Tag: engineering talent LATAM

Careers Blog, Engineering

Are You Growing as an Engineer—or Just Closing Tickets?

The Question That Never Appears in the Sprint

Some weeks, you complete ten tickets, reduce the backlog, and join every daily stand-up with an impressive list of accomplishments. From the outside, everything suggests that you are growing. Yet, at the end of the sprint, an uncomfortable question may remain: Am I becoming a better engineer, or have I simply learned to work faster?

The difference is not always reflected in Jira, pull request counts, or logged hours. Growth in software engineering means developing judgment, understanding problems more deeply, and improving the quality of the decisions you make before writing a single line of code.

Completing More Tickets Does Not Always Mean Moving Forward

Tickets are necessary. They organize work, distribute responsibilities, and turn product needs into concrete actions. The problem begins when they become the only measure of an engineer’s contribution.

You can complete a large number of tasks without understanding the system, questioning decisions, or participating in problem definition. You can also close fewer tickets while eliminating a recurring source of failure, improving an architecture, or helping the team make a decision that prevents months of rework.

The Shift May Look Like This

  • Before: You receive a predefined solution and implement it.
  • After: You investigate the problem and propose alternatives.
  • Before: You fix the same type of issue repeatedly.
  • After: You identify and eliminate the root cause.
  • Before: You optimize only your own delivery.
  • After: You improve the entire team’s ability to deliver.

Sign 1: You Are Asking Better Questions

A growing engineer does not necessarily have every answer. They have better questions. Before beginning a task, they ask who needs the functionality, what behavior is expected, which constraints exist, and what might happen when the system scales.

As you grow, you stop asking only, “How should I implement this?” and begin asking, “Why are we building this?”, “What risk are we accepting?” and “Is there a simpler solution?” That transition shows that you are moving from executing instructions to exercising technical judgment.

Sign 2: You Understand the Impact, Not Just the Code

Software development creates value when it solves real problems. An API is not simply a collection of endpoints. It may be the infrastructure that allows someone to access healthcare, complete a payment, manage their finances, or find a professional opportunity.

Growth means understanding the connection between code, product, and user. When you understand the desired outcome, you can make better decisions about performance, accessibility, security, maintainability, and user experience. Your code stops being an isolated deliverable and becomes an intentional part of the product.

Sign 3: You Think in Systems and Consequences

Speed may make you efficient, but systems thinking makes you dependable. A more mature engineer considers how a change may affect other layers of the application, which dependencies it introduces, and what its operational cost could be six months from now.

Technical maturity also requires recognizing trade-offs. There is no perfect architecture and no technology that is right for every context. There is only a decision that is appropriate for a specific problem, supported by clear assumptions and a thoughtful understanding of its consequences.

Growing as an Engineer in the Age of AI

This distinction has become even more important in an environment where producing code is increasingly fast. AI tools can accelerate implementation, documentation, testing, and debugging, but they do not automatically provide product understanding, architectural judgment, or accountability.

Producing more code does not guarantee that teams are building better systems. The real advantage appears when engineers use technology to strengthen their capabilities: reducing repetitive work, testing assumptions faster, improving feedback loops, and dedicating more attention to the decisions that require human context.

Community Accelerates the Growth Tickets Cannot Measure

Nobody becomes an exceptional engineer entirely on their own. Pair programming, code reviews, mentoring, and architecture conversations reveal blind spots that rarely become visible when the only goal is completing a task.

A developer may remember for years the person who taught them to investigate an incident without looking for someone to blame, justify a technical decision, or write code review feedback with empathy. That kind of learning strengthens a developer community and creates a technology culture in which knowledge is not accumulated by a few people. It circulates.

Lessons That Demonstrate Real Growth

  • Explain a decision without hiding behind technical jargon.
  • Receive feedback without turning the conversation into a personal defense.
  • Review code in search of clarity, not superiority.
  • Document knowledge to reduce dependency on specific individuals.
  • Share context before presenting conclusions.

Technical Leadership Begins Before the Title

Technical leadership does not begin when someone receives the title of Tech Lead. It begins when a person improves the quality of team conversations, shares relevant information, and helps others move forward without trying to control every decision.

It also appears when someone acknowledges that they do not know something, asks for support early, or protects the team from a seemingly fast solution that could create unnecessary technical debt. Leadership is not proving that you are the smartest person in the meeting. It is increasing the collective capability of the team.

The Strength of LATAM Talent in Global Technology

LATAM talent is participating in a global technology industry that continues to expand rapidly. Across the region, engineers are contributing to open-source ecosystems, developing global platforms, scaling infrastructure, and solving complex problems for organizations around the world.

This momentum did not appear overnight. The continued growth of developer communities in countries such as Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, Mexico, Costa Rica, Chile, Peru, and Guatemala demonstrates that software development in Latin America is not a peripheral trend. It is becoming an increasingly important force within the global technology economy.

Nearshore Should Not Mean Working From the Periphery

For years, part of the conversation around nearshore software development focused primarily on cost efficiencies, compatible time zones, and operational convenience. While these factors remain relevant, they do not fully explain the value that Latin American engineers bring to international products.

Global teams do not simply need professionals who are available during convenient working hours. They need engineers who can understand complex contexts, communicate clearly, challenge assumptions, adapt quickly, and take ownership of outcomes. That is where the creativity, resilience, and continuous learning demonstrated by LATAM talent become a strategic advantage.

How to Measure Growth Without Relying on the Backlog

To determine whether you are growing, observe the problems you can now address, the conversations in which you participate, and the amount of context you need to make a responsible decision. Consider whether your work reduces uncertainty, makes other people more effective, and improves the long-term sustainability of the system.

A valuable practice is to review your progress every quarter. Do not measure only the technologies you learned or the tickets you completed. Ask yourself which decisions you can make today that you would have delegated six months ago, which mistakes you have stopped repeating, and how many people you helped develop a new skill.

Technical Growth Checklist

  • Do I understand the business behind the product more clearly?
  • Can I explain the trade-offs behind my decisions?
  • Do I identify risks before they become incidents?
  • Do I help other developers work more effectively?
  • Am I solving increasingly ambiguous problems?
  • Does my work leave the system in a better condition?

Building a Culture Where Engineers Can Grow

At Mismo, we believe a career in engineering should not become an endless sequence of tasks. Growth happens when engineers from different countries can share experiences, collaborate with global teams, and contribute to products whose impact extends far beyond their own region.

In a culture built around genuine collaboration, developers feel valued not only for what they deliver, but also for the questions they ask, the knowledge they share, and the way they help others grow. That is the kind of community we continue to strengthen: close, diverse, technically ambitious, and deeply human.

We Are Building What Comes Next

The future of engineering will not necessarily belong to those who generate the most lines of code or close the most tickets. It will belong to those who can transform technology into responsible solutions, understand complex systems, collaborate across differences, and continue learning even as tools and frameworks change.

We are a generation of developers across Latin America building the future from different cities, cultures, and experiences. Growth means recognizing that power, sharing it with others, and using every project not only to deliver software, but to become the engineers the global technology industry needs.

Careers Blog, Talent Spotlight

Matías Marenchino: Where AI Becomes Impact

Mismo thrives on the strength of its exceptional team. We provide top-tier remote software development teams that seamlessly integrate with companies worldwide, driving exceptional results. Many organizations have partnered with Mismo to augment their development capabilities and achieve their technology goals.

At the heart of these successful teams are the talented individuals who make Mismo what it is. We’re committed to celebrating our remarkable employees and their invaluable contributions to our company culture. Our employee spotlights showcase the genuine relationships we’ve forged with team members and clients, highlighting their dedication and the positive impact they have on our collaborative environment.

 

  • Tell us a little about yourself: Hi, I’m Matias. I’m originally from Córdoba, Argentina, and I’ve been part of Mismo for almost five years. As an MLOps Engineer, my primary focus is supporting our data scientists and helping them seamlessly deploy their machine learning models into production. Outside of work, I’m the proud parent of two wonderful kids, and I enjoy spending my free time playing padel.
  • What initially attracted you to engineering and how have you found inspiration in this career? My journey into engineering actually began with a passion for mathematics. While studying math, I took a Numerical Analysis course that involved programming, and I quickly discovered how much I enjoyed it. That experience sparked my interest in engineering, and today, I find inspiration in the simple yet powerful ability to use technology to solve complex, real-world problems.

  • What innovation or technical advancement have you been a part of that you consider to have made a milestone in your engineering field? One of the milestones I’m most proud of has been designing and implementing robust pipelines that bring machine learning models into production. These models are often developed by data scientists who are exceptionally skilled in their field but may not have extensive software engineering experience. Building the infrastructure that transforms their work into stable, scalable, production-ready services is both a rewarding technical challenge and a meaningful way to create real-world impact.
  • What made you choose Mismo? I was originally drawn to Mismo because of its fantastic atmosphere. It’s a place filled with warm, welcoming people who are always genuinely willing to support one another and help wherever they can.
  • How would you describe the work environment at Mismo? With 20 years of professional experience, I can honestly say that Mismo has the best work environment I have ever been a part of.
  • What learning and development opportunities have you had at Mismo and how have you utilized these opportunities to grow as a professional? I have always been a highly self-taught person, so rather than relying primarily on formal training resources, my greatest learning opportunity at Mismo has been my team. The collaborative environment allows me to continuously learn from my peers and grow professionally by working through day-to-day challenges together.
  • What aspects of working at Mismo’s engineering team make you proud and motivate you in your daily tasks? What makes me most proud and keeps me motivated every day is the team’s unwavering willingness to support one another. Knowing that I have such a supportive group behind me makes all the difference in my day-to-day work.
  • How do you believe the company and engineering can positively impact the world, people’s lives, and make a difference in their respective industries? Engineering certainly has the power to make a positive impact on the world, although the extent of that impact depends greatly on the projects we choose to pursue. Especially today, with the rapid advancement of AI and the uncertainty surrounding where these technologies may lead, it is essential that we focus on building responsible, reliable solutions that serve a meaningful and practical purpose.
  • What Mismo policies or practices have helped you improve your work-life balance? Since I work primarily as a contractor, my work-life balance is largely influenced by the specific projects and expectations set by each client. However, Mismo’s supportive environment and understanding of this dynamic help me navigate those requirements effectively while maintaining a healthy balance.
  • What inspiring advice would you give to someone considering a career in engineering or looking to join a company like Mismo? My advice is simple but essential: study hard, work hard, and always be willing to help your colleagues. Technical skills may open doors, but teamwork and mutual support are what build a successful, meaningful, and fulfilling career over the long term.

  • What tools or technologies do you use most frequently in your daily work as an engineer at Mismo? My day-to-day work revolves heavily around Python development. To orchestrate and manage data workflows, I regularly use tools such as Airflow, Snowflake, and Databricks. More recently, we have also begun leveraging AI tools like Claude and Gemini to enhance our workflows and improve productivity. 
Careers Blog, Talent Spotlight

Beyond Hiring: Gabriel Hernández’s Impact at Mismo

Mismo thrives on the strength of its exceptional team. We provide top-tier remote software development teams that seamlessly integrate with companies worldwide, driving exceptional results. Many organizations have partnered with Mismo to augment their development capabilities and achieve their technology goals.

At the heart of these successful teams are the talented individuals who make Mismo what it is. We’re committed to celebrating our remarkable employees and their invaluable contributions to our company culture. Our employee spotlights showcase the genuine relationships we’ve forged with team members and clients, highlighting their dedication and the positive impact they have on our collaborative environment.

  • Tell us a little about yourself: Hi! I really enjoy connecting with people and bringing positive energy. I consider myself a curious person, so I’m always eager to learn new things. 
  • What initially attracted you to your job (what you currently do in the Ops Team) and how have you found inspiration in what you do? I would say it’s the opportunity to work closely with people and be part of something that’s constantly evolving. I appreciate that it isn’t just one repetitive task, but a dynamic environment where you need to think, adapt, and collaborate.
    What truly keeps me inspired is the impact you can have on someone’s life. Sometimes you don’t fully realize it, but a job change can completely transform a person’s situation—their growth, confidence, and even their personal life.
    What initially attracted me to recruitment was my background in psychology and my passion for helping people. I enjoyed supporting individuals with their mental health, and I saw recruitment as another way to make a positive impact by helping people find fulfilling opportunities while assisting companies in building strong teams. The opportunity to connect talented individuals with companies where they can thrive has been incredibly rewarding. Additionally, seeing the impact of my work on both candidates and organizations continues to inspire me to strive for excellence in what I do.

 

  • What innovation or achievement have you participated in that you consider to be a milestone in your professional career? One achievement I consider a major milestone in my career was improving how I approach finding and connecting with talent. Instead of simply following a traditional process, I began focusing on being more intentional with my outreach, gaining a deeper understanding of people, and building genuine connections.
    I also had the opportunity to work on a recruitment project in Japan that marked a pivotal moment in my career. Immersing myself in a new culture not only expanded my professional horizons but also deepened my passion for this work. Exploring the intricacies of Japanese business practices sparked a strong interest in cross-cultural learning and reinforced my belief in the transformative power of understanding and respecting diverse perspectives. This experience enriched my role as a recruiter, highlighting the importance of cultural sensitivity and adaptability in building successful connections between candidates and companies from different backgrounds.


  • What made you choose Mismo? The people and the environment. From the beginning, it felt like a place where you can truly be yourself while collaborating and growing at the same time.
    I also appreciate that it’s a fast-paced environment where you’re constantly learning and being challenged, while still feeling supported by the team. That balance has made a big difference for me. It doesn’t feel like just another job—it feels like a place where I can develop and genuinely enjoy the process.
    I was drawn to Mismo because of its nurturing culture, strong emphasis on mental well-being, impressive clientele, and supportive work environment. Here, employees are not just valued but celebrated; collaboration is not only encouraged but deeply ingrained. The diversity of clients also brings stimulating challenges. It’s a place where personal and professional growth naturally come together, making every day a rewarding experience. 
  • How would you describe the work environment at Mismo? A fast-paced environment where you’re constantly learning and being challenged, while still feeling supported by the team.
    At Mismo, the work environment is exceptional. The supportive atmosphere encourages collaboration and personal growth. The HR team goes above and beyond to ensure employee well-being, while strong leadership provides clear guidance and fosters a positive culture. Being part of such a dynamic team also pushes you to grow and continuously strive for excellence, making it an ideal place to flourish both personally and professionally. 
  • What learning and development opportunities have you had at Mismo and how have you utilized these opportunities to grow as a professional? I’ve had the opportunity to learn a great deal through hands-on experience and by working closely with different people across the team. Being in a fast-paced environment has pushed me to adapt quickly, improve my communication, and be more intentional in how I approach my work.
    I’ve also learned to embrace feedback and day-to-day challenges as opportunities for growth, rather than obstacles.
    At Mismo, I’ve been fortunate to benefit from coaching sessions with both my leader and colleagues, which have been instrumental in my professional development. These sessions have provided personalized guidance and feedback, helping me refine my skills, overcome challenges, and set achievable goals. Additionally, collaborating with colleagues through peer coaching has encouraged knowledge sharing and mutual support, fostering a culture of continuous learning and growth.


  • What aspects of working at Mismo’s Ops Team make you proud and motivate you in your daily tasks? What makes me feel proud is being part of a team that truly supports one another and works toward a common goal. It’s clear that people genuinely care about doing things well and creating a positive environment. What motivates me day to day is knowing that even the small things I do contribute to something bigger—whether it’s helping things run more smoothly or supporting others. Being surrounded by driven and positive people also pushes me to keep improving and bring my best every day.
    Our collaborative efforts, innovative mindset, and supportive leadership create an environment where every task becomes an opportunity to make a meaningful impact. Knowing that our work directly contributes to the success of the organization fills me with pride and inspires me to give my best effort each day.


  • How do you believe the company and engineering can positively impact the world, people’s lives, and make a difference in their respective industries? By continuing to focus on people, both internally and externally. When you create opportunities, support growth, and connect the right people with the right paths, you’re not just impacting a business—you’re impacting lives.
    As a recruitment company, Mismo has a unique opportunity to positively impact individuals’ lives while contributing to the success of companies. Through our work, we’re able to match talented individuals with opportunities that align with their skills, passions, and aspirations. By helping candidates find fulfilling roles, we empower them to pursue meaningful careers and achieve their professional goals, ultimately enhancing their quality of life.
    At the same time, our role in helping companies build their teams allows us to support organizations in achieving their objectives and driving innovation. By sourcing top talent and facilitating successful hires, we contribute to the growth and success of businesses, helping them thrive in their respective industries. 
  • What Mismo policies or practices have helped you improve your work-life balance? I appreciate special activities and team meetings on different occasions, as they help break the routine and create a more balanced and enjoyable environment. Along with that, there’s a general understanding that people have lives outside of work, which makes it easier to stay motivated and bring positive energy every day.
    One of the standout policies at Mismo that greatly supports my work-life balance is the company’s approach to accommodating holidays and time zones relevant to my country whenever possible. This policy acknowledges the diverse backgrounds and needs of employees, allowing me to better align my work schedule with important local holidays and time zone differences. 
  • What inspiring advice would you give to someone considering a career in Ops or looking to join a company like Mismo? Be open to learning and stay adaptable. Environments like this move fast, so having the right mindset and a willingness to grow makes a big difference.
    Also, don’t underestimate the value of being genuine and building real connections with people. Skills are important, but your attitude, energy, and how you collaborate with others can truly set you apart.
    Finally, trust the process. You won’t have everything figured out from the beginning, but if you stay consistent and open, you’ll find your way and create opportunities for yourself.
    Joining a company like Mismo presents a unique opportunity for both personal and professional growth. It offers a dynamic environment where each day brings new challenges and opportunities to innovate. The strong emphasis on collaboration fosters a supportive culture where teamwork is valued, and you’ll have the chance to work alongside talented colleagues who are passionate about making a difference. 
  • What tools or technologies do you use most frequently in your daily work at Mismo? I regularly use a variety of tools to stay organized, communicate effectively, and manage my daily tasks. I’ve also been incorporating AI tools into my work, particularly to improve efficiency, streamline certain processes, and refine how I approach different tasks.
    For me, these tools are about enhancing the way I work rather than replacing it. I still prioritize being intentional and thoughtful in everything I do, but leveraging technology allows me to be more productive and deliver stronger results.