on and avoiding distracting background effects, to communicate openness and build trust. Hiring and Mentorship Diogo reveals Mandera's "secret sauce" for hiring and scaling and  stresses that mentorship is vital. He loves seeing former interns grow into senior roles and notes that becoming a parent helped him become more disciplined, focused, and efficient with his time. Check out our other podcasts and look out for the next episode, coming soon…

  2. Jul 29

    Mindera Yellow Box S3 E3 – Bridging the Business/Tech Gap with Mafalda Barros

    Standing on Mindera's Yellow Box in this episode is our Business Consulting Lead Mafalda Barros. In discussion with Pedro Vicente, she reveals her approach to bridging the gap between business and technology to deliver solutions that meet client's key goals and objectives.    00:00 - Welcome! 00:53 - Introduction of Mafalda Barros 01:32 - Expanding Service Offerings at Mindera 02:35 - Transition from Software Engineering to Business Consulting 05:31 - The Value of Business Consulting 07:26 - Moving Beyond Slide Decks with Workshops 09:22 - Navigating Human Challenges and Building Trust 15:30 - Retail Moving from Personalization to Immersion 17:52 - Data, Intuition, and the Role of AI Agents 24:09 - Overcoming the Fear of Failure 26:52 - Celebrating Success and Defining the "Mindera Difference" 29:59 - Final Messages   Key topics include: Maf's Approach to Business Consulting: Connecting her background in software engineering with business strategy by using a pragmatic, outcome-focused lens. Rather than relying on generic, rigid frameworks, she emphasises custom solutions tailored to each business's specific characteristics. The Three Pillars of Project Success: Successful project delivery requires looking at a client holistically across three key axes – processes, people, and technology. While business sets the goals and technology enables them, it is ultimately people who make things happen. Navigating Human Challenges: Earning trust quickly and practising full transparency are essential to overcoming scepticism and managing change within an organisation. In business consulting, Barros treats "people" as the most challenging yet most rewarding variable. The Future of Retail and "Immersion": Maf details an upcoming shift from standard hyper-personalisation to an "anticipation era". Supported by AI agents and data, retailers will be able to seamlessly predict and fulfil customer needs before the consumer even consciously recognises them. Data and Intuition: Maf believes data and intuition must coexist in decision-making. While data provides a highly valuable baseline, human intuition and judgment are necessary to adapt to unpredictable external variables like economic shifts or global events. Mindera’s Competitive Advantage: Mindera differentiates itself by offering both business consulting and end-to-end engineering under one roof. Barros describes the team as "suitless consultants" who roll up their sleeves to turn concepts into reality. Final Advice on AI: For companies embracing the AI revolution, Maf's core advice is to explore the technology as much as possible, but "don't forget to be human".   Host: Pedro Vicente Audio & Video: Daniel Andrade Editor: Ian Whiteling Graphics: Catarina Carneiro

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Tech, business and cultural conversations relating to Mindera and Software Engineering in general