Series: Life in Porto Alegre | Part 2 of 7 > Discovering a new city and a new career
There’s something quietly powerful about hitting a rhythm. That flow where your mind stops wandering, distractions fade away, and you’re fully committed to one thing: delivering excellent work. That was my December at Dell.
Pomodoro for Deep Work
Migrating legacy services isn’t glamorous — it’s gritty, intricate, and often filled with subtle traps. In November, I found myself deep into one of these migrations. The domain was new, the stakes were high, and the layers of technology made it a mental marathon. But the strategy that helped me most was time-blocked focus. I turned to Pomodoro Technique — 25-minute bursts of concentration, followed by short breaks.
Pomodoro helped me respect complexity without being overwhelmed by it. By splitting my work into focused intervals, I tackled massive migrations incrementally, validating one change at a time. No rushing, no half-done code — just progress with purpose.
Coaching Makes the Difference
None of this happened in isolation. I had amazing support from my manager, Eduardo Mathias, who kept our priorities sharp, and always encouraged clarity over rush. And our tech lead, Carlos Eduardo Maciel, did what great tech leads do best: asked the right questions, coached through design decisions, and modeled the discipline of shipping well-tested code.
Their mentorship helped me level up. The right conversations at the right time made it easier to make decisions — and gave me room to grow.
Small Commits and Safe Speed
Another technique that worked wonders: small, frequent commits. Every isolated improvement made code review easier, testing safer, and tracking progress transparent. Combined with a balanced test pyramid — from fast-running unit tests to occasional integration checks — I could ship confidently.
// Example of a small, safe change
if (user.hasPermission("EXPORT")) {
exporter.export(user.getData());
}
No drama, no regression, no firefighting. Just reliable movement forward.
Lessons I’m Keeping
After 1.5 months at Dell, I can say this: fast doesn’t mean careless. It means methodical, supported, and deliberate. It means creating a safe environment for quality to emerge naturally — with tools, habits, and people that raise the bar every day.
If you’re facing your own complex project, I highly recommend:
- Try Pomodoro for focused blocks
- Push small commits frequently
- Rely on a test pyramid that protects your flow
- And if you’re lucky like me, learn from people like Matias and Cadu.
Let’s build software that lasts — and enjoy the process while we do it.
Life in Porto Alegre Series Navigation:
- New City, New Code, New Language (Part 1)
- Current: Part 2 - Laser Focus, Pomodoro, and Migrating with Confidence
- Next: Release Weekend, Automation, and the Value of Real Leadership (Part 3)
- Beyond Java: Learning OSB, ESB and BPEL in the Second Quarter at Dell (Part 4)
- Remote Work, Resilience, and the Power of Friendship (Part 5)
- Rescuing the Teacher in Me: Inspired by a Tech Lead Who Builds Others (Part 6)
- Gratitude and Transition: From Dell to RBS (Part 7)
This series documents my move to Porto Alegre and first steps at Dell/Stefanini, exploring the challenges of working in a multinational environment, learning new enterprise technologies and adapting to a new city.
Complete series: Life in Porto Alegre Series