Meet The Clouders – Digital Nomad Special

Welcome to our ‘Meet The Clouders’ series. Today, we’ll be talking to our Product Delivery Manager, Firuza Harunova.

In her professional life, Firuza spends her time working with clients to define and build their software products. She’s largely focussed on agile product delivery but she also manages product discovery and strategy. She is passionate about building products that bring real value to users and also meet business outcomes, which is why she places a strong emphasis on conducting continuous discovery at all stages of the product process – tied closely to strategic goals.

Outside work, Firuza is also a very keen traveler. Recently, she’s visited South East Asia – Indonesia, Vietnam and Singapore.

Today we’ll be having a chat about her life in and out of work.

• So let’s start with Product Delivery Management at 10Clouds. What have been your highlights?

I like that the position of a Product Delivery Manager is so versatile. PDMs at 10Clouds have a wide skill set and are able to manage both the product and process sides of software product development. We’re not just focussed on product delivery, but also on making sure that the products we work on bring true value to our clients and their end users. We do this by conducting extensive discovery phases at the beginning of development as well as continuous discovery after the product is live.

I’m currently working on an exciting project, in which we’re building the MVP of a stock trading platform on which purchased stocks can be withdrawn as cryptographic tokens on the ETH network. It’s well defined and validated, and both client and the 10Clouds team have a true go-getter attitude – which makes working on it a pleasure!

• What is it about the 10Clouds culture that most appeals to you?

10Clouds has a culture that closely corresponds with my personal values. The company places an emphasis on freedom, flexibility and autonomy – which are great when it comes to thriving in the workplace and also making the most of your free time. We can work from anywhere and also adjust our working hours; there is no micromanagement. Of course, with all this freedom, the company also expects responsibility and effectiveness from its staff – and it’s a formula that really works!

• And now tell us a bit about working while traveling.

Well, I won’t lie and say that it’s all rosy. During traveling I usually move around a lot to explore a country or region better, and this requires extra focus and discipline to adjust to each environment over and over again. Also time zone differences can be a real challenge – that happened to me during my recent trip to SouthEast Asia. But nevertheless, it’s worth going for such an opportunity – the possibility to explore the world is priceless!

• What has been your favorite country that you’ve visited?

It is hard to mention just one – I fell in love with different countries for different reasons. But my top three would probably be the three I’s: Indonesia, India and Italy – all of them are so different and I really want to go back and explore more. (Ohh, and I also want to mention Vietnam, but it will be too many!)

• What advice would you give to anyone considering the digital nomad lifestyle?

I would advise that you start with shorter trips to test how you feel and how you manage your work. It’s important to find a good balance between exploring the place you’ve traveled to and staying productive. Also, don’t underestimate the power of poor internet – double check the strength of the WiFi in your accommodation, but don’t rely on it. Have a backup plan (e-sim card etc.)

Another piece of advice would be to stay in co-living accommodation or join co-working places even if you live elsewhere – you’ll get the chance to meet other digital nomads and build a good network of professionals and travel companions. Last but not least, even if it’s hard, try to set yourself a routine which includes physical activity, reading/journaling and scheduling calls with people you’re close to – this will help you to feel more grounded and less overwhelmed during your trips.

Thank you Firuza.

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