Series
Life in Porto Alegre
Seven essays on relocating to Porto Alegre for Dell in late 2010 — first week, Pomodoro and focus, release weekends, OSB/ESB/BPEL learning, remote work and friendship, finding the educator in me, and the transition to RBS.
7 posts in total
Posts in this series, in order
New City, New Code, New Language: My First Week at Dell in Porto Alegre
Navigate the excitement of multinational environments—discover how moving cities, learning enterprise technologies like OSB/ESB/BPEL, and working in English daily creates exponential professional growth
Laser Focus, Pomodoro, and Migrating with Confidence
Master complex migrations through focused execution—discover how Pomodoro technique, small commits, and great mentorship transform overwhelming legacy work into confident, incremental progress
Release Weekend, Automation, and the Value of Real Leadership
Experience deployment excellence through automation and trust—discover how great leadership, digital war rooms, and cultural investment create confident releases without stress
Beyond Java: Learning OSB, ESB and BPEL in the Second Quarter at Dell
Transition from code-first to orchestration thinking—learn how moving from Java to OSB/BPEL changes your mindset from logic-as-code to logic-as-config while enabling teams
Remote Work, Resilience, and the Power of Friendship
Navigate remote work during personal crisis with grace—discover how trust, overcommunication, and genuine friendship create psychological safety that enables productivity through pain
Rescuing the Teacher in Me: Inspired by a Tech Lead Who Builds Others
Rediscover your inner teacher through inspired leadership—learn how great tech leads create space for others to grow, and why sharing what you struggle with creates the most powerful learning
Gratitude and Transition: From Dell to RBS
Navigate career transitions with gratitude and purpose—discover how meaningful work environments shape us, and why leaving well is as important as arriving strong