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TL;DR
Charles B., a Senior Engineering Manager at Ideaware, shares exclusive insights into managing nearshore development teams for US-based clients. With over 13 years of coding experience and a master’s in Project Management, he reveals the daily realities of leading distributed engineering teams, from strategic alignment with C-level executives to the tools and processes that drive successful product delivery in a fast-paced startup environment.
Get an inside look at the fast-paced day of an engineering manager. Learn about his routine, tools, and experience working at Ideaware.
I’m Charles B, a Software Engineer from Barranquilla, Colombia, with a master’s degree in Project Management and experience working in startups, creating software products, and leading engineering and data teams. I have been coding for over 13 years and want to share my day working with a US-based client as a team member at Ideaware.
What do you do first thing in the morning?
I wake up around 7 am, go to the kitchen, drink a glass of water, and start preparing coffee with cinnamon. Then, I shower, put on comfy clothes, and am ready to go to my office room.
How do you begin your working day?
Not every day is the same, but generally, I join a 30-minute quick preparation call where I sync with other client leaders about different non-engineering projects’ status and discuss the previous day’s results and the priorities for the day. I check my messages: Slack and email (even though we rarely use them to communicate), upcoming meetings, and review our sprint management platform to have an overview of the pending tasks and priorities of the current sprint. I have sessions with other senior leaders, which sometimes could include the CEO at our US-based client, twice a week, to chat about engineering progress and align recent sprint execution with business priorities and expectations.
What are the best things about Ideaware?
Ideaware works with US-based clients with exciting projects, technologies, frameworks, and coding languages. Working with a client is like being part of that company. You get treated as if you were part of the team with no differentiation. Most US-based clients have engineers, designers, quality assurance, and customer support from Ideaware, which is nice because it makes the company diverse and exciting.
What tools do you use to manage your projects?
We use Monday.com integrated with GitHub. Also, the whole company uses Monday.com and has access to their relevant workspaces, so we handle a significant part of the communication related to tasks, epics, and projects through this tool. To get more details, we discuss through Slack and keep the discussion asynchronous, but for deeper conversations, we may have quick syncs through Meets, Zoom, or even Slack Huddles.
What are your current challenges?
My main goal is to lead the construction of a new product that would take this client’s business to a new level. So, my challenge is to fully understand how the industry works from a strategic perspective, help find opportunities that could leverage technology, build the team for it, and manage the whole process.
What is the most exciting thing that has happened to you while working at Ideaware?
I could mention a number of them, but I think the main ones for me have been coworking parties organized by Ideaware and a trip to San Francisco, which the client sponsored for team building.
On the one hand, Ideaware recognizes the importance of human connections and encourages them in different ways; one of them is organizing fun parties and getting the whole company into an in-person experience.
On the other hand, in my case, the client wanted to meet me in person to help me build a stronger relationship with other leaders, so they invited me to spend a week working in San Francisco and with other teammates from the US. Working at Ideaware, we frequently make trips to clients based in the United States.
Key Takeaways for Engineering Leaders
Leadership Insights:
- Engineering managers in nearshore teams require strong alignment with business priorities and C-level strategic vision
- Successful remote team management balances asynchronous communication with structured synchronous touchpoints
- Cross-functional team diversity (engineering, design, QA, customer support) enhances product development capabilities
Tools and Processes:
- Monday.com integration with GitHub streamlines project management and communication workflows
- Slack for detailed discussions with quick Meets/Zoom syncs for complex topics maintains team velocity
- Regular sprint reviews and business alignment sessions ensure engineering priorities match company objectives
Career Development:
- Engineering management in nearshore companies offers unique opportunities to work directly with US-based clients
- Leadership roles involve strategic business understanding beyond technical management
- International travel and team-building opportunities enhance professional growth and client relationships
Why Choose Ideaware for Engineering Leadership?
Since 2010, we’ve helped US companies scale with top-tier tech talent, not just by filling roles, but by becoming long-term partners in growth.
- We handle sourcing, hiring, onboarding, and retention.
- Start receiving CVs as soon as 48 hours.
- You could meet your new teammate in as little as 8–12 days.
- Our retention rates are 2x the industry average.
Related Resources:
- Smart Strategies for Scaling Tech Teams
- Understanding What Makes Our Workplace Truly Remarkable
- Building Our Most Important Product: Ideaware’s Team Culture
Contact us here to discuss your hiring strategy, and we will get in touch with you within 24 hours or less.
