Lessons
One sentence from each Once a Dwarf story, copied as it was said, grouped by the question it answers.
Craft
If you knew then what you know now, how would you get good at the work faster?
Once you develop a product, it should come with long-term value.
This gave me more opportunities to learn since all our projects were brand new.
If you've practiced with a language and still don't enjoy it or find joy in it, don't force yourself to use it.
When you hit a problem, find where its core is and solve that, instead of getting tangled up fixing the side things that miss the point.
I realized that I always set my own standards for QA engineering work, rather than simply achieving customer requirements.
Guessing is often worse, because it guesses with full confidence.
Turns
If you knew then what you know now, how would you pick your path, and when would you change it?
As long as their goal and mine are the same, we're good to go.
What you want to do as a career should be based on your interest, not what others think.
The more something scares you, the more it can teach you.
Starting a bit late is okay, as long as you have the will to make it happen.
Can we commit to it for the long term?
Give yourself the chance to try out everything until you find something you wouldn't trade the world for.
People might mistake what they are fond of and their natural gift.
When I graduated, I was unsure about my direction, but mentors with experience advised me on my career development, which helped me a lot.
Leading
If you knew then what you know now, what would you do differently leading people?
Young members need guidance and advice to orient their path, while seniors need goals to pursue.
The clearest sign that you're working with a Senior is the sense of comfort they provide.
I believe the key role of a Team Lead in a project is not to excel in everything personally but to leverage the strengths of team members to collectively achieve excellent results.
Instead of just assigning tasks to me and letting me figure things out on my own, they mentored and guided me on what I needed to learn in order to complete those tasks.
He shoulders the pressure alone in his role as a leader, and he always protects his team in his own unique way.
Learning
If you knew then what you know now, how would you learn, and how would you find mentors?
I am not afraid to make mistakes in my company.
Rather than treating me as just a mentee, they consider me a real peer
The more in-depth your knowledge, the more your peers will trust you.
I talked to product builders during networking sessions instead of just researching it as I did before.
when in doubt, reach out to Dwarves Team for support
Thanks to the writing experiences and continuous feedback, my writing skills have gotten better as well.
I'm normally ready to jump and find a more suitable environment when my job becomes too boring or I don't learn much.
Watching my mentor optimize code taught me more than weeks of remote tutorials could have.
How we work
If you knew then what you know now, how would you run your days and your team's habits?
We don't make a decision just because a lot of people vote for it.
Working from home allows you to have time for yourself and still get things done.
What matters is self-motivation and respecting the differences of each individual.
In an environment where mentors, leaders, and seniors are always learning and upgrading themselves, newbies are encouraged to do the same.
I actively shared with Nhut; don't be shy; I'm always ready to assist Nhut so that the team can complete the job as efficiently as possible.
Community
If you knew then what you know now, why would you give back, and how?
I think many people outside of Dwarves, not just ourselves, will benefit from these kind of events.
I think Dwarves' spirit of building up for community partly comes from the company's culture of learning and sharing.
Participating actively in Dwarves Discord community may help me gain this opportunity.
It's not just about the communities created by Dwarves, such as Dwarves Discord and Techie Story, but also about Dwarves members actively participating in other communities.
It is a place where all members are valued and appreciated based on their abilities and contributions.
By listening to and sharing these stories, my hope is to inspire more people.
Life and drive
If you knew then what you know now, what would matter to you beyond work?
To stay motivated, mix in your favorite activity.
I didn't see the destination, because the motivation came from outside, not from within me.
How can I let myself become a loser when I work in an environment where everyone is moving forward and trying their hardest?
It is definitely true, we won't be able to take any wealth with us when we die.
I often joke with my friends that thanks to working at Dwarves, I finally started having a saving account.