That’s the million-dollar question, isn’t it? I’ve had the luck of performing several roles throughout my life: I’ve been a daughter, a writer, a startup-investor (less exciting that it sounds), a CEO, CTO, and COO. A software developer. A web designer. I’ve been a freelancer and a so-called entrepreneur. Most of all, however, I think of myself as a builder.

I love to build. To face the challenge of creation. The blank page staring back at me at nights, the unsaved vim document haunting me—challenging me—to code. The empty Sketch canvas daring me to dream.

How do I work?

I’m someone who will never take herself quite seriously, and thus will joke continuously. About 85% of what I’ll say will be said in jest, and the 15% remaining is probably not worth hearing nor considering. Disclaimer: those statistics may be off. And that's part of the fun!

I don’t believe in schedules or, necessarily, in work-life balance, but I do think people should be free to define their priorities and focus on what matters to them.

Family matters, most of the time, and so do friends and hobbies.

Work can always be important, as well. I do my best to immerse myself in whatever I’ve set myself to do and leave nothing on the table, no matter the cost, nor the challenge, as exciting—or unhealthy—as that may be.

I also possess high standards and expectations about things should work, but do my best to hold them only for myself, never judging nor measuring others around them. I believe everyone has plenty to offer, and if I can work with them—learn with them—then we can collaborate and built the kind of amazing things that will make us both proud.

The idea that people should be free to run around—and amok–is important to me, as well. I support others by sharing suggestions, and perchance my vision and insights, but never assuming they my thoughts are the right ones, nor the only ones, and that everyone is welcomed to try their best, battle-testing and learning through their own set of believes and insights. That’s where the learning happen (and the scars form).

I also tend to speak fast—quite fast—in both Spanish and English, which may make someone feel like I'm saying something important and they shouldn't interrupt me. In reality, interruptions are not only welcomed, but encouraged.

Finally, I love healthy discourse. I live for debate, the metaphorical clash of swords casts from arguments and shields forged by words. The more someone forces me to think and learn and grow, the more I’ll cherish our interactions, and look forward to our next skirmish.

When do I work?

I learned a while ago to listen and adapt my work process to what’s more beneficial for my mind, body and attention span (something that may be quite varied as I wield a degree of adult ADHD, which remains mostly under control, even if it means immersing myself in plenty of hobbies).

A while back, that meant working during the nights, having only darkness to call my companion. And pets. Or partners. But let's not digress, nor let them know my priorities in poetic license.

Nowadays, though, I find myself being more productive early in the morning.

I’ve recently updated my schedule to start at 11 AM PET and end at 8 PM PET, due to me wanting to use some early time to work on some personal projects, but take those “start” and “end” qualifiers as loosely-defined ones, as I’m most of the time still starting way earlier and ending up somewhat later as well.

I do try my best to remain available 24/7 of the time, for whatever the reason, for as long as I’m around. And I tend to be around. However, expect a somewhat extended delay if reaching out to me past 10 PM or during weekends or holidays.

How do I prefer to work?

I almost always prefer working remotely. I have been doing it for the past twenty-two years, starting when I was thirteen and never really stopping.

Because of that, I prefer async communication through Slack or email (I check it almost every 5 minutes), but calls are ok if you think that’d create some value or you work better that way.

I really dislike meetings but have learned to work around them.

What do I value?

Here are some of the things I believe in, albeit this list won't be definitive nor complete:

Problems belong to anyone, and anyone can help in solving them, regardless of their experience level or role.
Asking questions is great. Asking informed questions is even better.
Rules exist to create frameworks and to abstract reality. They should never be considered as black and white statements, and the best things tend to happen when we learn to bend them for good.
Execution trumps ideas. Well-intended ideas trump almost everything else.
When in doubt, err towards goodness. This choice will affect us. Endanger us. Experience has taught me it may lead us into a brittle path, or throw us into an unfair situation, where every step may be rocky and hard. That’s all right. We can take it, as long as there was a good intention behind it, and we’ve tried our best. Things tend to solve themselves, somehow, and a good deed, even if punished, still can go a long way to help others.
As the Doctor said: “Never be cruel nor cowardly. Never give up. Never give in. […] Remember — hate is always foolish… and love is always wise. Always try to be nice and never fail to be kind”
We should strive to do our best, at any time, regardless of the circumstance, situation, or context. It’s one way of showing others we care about them, and how (and why) they matter to us. It’s also one way to see how what we do, what we build, matters to ourselves.
Empathy is key. Being able to walk in other people’s shoes, of recognizing our privileges and how our individual life paths led us to where we stand now, and how not everyone has had the same luck, or opportunities, is important to understand how and why others behave as they do, and how to grow and adapt to interact with them.
Taking care of others is almost always more important than taking care of ourselves. But, as the airlines have taught us, we need to breathe and have our oxygen first to better serve them, so prioritize accordingly.
My values, how I think, and how I see the world have led me to some believes that apply only to me. I try really hard not to measure others based on them, for that’d be unjust.

What do I love?

So many things, perhaps too many to list, but here are some of them.

I love creating. I love building cool stuff, the kind that arrive dangling challenges so out of reach that only years of effort would get us near to accomplishing them. But also the ones that show us chasms can be crossed, and dragons can be defeated, and when they are—and they will—they will fill us with the most excitement a person can experience, as we emerge victoriously.

I love reading. Mostly anything, but mainly fiction. I love being able to walk and swim and dream in worlds and universes other minds have created. Stories are perhaps the most advanced kind of technology we have devised as human-beings, with the power to connect us, so closely and perfectly, to each other.

But most of all, I love writing. Picking one word among others, but not just anyone. Choosing the right one—le mot juste. The one that surfaced above any other word that could have possibly be used, and raised up to the challenge. And the adventure of then doing that process again.

And again.

Basting one after the other until there’s something new looking back at us from where nothing existed before.

Words carry power and can change minds. Or create pain.

Writing gives us both the responsibility and the key to creation, of building ideas and sharing dreams. But also nightmares, so care is always important. There’re few things more powerful than words. Except for perhaps the Super Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann.

And lastly, what do I expect?

For you to have fun.
For us to learn and work together, forging bonds that’d help us better understand who we are, and how to best support each other.
For you to have someone you can trust, and grow with, even if that person is not me.

Final instructions

As just another person currently stranded on this pale blue dot, any of the things stated above (except, perhaps, for my values and beliefs) may change and shift and evolve as time goes, so never be afraid to ask if you think something I’m doing says differently.

I can promise I’ll do by best to help, and share what I know and what I have, adapting to the situation, and being as open as I can be. So never feel limited to act and live and work in different ways. In your owns.

And I’ll always cherish them, for they would be true.