A software development company created around Seniority: our Developer-Centric approach
In order to build the best digital products and platforms, the most talented engineers must stay hands-on coding
Diego Santillan
Chief Operating Officer
Before we started CloudX six years ago, we felt the software development industry needed a reboot. There was a shift where technology started playing a critical role for many businesses. Back then, having a digital presence was getting more and more relevant for companies from all industries.
We realized that with technology being so critical, software developers had to become the central role, not just the means to an end. However, many software companies were not prioritizing them.
A common practice in many software companies was (and still is) that the typical career path for the most experienced developers to keep growing in these organizations is moving on to management roles. Sometimes, they are forced or not given another choice. This is not a bad thing if that is what they decide. However, many Senior developers probably just want to keep programming.
In consequence, these professionals end up being taken away from hands-on technology activities. Away from what they are best at and most passionate about (and the reason why they started in this industry in the first place).
🔸 How does that make any sense?
Why Senior developers should remain close to coding
If we can highlight one thing we’ve learned in +20 years working in the software development industry is that when it comes to building the best digital products and platforms there is nothing like relying on Senior experts for the job.
It sounds surprising that in the so-called “Digital Transformation” era many talented people in software were actually not coding. We lived it ourselves and, in that context, we came up with the idea of creating a company by developers, for developers.
🔸 Being from tech ourselves, we knew what that looked like.
As Senior Developers, we wanted to be programming again, updated with the latest trends, and doing what we enjoy the most: building the greatest software. We decided to step aside and create a company suited for ourselves and all those Senior developers out there who shared the same feeling. We created a place where we could code again, enjoy what we do and at the same time build valuable products for our clients.
🔸 Sounds cliché, we know. But it worked. We were not the only ones.
This is how we started
Many former Technical Leaders started joining our team to code at CloudX. They felt stagnant in management positions that kept them away from coding. We knew their talent was being wasted so our company offered them the opportunity to keep growing professionally as team leaders while still being able to build software themselves.
🔸 We wanted to be surrounded by the best because it’s what brings the best results.
This is why we founded CloudX as a Developer-centric company. We created a business model where the most experienced engineers could add the most value to the projects and clients without leaving coding behind.
That’s where Senior devs are meant to be. Also, it is what the industry needs: a space where experienced engineers who do not desire to occupy management roles can work on the technical aspects of building software on a daily basis, and become the best in their fields.
That’s the foundation in which we built CloudX as a company. We focused on hiring experienced and talented developers to empower them. Since we started in 2017, our team kept doubling each year until today when we are more than 200 people.
How we add value to our clients
Our Senior engineers at CloudX count on a support system of strong experts for each technology. We think developers are not lonely wolves who work alone and isolated. At CloudX we are all part of a team.
All of our Senior Devs count on a Community Lead to think on ideas and solve a problem. They also share the latest news, talks and trends on each technology or tool with the rest of the team so we all stay updated.
This support system is extremely valuable for our clients because, in their projects, they do not only have Senior developers but a whole team behind them. Therefore, the quality of the solution we deliver is much higher.
🔸 The industry demands high-quality software, which can only be built by highly-talented developers.
Another one of our strengths at CloudX is to assemble autonomous efficient teams. With this structure, we guarantee minimum viable bureaucracy in the projects. Teams can work autonomously and add more value by using lightweight processes, without the need for supervision overhead.
Our Senior developers already have the knowledge, experience and have solved all kinds of obstacles. Besides, they embrace another one of our values: being challenge-motivated when facing any problem ahead. With their more than +10 years of experience, our devs have seen it all and are ready for anything.
Wrapping up
While many software companies were neglecting the importance of Senior software developers, we put them in the center of the equation, recognizing the value of keeping them coding.
Our developer-centric approach at CloudX allowed our experts to excel and continue growing in their technical fields. Besides, by fostering a support system we have also guaranteed high-quality solutions for almost 6 years to our clients, always aiming to be their ideal technology partner.
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