The value of a YES and a NO

Recently, I was contemplating about the decisions we make each day that affects how we spend our time and live our lives — may it be for the short term; like for the week or month, or the long term.

In essence, we're only bound with two options in making a decision; a yes or a no. And as simple as it sound, decision-making is the most challenging thing to do knowing there will always be consequences for the choices we stick into. And there will be no simple answer as we don't know what the future will be like after we've made up our mind.

 

To fully understand the value of a yes, or a no, we have to understand the components of decision-making.

[1] We find ourselves in a situation to make decisions when we're planning something in the future. So planning is therefore a projection as to what could happen beyond the moment — may it be in the next 5mins, the next day, or the next couple of months. The longer timeline (ie. 5year period) we try to plan, the more complex our action-plans become.

[2] We find ourselves in a situation to make decisions when we're thinking of people other than ourselves. So considering others is therefore an assumption that people will somehow be in misery without you being involved in their lives. The more individuals we consider, the more complex our action-plans become.

[3] We find ourselves in a situation to make decisions when we're embracing certain advantage (ie. authority, fame, power, possessions) amongst a group of people. So embracing advantages is therefore an entitlement that you're the one responsible to have the last say.

... so the value of a yes or a no will depend on your projections, assumptions, and level of entitlement.

But remember, a YES is a commitment you have to stand unto in the future. And a yes is cheaper these days due to all the technological advancements — and that's why it easily gets accumulated and piled-up (where most future commitments fall into the cracks of forgetfulness, procrastination, or de-prioritization).

While a NO is a symbol of courage you have to show the moment you say it. And it's very expensive as you won't know how people will take your "no" for an answer.

... so the value of a yes or a no will depend on your dedication to a commitment and the amount of courage you have to stick to your gut. Though one thing is certain — at the end of the day, we're making decisions left-and-right.

Almost a failure, almost

Recently, I had to undergo an episode of life where I am tested, as an individual who lost almost everything I had worked on the past years. From wealth, credibility, principles, and well-being. I almost lost the fight! As stable as I look externally, internally, anxiety and depression hits differently.

... so how did it happened?
It started when I embraced comfort, develop a habit of not thinking in first-principles — and just merely enjoying life, without the thoughts of tomorrow. Got used of bad spending habits thinking my earning will outlast my desire to go "yolo", got used of settling down on what is there without being grateful about it, and got used of time as if I have the luxury of it. In other words, I was living a "wishful-thinking" type of life. Then, my laptop broke, lost my assets kept inside it, had to used a slower machine for my work, freelancing contract ended, went on selling the remaining tangible resource I have, hell breaks loose.

... and what had it taught me?
Reflecting back as to what happened, how it went that way, why the results came out the way it was, I realized that I have gone into the same cycle of life experience I had to overcome circa 2014. It was somewhat a reminder of the past, that came in a total package, delivered in front of my door. And I only knew about it when it was already late — when almost everything was lost, including life.

Searching for answers, I began talking to the people I highly respect and trust, listen to podcasts that talks about self-development, and journaling (a thing I always do in the past). Within the short span of time, I began seeing myself again, recognized the areas I need to work on, and the root cause of the problems I have to worked out. I couldn't be more thankful of these recent happenings in my 30s that has helped me gain a larger perspective in viewing life and everything that comes along with it.

I learned I was still fortunate, for I had people around me providing aid to my needs. These people came to my life in different shapes and form, came from different walks of life, came timely with a purpose. I wouldn't have thought that their existence comes in a great stretch, that they gave importance to my cry for help. And I will forever be grateful to those who didn't turn their backs when I was drowning in miseries.

... and what did it left me?
I get reminded that I was once a goal chaser, an exhibit that some admire and look-up to. A passionate learner with a burning desire to share the lessons I acquired in overcoming life's challenges and the discoveries on things I'm passionate about. A responsible individual who's not afraid to admit when he's wrong, and cleans up his own mess in whatever circumstance possible. A reasonable forward-thinker, that aims to not dwell more of the past but extracts the lessons of it for tomorrow.

I am still a work in progress, but this time, I'm adding more bets to myself more than anyone else. The cycle of life that I've been through didn't kill me, so it'll indeed make me strong. More so, prepares me for a better future with equanimity.

... so what to do now?
Return the favors I got, with interest for the trust given. Pay-up the debts that I owe to those who extended help. Revisit my know-how in trading stocks and crypto, so I could accelerate building a stronger financial foundation. Go back to working full-time and be a service to a company that needs my skill-sets and expertise. Upskill in being a devops engineer. And lastly, be a better father to my kids.

I only failed, but I am not a failure. And learning from failing is the way to go.

Failed but not a failure

Sometimes when you venture out to something that is part of your unknown, you end up losing most of the battles — however gain valuable scars which could then turn into wisdom.

A year ago, I tried my luck in breeding fighting roosters —and in my first year, I failed and burnt a lot of cash in return of the experience. I know for a fact that this venture requires a handful of capital given how high the maintenance cost comes with breeding. However, I was hopeful, idealistically thinking that I could get my way out of the breeder's dilemma in a short time.. and that's where I got it all wrong.

Like every business, there's an unspoken rule which makes a gamefarm last. And that's something I had to decode along the way.. going through each challenges first-hand.. 

... and so I'm sharing what I've learned so far.

• Secure a good location. When I started, I immediately jumped into putting all infrastructure into a land that is not suitable for what I am trying to do. I didn't consider the rental fee knowing I won't be seeing any ROI in approx. 2years. Cutting the story short, I ended up transferring my base camp to a new location (somewhere in the province and into the highlands) and accepted the hard truth that I have to double spend in the upfront cost in putting up the infrastructure.
• Build up your team. Sometimes, the concept of ownership clouds your judgement and you try to delegate "everything" to your team. While it's good to have a level of trust be placed to your people, as the owner, you should see to it that your people are following your standards. Until then, you have to teach your people about your way, and little by little let them earn your trust to act with autonomy. The aim is for everyone to observe those standards religiously as you do.
• Get yourself a mentor. The league you are into is rich in history. Gamefowl breeding/fighting has a ton of patron esp. to countries where this has been part of their culture. There will be someone who you will look-up to, someone who's been in the scene for a while that knows almost all the ins and outs of operating a gamefarm. If there's a way for you to build a bond to those individuals, you'll surely save yourself from the pitfalls through their guidance.
• Act with discipline and acknowledge the temptation. This business highly involves money. And when you get into the game, what you'll notice is that, money easily comes and goes. Betting on your own fighting rooster is one thing, betting and becoming addicted to gambling is another. I am guilty about this as well! It's important that one should be able to distinguish the "act" you're about to commit. Do not get tempted in draining your funds because you can't handle being a bad loser in your gambling activities —its the fastest way to bankruptcy.
• Make sure you have a support system. When things doesn't go your way or luck isn't just in your favor. Your losses will hurt you and sometimes get into your head. Having a group of people, ie. your family, cheer you up does make a difference. A simple "you can do it" or "just bounce back tomorrow" will give you a sense of assurance that someone is looking after you, they care.
• Always look for something to improve. Operating a gamefarm is a continuous progress — it never stops. People will always improve themselves, their winning lines, their infrastructure, their peripherals and tools. If you stick to what you know, you won't be able to reach the higher grounds. So taking risks is essential in this venture. The competition is always "on" day-in day-out.

While I'm still a long way to go in my journey... I'm in a better place now than a year ago.. and I'll continue finding my way into the hall of fame, as the gamefarm I've put-up aims to be a living legacy of my father.

PS: This is only a side-gig, but I'm very passionate about it. I'm still into software engineering and I'm keeping up with all the trends in the tech-space most esp. in the crypto landscape.

RustLang: Learning in-progress

Lately, I've been reading a lot on System Level Programming and tried the different languages available. After all the reading and researching, I am convince that RustLang will standout amongst all.

Learning the basics and knowing the fundamentals, here's a snippet I'm able to come-up for a test activity. Given I am new to Rust, this approach might not be the best — as there are tons of ways to accomplish things in Rust (and this is what's great about it).

If you're also into Rust, how would you approach the 12 Days of Christmas in your code?

Surviving 2021: A year of transformation

Following the hardship of 2020, is another hardship..

The year is about to end and the lessons it brought me are very valuable that I thought of sharing my personal experiences in the hope that it'll empower those who are fighting their hardest battles in life. I'm doing this to inspire people to talk about what they've been through and never be afraid to be seen as someone who is struggling — more so failing. Be the last beacon of hope to your peers, no matter how hard life gets. Happy holidays. Cheers to 2021!

THE WIN

The year 2021 started slow. After my exit in Onerent, I was unemployed for about three months. During that time, I had to sharpen my blade for the craft that I am known for; an engineer. I had to revisit my arsenal to see which aspect of engineering I should polish, rework, and relearn. I remember talking to myself about me being an engineer again and what could I improve; questions like should I stick to being a devops engineer, and work on the tools I already know, and work on systems I already have dealt with? Or should I try something  else, which could or might be useful as the technological landscape evolves? And for you who knew me, I took the path of least resistance (sarcasm). Of course, I studied backend engineering; working on Nodejs and Python framework.

Fast forward. I applied for a job as a backend engineer in a startup company. During this time, I have to accept a pay-cut. But it was a win-situation for me as the position is serving its purpose. It gives me the environment to apply what I have been studying and at the same time, it gives me the room to build that character of "hunger-in-learning" which has been always one of my mantra — testing myself if I can be motivated with the work alone without the cash and most especially that for a while, I was well decorated in my previous job. Within my six months stay with Edamama, I was able to work on the critical infrastructure; like re-working the database to address scalability, Algolia integration via Graphql, and the Product-Discount pricing engine. Add some miscellaneous tasks; like providing mentorship to co-engineers, providing insights to the architectural design, and interviewing talents. Within this short period, I was able to do a lot, being able to impart work as a backend and devops engineer. A self-fulfilling experience.

Last quarters. I applied for a job as a devops engineer in a blockchain company. This realm is totally new to me, but I was eager to learn more about managing and setting up distributed systems. And so with luck, I was accepted and offered a contract. The work I'm doing here is totally new for me — which makes it really exciting. The moral-courage of wanting to learn new things has led me to the uncharted water of blockchain(s) and I couldn't be more grateful!

THE LOST

While I was unemployed for three months, I used up my savings to survive the day-to-day. The hard earned money I put into the stock-market has been affected by the market crash. I've maxed out my credit limit to sustain other necessities. Out of desperation, thinking to be at least be cashflow positive for the end of the year (and with the interest of becoming a poker player), I joined and lost in online betting.

Overall, I am at break-even for this year. And most lost, lean towards the monetary aspect. With some factors of bad-decision making.

THE LESSON

Discipline and patience is essential in dealing with hardships. Be disciplined enough to not add more to what is lost, and be patient enough to re-accumulate. Don't be so hasten for things to materialize, wait until you see yourself deserving of what is to be gained. 

What's lost is lost. One has to make better decisions next time. 

Sacrifice something of value, to gain value. I may have lost a good portion of what I've acquired during the past years, but in return, I have the knowledge that I need to prosper in the years ahead. The transformation out from these short-comings is more valuable than what I've lost. 

Always have vigor to push through the day. There's always tomorrow, you'll see.

Resolving Nodejq Enoent

Recently, I was working on a NodeJs project in which I opt to use node-jq. While everything works locally, when I deployed the application on an AWS Linux 2 instance, I couldn't get it working by just running npm install.

At first, when you run the npm install command, you won't get any error and if you're installing the latest release, it will show that it exists in the node_modules. However, as you run your application, you'll bump into an error like this:

Error: spawn /home/ec2-user/app/node_modules/node-jq/bin/jq ENOENT

   at Process.ChildProcess._handle.onexit    (node:internal/child_process:282:19)
   at onErrorNT (node:internal/child_process:480:16)

Initially, I thought, I had installed it in my local using the -g (global) param. So I tried to install it in the instance globally — and no luck. Clearing the npm cache didn't help as well.

Going back into the node-jq documentation, it says "By default, node-jq downloads jq on the installation process (when you run npm install node-jq). Downloads the binaries according to your OS."

And that was the clue! Manually checking if jq is installed tells me that running npm install node-jq didn't download the jq package.

As a solution, I opt to manually install the package by running yum install jq and creating a symlink to the path where it's reading the node-jq module.

$ which jq

$ mkdir node_modules/node-jq/bin

$ ln -s /usr/bin/jq /home/ec2-user/app/node_modules/node-jq/bin/jq

Leading, not as a captain but as a shipwright

It's always been the case that people always wanted to become the best, but sometimes, they look-up to the wrong persona, wanting to be the best. Before having a desire of becoming the best, ask yourself "the best of what?". That way, you're certain who you wanna become and your whys will align with what you're doing.

I see myself as a builder, someone who loves crafting, engineering, tinkering of anything that interest me. I didn't have a formal education, so it's important for me to have in-depth hands-on experience so I can learn a thing — and sometimes, it becomes so expensive because it's an investment you put into yourself over time — and as they say, time is the most precious resource you have in the world. However, in return, you'll know things pretty well, more than what's common to most. And this is where specialization is honed and mastery is solidified!

If you're following One Piece, you've probably heard about the King of Pirates, Gol D. Roger. Behind his success is Tom, a shipwright known for his craft. If it wasn't for the masterpiece he built for Roger, the now known pirate king wouldn't be able to conquer the vast seas of the Grand Line.

Tom built some of the best sea transportation vessels, one is Oro Jackson, the ship of the Roger Pirates. Tom's work on Oro Jackson, The Sea Train, and the blueprint of Pluton is a testament to his craftsmanship, and his persona is definitely one I admire the most.

Why Tom?

• because he doesn't want anything aside from being able to build something that he can call his. He sticks to what he is passionate about.
• because he maintains a low profile, even though he knows that his mastery could give him a fortune.
• because he doesn't brag about what he has done, but the people who knew his accomplishments knows that he's one-of-a-kind, and this is how he gained those people's respect.
• because he doesn't keep his knowledge to himself and taught everything he knows to his apprentice. Who now became great shipwright themselves (Franky and Iceburg).
• because he didn't want any of the fame, and rather pursue self-fulfillment from his work.
• because he is committed to quality and excellence — and challenges his abilities to the extreme, aka leading himself.

If there is one person responsible for Roger's success, it would be Tom. He's the one who put Roger onto the map! And surely, his work is worth more than the Pirate King's bounty.

Success is what we define it. Some find it by attaining money, fortune, and fame. Some find it by acquiring skills, mastery, and specialization. Whatever you're up to, be successful in what you're doing!

Rekindle: Passion and Addiction

Today marks a new beginning.

The year 2020 has been crazy, one of a kind! It brought people to their knees, and it showed people why it's important to live, and not just merely exist. The struggle it brings due to the economic crisis and business closures truly gave people a glimpse of chaos and mayhem. The hunger it brings due to unemployment and lockdown exposed people's character and priorities.

I am one of the fortunate for 2020 for; I'm still alive and breathing, I'm still able to feed my family, I'm still able to sustain the needs of my circle, and I still have a source of income because the company I belonged to has managed its way to survive. Internally, we have to make tough decisions just to meet ends in the organization, and it has affected a number of people who lost their job. However, nonetheless, retrenchment packages are given to make sure they're being taken care of as we part ways.

The company restructure and other business decisions gave me a window of opportunity to re-assess myself and the things I'm working at. And it gave me an opening to go back to the ground that I belong to, the ground that I am built for, the same ground where it all started -- to be an engineer once again. And since 2020 sends out a clear message to all of us about life being short, I wanted to explore other domains and work on systems I haven't touched throughout my career. So I'm chasing that dream, and this is why I left Onerent.

Over the course of my stay, I learned a lot. And I believe, this learning is best shared so others can also learn from my experience.

Do not be defined by your title and position. Sometimes, promotions get too fancy and you get to see yourself living a life that is defined by what you're holding (ie. title, position, possessions). These labels and belongings sometimes push you for entitlement and could lead you to be so self-righteous. And if in case you fall into these traps set by society, you will eventually lose yourself in the making.

Do not settle for less, your value should be based on potential. Some people do well, as it's a proven working ingredient for promotion -- being effective on the job, accomplishing the tasks in a timely manner, being a team player, doing the extra mile, and etc... However, once they got promoted, they always bank on what they've done rather than what they still can do. People who got promoted usually talks about how "good" they were in the past, yet didn't add anything more to their arsenal. They assume that their past achievement is enough of a cornerstone for themselves to be recognized by the company. Other common pitfalls in getting promoted are what they call "The Peter Principle" and "The Dunning-Kruger Effect", make sure you know more of these two so you won't be like the rest.

Know your roots. The best way to test if you are really knowledgeable of something is your ability to teach it. As you progress in your personal development, make sure to bring some people with you. Do not keep the knowledge to yourself, teach people what you know so they can earn as much as you're earning. Bring prosperity to others, especially to those who are striving.. and remember, not those dreamers who just dream, not those mediocres who just do the least, but those who are striving for excellence and who are always challenging themselves to their limit. The more people you help, inspire, and mentor, the more fulfillment you acquire in whatever you're doing.

... and so you might ask, why give up all you have just to start all over again? Here are some of my daily reminders to myself. It takes courage to discount what you already have, and the same courage is needed to explore more aside from what you already know.

Go for what you're passionate about and be addicted to it, in the sense that you wanted to be known for it.

The courage to decide to do what is essential

Last week might be the hardest week for the company, its leaders, and the people.

Last April, we benched a quarter of our manpower to come-up with a better plan on how we as a company can strategically combat the market challenges due to  COVID that are affecting our customers across all states we are servicing, both homeowner and renter. A month after, we slowly re-onboarded those who were benched and re-profiling the individuals based on the company's needs. 

Just when we thought we have a working formula for hiring the right talent, come up with a better product, and work-on the processes that can scale -- we ended up cutting down 65% of our manpower due to the burn-rate the company is dealing with month after month throughout this pandemic.

Delivering the news and making sure we're doing the things we have to do, is one of the hardest part I have to carry-on (and this is true to every leader in the company who lost their men). It was a great loss to the company as the people who were let go are good and talented individuals who have shown greatness towards their work and have made huge contributions since the beginning. These people are dedicated and go above and beyond.. and I mean, above and beyond.

Like, who would have thought that:

• We were able to hit our target for the month after working at a cafe due to the earthquake storm (Q4, 2019) that hit Mindanao.
• We were able to exceed our numbers for the month after sending everyone to work from home due to COVID (Q2, 2020).
• We were able to sustain our Operational Cost til the last quarter of 2020.

For anyone who's hiring, we've got a lot of names we could refer. These people are provided with the resource they need in order to secure a new job for themselves and make a living.

As we say our goodbye, we made sure that our people are given:

• Computer Desktop Units
• Internet Modems
• WIFI Adapters (for mobile data, backup) 

Email us at humanresources@onerent.co and will be more than happy to talk about the individual(s) who applied for a post in your company. We hope that these people who served their time well in Onerent will bring great value to your organization.

Where's Onerent now? We're still operating, we're regrouping, and we'll be disrupting the local grounds for our operational needs and the international markets we serve, soon. For the time being, as a company, our area of focus is going towards product innovation and internal-process overhaul. 

Before the crisis, we, like every other company is doing well. Business is booming, days were glorious, our financial status is great. We always take pride in our satisfaction and attrition rate. I am confident, that once we go all-in once again (post-covid), we'll be able to attain these numbers.

Stepping up just to be back in square one.

Life comes in many forms and shapes to each one of us. This is the reason why we're bound to understand most of everyone's struggles but failed to live someone's else life.

I can still remember how my journey started trying to become a system engineer. The story is very sentimental that I considered it as a breakdown or breakthrough point of my career. And by simply looking back, it brings the same feeling of hustling and grinding -- so powerful, that it never failed to push me to become better in whatever I do.

Rather than sharing the entire story which might bore most, let's dissect the story instead. This way, readers can better examine each circumstance.

[LEVEL 1] - 2012, Technical Support Representative

You won't understand where you're heading

When I started my journey, even by just taking the first step, it already feels like I'm lost. The articles I've been reading doesn't make sense to me. The terms I have to deal with are somewhat so difficult to comprehend. The diagrams I have been looking at puzzled me. I don't even know where to start or if the first step I took was the right starting point to begin with. Being lost didn't stop me from exploring the unknown, it even sparked more of my curiosity to push through what I am doing in the hope that it'll lead me to the destination I'm trying to get -- even if I didn't understand where I was truly heading.

When you're at your level 1, all you need to bring with you is the dream alongside with your moral courage. Why courage? Because when you're at level 1, this is where you'll see yourself stumble into so many obstacles and mistakes. If you lack the courage go to on, it's easy for you to quit. Without courage, immediately, you'll see yourself as a failure. But in reality, that's just how it is.

[LEVEL 2] - 2013, System Administrator

You try to become the expert of your craft

After feeling dumb, I get to use of making mistakes and continuously improving myself -- learning my way through reading, watching video tutorials, and attending community meetups. The novice in me is starting to hone to become an apprentice. At this point, everything I had read started making sense, and everything I have to research brings so much excitement that I can't wait for another day to pass without learning its in-depths. Knowing things is no longer my objective but rather, learning more of those things became my focus. This is the time I have expanded my horizon in learning, trying to cover as many topics as possible.

When you're at your level 2, you have to bring with you, resilience and passion. In this level, it's where you gauge yourself's commitment. You have to ask yourself if what you're doing is something you're enjoying. Because if it's not, then, it'll be a struggle to find the passion within what you're doing. It'll be harder for you to answer, as to why you're even doing it. Resilience will be your fuel, as this time, the mental fatigue will be on another level. Mastery doesn't come fast and it's something no one can rush. Mastery comes over time.

Though you reached level 2, it doesn't mean that you won't be stumbling into obstacles and commit mistakes. You bring with you what you're experiencing in level 1, the problems, and the corresponding resolutions (your actions). Just that this time, you're expected to be wiser.

[LEVEL 3] - 2015, Snr. System Administrator

You become the cornerstone of your craft

I can now see myself as an expert in my domain, and the people I work with adds more weight to my feedback, thoughts, and inputs. I started getting more involved in technical communities, getting invited to speak in meetup sessions, and getting great job offers. This is also the time I started teaching people what I know, thinking that it'll help me improve learning towards my domain of expertise -- as they say "teaching is the ultimate form of learning". I consider myself an advocate of free-learning, as I am personally a by-product of the internet. 

When you're at your level 3, you have to bring with you, humility. Being an expert doesn't mean perfection. You have to be mindful of the fact that there are others who are still way better than you. You have to convince yourself to learn more, so you could teach more. From an objective of improving yourself, you now have to improve yourself as you improve others. This is the time where you hone others to reach a level you've achieved. This is no longer a matter of how many domains you know, it is now about how many people you've educated.

Reaching level 3, it doesn't mean you won't be stumbling into obstacles and commit mistakes. It also doesn't mean that since you've now become an expert, you stop learning and improving. You have to bring with you the learnings and experience from level 1 and level 2. This is also where the "success measurements" gets changed. From gauging how successful you are in your field, the measure now becomes, how many people you've helped to become successful. And remember, in a world where you can become anything, be humble.

[LEVEL 4] - 2017, Lead Engineer

You are now called to lead, your obligation is now towards your team

This is where the rules of the game changed. From being focused on learning by yourself to being focused mastering your craft, I am now on duty to make sure everyone in the team is at their best. From my experience, leadership comes in different style and no one can truly claim that there is a leadership approach that could work in all environments. My leadership approach was simple, somewhere along the lines of "be strict and be fair" -- that is my maxim. At first, it was hard as the maxim itself requires discipline, and being discipline is not easy. As being discipline is always a question of how long can a person stay disciplined and not how fast can he apply the discipline to himself. More to that, as a leader, I need to encourage my team to embrace such discipline in our day to day rundowns.

When you're at your level 4, you have to bring with you an ethical moral-compass. Remember, you're now a leader and your most vital work is decision making. Without an ethical moral-compass, you won't be able to make any sound judgment for your team. This moral-compass will vary and is subject to change, depending to the situation. So technically, the evaluation of your leadership vest goes into two points; being able to embrace a moral-compass, and knowing when to reassess the embraced moral-compass.

This point in your life will look overwhelming. Do not fall into the traps of complacency and authority. Though you are called to lead others, you should not forget to lead yourself. One common mistake most people encounter by the time they get to be entrusted to lead is thinking they are untouchable. Note that in the game field of leadership,  everyone becomes replaceable -- and that's the ultimate goal of every leader, to be replaced -- by the people they honed.

[LEVEL 5] - 2020, Director

You are now called to run a business, your obligation is now towards the entirety of the organization

I'm new in this role, and the game doesn't have any warm-up round per se. So by the time I signed up for it, I am expected to perform. Think of it as somewhat, plug and play. I find the work very challenging maybe because it's my first in running a business, and on top of that, I am now in-charge of the lives of the people working for the company. The burden of command at an amplified rate is not a joke to deal with -- as they always say "with great power comes with great responsibility". I am still paving my way into greatness and I can say that I am no expert in every matter I'm dealing with day by day. But to someone who's an advocate of learning, seeking knowledge seems to be my greatest edge.

When you're at your level 5, you have to bring with you curiosity and a sense of responsibility. I cannot highlight how hard it is to make decisions, judgments, and adhoc calls when you know it'll affect everyone working for the organization. It takes boldness to pull the trigger and make the call, it takes courage to stand by what it brings -- good or bad. Keep in mind that you have to take care of the people and the business at the same time, some aspects of the business are non-negotiable and it goes the same to the human elements. If you don't know which factor(s) to consider, and if you're not looking at both ends of the spectrum, everything you do will be catastrophic.

Reaching this level is really mind-blowing and I just cannot specifically pinpoint what aspect of my work brought me here. Maybe I was given the benefit of a doubt by the company, and the burden of proof is now for me to produce. So far, I am enjoying the journey and my goal is to improve my thought process and mental models to suit the environment I am at.

The story won't be complete if you, the readers don't know the following:

• I have no formal education. I am a school dropout and only spent 1 semester in college.
• I don't have any certification and haven't undergone formal training that can justify what I know about the field I'm working at.
• I came from a family that doesn't have much of a resource.
• A lot of people helped me strive, a ton helped me get started, and a few cheered me on my way up.

The story has its own variable as well:

• Timeline, my timeline might be slower compared to others. The timeline doesn't really make much of a difference as it's not a matter of how fast can you reach a certain level but how long can you stay in the game. So long as you're making progress, it doesn't matter at what pace you're moving -- so long as you're moving forward.
• Title, my title corresponding to every level might be different compared to others. The title doesn't really make much of a difference as it's not a matter of what you are in the organization but who you've become as a person (while you're developing yourself). Titles alone won't mean any, it's the impact that you're bringing with you that counts.
• Level, the level I reached is not the end. From what I know, the levels in this game of life is unlimited and the only limitation it has is the one you set yourself.

What is certain in my story is that the "courage" that I brought with me as I started my journey is still the main component I lean-on to as I step up and advance to the next levels.


I hope I am able to spark some fire in you to keep hustling and grinding in the things you're doing. If you're inspired and motivated by my story, share yours and write it down -- you don't know who you're lifting up!

When trust becomes too expensive that not everyone can afford it anymore

The era of digital transformation came knocking in every company's door in a way that it does cost them their business when it's not entertained. This pandemic caused by covid-19 doesn't take no for an answer when it comes to innovation across all the industries. For a business to survive, business leaders are tasked to be more creative when it comes to relevance in their market's household needs.

The idea of bringing every business online is bold, though the convenience it brings is unparalleled, and efficiency can now be observed in different business sectors. While the promised outcome of digital transformation is very exciting, one might question -- what about security and privacy?

Lately, I have been thinking of what the future might look like to most of us. And this article aims to give everyone the bits and bytes as to what one should keep in mind as we advance into the future.

Beware of scams. Fake Gurus.

Just recently, I've bumped into this youtube channel named Coffeezilla and I just love how he's exposing all these fake internet gurus on his show. The mission of his channel is to bring awareness to the general audience how smart people try to outsmart everyone else and take their money. His way of journalism is evidence-based and the formality of his show uncovering these fake persona is one of a kind. There is a big difference between trolling and criticizing, exposing his own identity as he whistle-blows these scammers requires skin in the game. Him putting his face and name into what he's doing (calling those big names) earned my respect! 

Beware of scams. Fake Tech-Support.

I have been following Kitboga's youtube channel for a while. Kitboga's approach in exposing these scammers is very technical -- if you're into information technology and cybersecurity, I'm sure you'll love what he's doing. While the enemy Kitboga's trying to corner hides in being the screen, his way of bringing justice is to make sure scammers will be wasting their time of the day dealing with his plotted scene. Kitboga's videos show how these criminals move, think, and loot.

Beware of scams. Fake Rental Properties.

In the business we're in, we've seen the good, bad, and the ugly. Rental scams are rampant and it's everywhere! This is the reason why Onerent Inc. launched scamlord.ai that aims to combat fake landlords ("scamlords") that's been doing these crimes for how many decades now. The main objective of this ai-driven platform is to raise awareness to every prospective renter the probability of a property listing being a scam before they even make contact with the listed "property owner (scammer)" and fall into their traps.

Beware of fraud. Fake Recruiter/Agency/Applicant.

With the unemployment rate caused by the pandemic, every business now has the edge to properly capitalized on the huge talent market. While this could help companies expand and hire great talents, this also opens an opportunity for bad actors to capitalize on society. I've seen people who desperately need a job wasting time going through interviews and filtering process just to know the people/agency they are dealing with is not the one directly hiring for the post nor legitly affiliated to companies that have job openings. These bad actors are just simply playing with the "supply and demand" with the hopes of getting a referral/commission. Note that today, it's easier to start a so-called company by just simply buying a domain name. Getting a landing page from free-template sites, getting an email service and associate it with the domain -- and one now has a bootstrapped business. 

Don't get me wrong. There are legit head-hunters out there, hired by big names to scout for great talents. There are also legit recruitment agencies out there, hired by big names to supply manpower resources for them. And to be fair, recruitment agencies also deal with candidates who falsify their resume and declare that they know-this and know-that, ending wasting recruiter's time for doing the interview.

What I'm saying is, in a world where anyone can make a "claim", one should be more careful who they deal with. Though lately, it has been flooded by internet marketers and promoters, LinkedIn is still a good place to go when it comes to building professional networks.

Beware of fraud. Fake you.

Even before this covid-19 outbreak, hacking company databases, leaking personal information, and exposing the most sensitive data to the black market is already happening. As we move most of our transactions online, it could be that our identity and privilege are already hijacked by these bad actors. As the government adapts this approach to innovation, make sure no one is acting on your behalf, and claim what is for you and your family. 

As most online platform is associated with an email address (for the login), check if your email has been compromised via Have I Been Pawned.

As we embrace the future of every business, let's put privacy and security on the top of our priority. These two realms work hand-and-hand and is a shared responsibility amongst every one of us. Let's apply "thinking" and "researching" to our online mantra so we don't fall as a victim of these online crimes. Also, if you don't know what you're doing (online), ask -- and make sure to ask someone with credibility. Find someone you can trust.

The courage to decide to do what is necessary

Just about a month ago, we made the call to safety for everyone in the company. A month past, we have to make another tough decision that will greatly affect the business and the workforce.

The US economy is at the moment in bad shape and unemployment rates have been increasing in all states. While our main market, California, reached over 1,058,325 claims as of March 28, 2020.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought havoc to most companies, including Onerent. And as it badly damaged the business' cashflow, our leaders were put into a situation where they have to decide how to stay afloat amidst the economic recession.

This week is a tough week. We have benched more than a quarter of our workforce to be able to squeeze our operational cost to the revenue we are generating throughout this crisis. While this left most of our people in shock, there just wasn't any other option left. The blueprint for growth that we were so focused on for the past months (pre-covid19 days), has been changed to a plan for survival.

It's painful to see people undergo such circumstance, especially during these trying times. But we just have to look at the big picture with the aim to address the greater good.

Considerations are as follows:

• We ultimately believe that as a company, we'll be able to bounce back once the pandemic ends, and once the global market resumes its normal operation.
• There are people who is solid with their belief about the future of Onerent. From the investors, the board members, the co-founders, the executive management, the middle management, and those who are working on every scope within the entire operations.
• We pledge an oath to serve our homeowners and renters, throughout their stay in Onerent.
• We believe that the services we offer are essential these days. During these times of crisis and in dealing with the aftermath.
• We believe that our business model will play a vital role as the economy gets back in shape.

Knowing all these, we just can't close down the business and call it quits. We got to do what is necessary in order for the business to survive in the hopes that it can open more job opportunities in the upcoming months, throughout its existence.

As we always value our people's welfare, the company vows for the following terms to bring aid to the families of those who are on floating status.

• The company allowed those that are on floating status to keep the computer units and broadband modems that were brought home. Thinking that at least, by these resources, they'll be able to work on side-gigs that will temporarily generate cash to sustain their family's need.
• The company allowed those that are on floating status to do freelancing.
• The company allowed those that are on floating status to still avail of the medical services we have in-house, extending it to those who were given end-of-contract for the month.

Facing the harsh reality thought me a lot and brought great realizations.

The greatness of the leaders aren't seen in good times but are tested in the unwanted ones. The unprepared will become paranoid, the one who trains will be put under pressure. If you want to take the helm, you always have to decide -- regardless of the situation and circumstance, good or bad. And you have to accept the truth, that not everyone will rejoice with your decision(s) -- especially those who don't have the visibility of the big picture. Even if how much you explain the thought behind your acts, it's not going to catch people's attention -- especially those who are now selective with their thinking.

The corporate setup isn't like a startup. Yesterday was so glorious that no one thought today would come, in fire and chaos. While it's true that every day in the startup scene, it's always about life and death -- not everyone is well aware of it. In a snap, the job(s) that might be there for people to work-on might no longer be available at all. Working in a startup means, high rewards, high growth, and high risks. It's how it is, the nature of startup.

The leadership principle(s) matters most in times of crisis. When you're given the ability to decide on behalf of everyone, having a clear basis of your decisions will help you be more rational about your selection. Though this will differ in every individual, it's always good to have a solid core of your own.

PS: What makes me more proud is that, for a company that is badly wounded by the pandemic, it still stayed true to its mission towards its customers and towards its people. The promise of hope is still there.

My experience in taking AWS certification online

This write-up is timely as most tech-professionals are now stationed, working from home.
If you are into web programming, engineering, and tinkering -- you might have heard of AWS (Amazon Web Services).

As I look back to my previous self, I can still remember how I try to avoid the path of certifications. As someone who didn't have any formal education, the least I want to collect for myself is a bunch of papers, containing my name and the expertise I would tell myself, I know. Instead, I was eyeing more on the objective of earning experience and battle scars as I go onto my journey in the tech-engineering industry.

You see, I was once a good Devops Engineer, some say I am great but I'll stick to what I know and let everyone else believe what they think is true. As you work for organizations that invite you to have growth, within a short period of time, you'll see yourself working on something else. The servers that were once your battleground now shifts to people-leadership. The terminal that was once your best tool now shifts to the workforce/project management platform. The thought-process that was once only applied to yourself now shifts to influencing others to grasp the mindset.

Back to the present time, I am more appreciative of certifications and exams. Not because I find it advantageous in today's talent search world but because it gives me the cornerstone to test my know-hows over time, especially that I am no longer that hands-on to the realms of AWS.

There's a ton of resources you can utilize that enables you to prepare for any AWS exam, and this article isn't one of those. My focus in writing this article is for me to provide anyone who eyes the path of certification, the knowledge to not stumble on the same roadblocks I've encountered. Most especially to those who are planning to take the exams online.

The pitfalls:

• DO NOT BE OVER-CONFIDENT. You might tell yourself that you already know what you need to know to be able to answer and pass the exam. Well, think twice. It would be a disgrace for someone to fail the test, especially to the one who thinks he already knows it all. Use confidence to your advantage, be confident. We all need that to boost our self-esteem so we can keep moving forward in achieving our desire, which in this case, to pass the certification exam. Here's a good resource to check out: JOCKO PODCAST - SHORT CLIP.
• DO NOT STICK TO A SINGLE RESOURCE. While there is a course, might it be paid or free, that covers a great number of topics to prepare yourself for the exam, the context and the way things are interpreted (by the authors) might not be the same. Always cross-check, always have cross-references and make sure the source of truth is verified by others. 
• Some of the best individuals I personally know in the field now run their own firm. If you and your team are interested in in-person teaching, focus-group learning, check out APPER PH. Often, our very own AWS HERO, Raphael Quisumbing runs a study group for free.
• If you want more flexibility, go for online courses. Udemy, ACLOUDGURU, and LINUXACADEMY are some of the best platforms for learning. Take note that the idea of online courses is not about how fast you can finish each track but how fast you've understood and how much you've retained what is taught.
• The resources that triumph it all are the ones that come from AWS. Check out the AWS Whitepaper and AWS Blog. You can also subscribe to the official Youtube Channel of AWS.
• Ask questions to the official Facebook Group of AWS-User Group Philippines. Note that everyone in this group is working, so when you ask questions, you have to be as articulate as possible. Do not waste people's time by letting them probe more what you're trying to find out, instead, over-emphasize the things that confuse you.
• DO NOT TAKE THE EXAM WITHOUT TAKING THE PRACTICE TEST. You might think, but why?. If you are really prepared for the exam, you should be able to pass the practice test. Though taking the practice test incur more cost, it's worth it. This is essential for you to determine whether you are ready or not. An additional $20/$40 USD for the practice test will serve its purpose, trust me.

The exam know-how:

• Assuming you're ready and you've passed the practice test. You're good to proceed to the next steps.
• Make sure you already have an account with AWS. If not, create one.
• Visit https://aws.amazon.com/certification/
• It will redirect you to https://www.aws.training/certification
• It will redirect you to https://www.certmetrics.com/amazon/. This is where you'll be scheduling your desired certification exam.
• It will then redirect you to https://www.certmetrics.com/amazon/candidate/exam_scheduling.aspx. This is where you can see the exam schedules and offerings.
• Note that only Pearson Vue offers the exams online with an online proctor checking on you as you answer each questionnaire.
• As you schedule your exam, read each dialog carefully and make sure you understand every instruction.
• As you go through the application process, upon you select the date of your exam, please make sure to change the timezone so you won't have any confusion with your schedule.
• You need a credit card to pay for the exam cost.
• Prior to your scheduled date, you will get an exam reminder as to what to prepare and what to do. Make sure to go through those steps ahead of time to avoid hassle on your exam date.

• A software will have to be installed on your machine. This software will be tracking your activities, from the applications running on your host, to the motion recorded from your webcam, to keyboard activities.
• You will also be asked to take photos of your table. (1) Front, (2) Back, (3) Left, and (4) Right
• Make sure your room is quiet, closed doors if possible.
• On your exam date, here's what you need to prepare:
• You might be asked to redo the steps above. If so, redo.
• Make sure your webcam, microphone, and speakers are working
• Make sure your table (where you'll be taking the exam) is clean. No extra peripherals like a paper, notebook and other writing materials.
• Make sure your mobile phone is not within your reach.
• You'll be receiving a call, via an application that they'll ask you to install and you'll be welcomed by your proctor.
• Then, you can proceed with the test.
• Additional note. The proctor allows you to have drinking water be stationed on your table. It's always good to have a bottle handy, in case you'll be tense and get dehydrated.

I wish you luck on your upcoming exam(s).

As you acquire more knowledge and specialties, pay it forward. Teach. 

*** Bonus Track ***
The good problems:

• I am living in Davao City. And one challenge for all AWS Professionals is that there aren't any testing centers in Mindanao. More so, there isn't any company (at least that I know of) that is offering training for AWS that are officially accredited to the organization.
• Not like any other metro city, Davao City is still on its way of booming. Digital footprints for cloud-service oriented professionals aren't that big.

The courage to decide to do what is right

Last March 16, 2020, the company made a tough but fulfilling decision.

As the case for COVID-19 gets more alarming in the city of Davao and the rest of the Philippines, Onerent Inc., who built a fort in the land of promise, offered work-from-home to all its employees. Not only giving the opportunity to work from home, the company is also offering its employees to bring their computer units with them and at the same time allocate funds for internet connectivity.

Most companies operating as BPOs in places affected by the virus are still on "business as usual". While everyone could be a suspect in the spread of the disease, not all company sees it as a threat -- at least to their business need.

There is really nothing to brag about. We just want to state the obvious and set example that there are still a few great companies, run by good caring individuals, that are out there, that stayed true to its mission. Everyone's safety and welfare will always be a priority, here at Onerent Philippines.

I am thankful for the leaders, for they've shown how much they really care. I am thankful for the people, for they've shown how grateful they really are. I am thankful to be a part of this family. Indeed, a great place to be.

Out from our decision, what do we tell our people?

• We will show no mercy to your excuses. The last thing we wanted to hear from you all is your excuse for not being able to report to work, not being able to follow the usage of TimeDoctor and not being able to meet the break schedules. You are in your most comfortable spot, use it on your own advantage. Don't get tempted by your commodities at home if you don't want to lose your job.
• Communication and coordination are key. To be able to work well especially in this kind of setup requires you to make sure that people are aware of what you're doing and what help you need. Over-communicate, give emphasis and be articulate as possible.
• Trust and Commitment. Remember that the company trusted everyone to stay committed amidst the situation we're at. Let's make sure everyone's effort won't be put to waste. Let's not fall into the traps of comfort. Let's stay true to our mission.

Out of our decision, what do we remind our people?

• Discipline. It's as important as food. If you really care for those who are around you, make sure to take care of yourself.
• Awareness. It's as important as alcohol. Keep distance. Observe cleanliness and hygiene. Avoid roaming to areas where you think people from different points of origin go.
• Faith. It's as important as medicine. Overthinking, over-reacting, and spreading of fake alarming news doesn't help the nation. Stay positive with precautions in mind. Help drive hope. That's what we need most during these times of chaos.

PS: Most solutions being offered by other BPOs to their people are what we consider fair between every employee and the company. On Onerent's case, it did what is right.

Judging your judgments

How can one be able to judge his own judgment?
Will he be able to judge his own judgment prior to the result(s) manifesting?
How are the judgments being judged?
How we will be able to gauge the judgment of others judging your judgment?
Why judge in the first place?
Why not?

These are the question I'm pondering as a leader but more of which as a person. I know I am not alone in this particular circumstance of reflecting (self-introspecting) from past actions which led to a positive/negative opposite reaction(s).

This particular writing is not intended for everyone but for those who get lost every time they step into the void of emptiness caused by the confusion of finding one's purpose and meaning, which questions one's existence and journey or even life in general. These are my opinions about these topics and my answers reflect a view that I call my own. I hope that by reading my thoughts and getting a glimpse of these matters (from my perspective) will help you better understand one's action. As it did help me.

Why not?
By nature, humans judge every aspect of life. From what they see, to what they hear, to what they smell, to what they touch, and taste. This is essential for our survival and this is something we can hardly remove from our DNA. By not judging the things around you, you're making yourself handicap to possibilities and breakthroughs. By not judging the elements on the life you're living, you're making yourself blinded of vulnerabilities. By not judging, your exploration of life won't make sense.

Why judge in the first place?
Because the world is fair and just like dreaming, judging is free. The only way for you to know how you and your surrounding is doing is by judging. Questioning for the sake of knowing is already a form of judgment -- as you won't even bother questioning about a thing, a person or a particular happening if you didn't have initial findings out of your judgment on those areas.

How are you able to gauge the judgment of others judging your judgment?
By gauge, I mean measure. A personal practice I adapt for measuring other people's judgment (might it be towards my judgments or towards something else) is categorized into 3 key disciplines (1) Believability on the lines of reasoning, (2) The concept or the patterns of thoughts each reason is modeled from, (3) 3rd-party stories that are ethical and well related to the topic being discussed. If these 3 main grounds are met, to me, assessing one's judgment towards my own judgment and others is now easy.

How are the judgments being judged? 
This is sacred as we all have our own metrics. This is something I cannot talk more as it might sound so righteous when people misunderstand and misinterpret my lines. To me, I judge it based on (1) Credibility, who gave the judgment and who was it given to, (2) Corresponding punishment/reward when the judgment was given, (3) Objective Evidence, (4) Rational, and (5) Humane.

Will one be able to judge his own judgment prior to the result(s) manifesting?
There is what we call probability. However, the probability falls on something that's not true nor false. Until that future time comes, no one can say that the projected "probability"  is true or not. This question is still on my list of topics to research. I haven't found the right amount of knowledge to be able to answer this for now.

How can one be able to judge his own judgment? 
Just like the question before this, I believe this is something personal. Something that could differ from every individual. I will leave this question hanging as it's only you who will be able to answer this for yourself.


A thing I keep in mind in times of judgment is that everyone is dwelling on its own interpretation of the happening. Each one will always claim that the correct reality is the one they are presenting (in which most of the time, bias). Remember, when people fight reality, they lose. As reality should be embraced but not limited to one's reality, as each one has his own.

Judging will only go wrong when you share your judgment to others without being asked to do so (as this will now become what we call gossip). That is why, to some, they stick on the line "only God can judge me".

If you happen to have some thoughts about these questions, email me at neil@onerent.co. I'll be happy to know what's your take on each.

Heading to a straight path isn't always the fastest

When you work in a startup, change is inevitable. Processes get revamped from time to time. Product and platform roadmaps get revisited every now and then. And speed will always be in the center of everything.

Sometimes when you don't see the big picture, it's hard to comprehend and imagine the ripple effect. However, if you trust the process and data, you know things will fold in accordance with the actions you have taken for a given situation. Most people think that following a straight path is the fastest, some even think that this "straight path" exists and so it is the one true way to run a company.

The goal of a startup is to reach the north star the fastest way possible -- which is to be able to close the next round of funding. If that straight path exists for every startup to follow, there will be a lot of startups who could have attained growth and are now profitable. However, there is no one-size-fits-all formula for success and so it is just right to say that there is no straight path at all.

Science and math can show you that heading to a straight path isn't always the fastest, though it might be the most convenient. However, as a startup, convenience is not something we should consider -- especially knowing that our life-span is limited and survivability is at stake. Speed is king! Speed trumps it all!

Now, the problem with speed is that not everyone can cope up with the rest. As a leader, what should you do? And how should you go about it?

Quick note: I am no expert when it comes to startups. I am no expert when it comes to management and leadership. However, I would like to share these notes that I have to everyone who's reading this post in the hopes that it'll help you and your team be more successful.


Mindset is everything
As the saying goes, "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go further, go with a team". Installing the same understanding to your people saves you from being questioned on every decision you'll be making. Giving people the idea of how startups work, what to keep in mind, and what to focus on will make people realize what roles to play for the plans to work.

Communication brings alignment
People argue about not having the proper structure to be able to execute things well, this is a common complain you'll hear when you're in the startup world. This is why we have to communicate well. The point is to make sure we loop-in everyone especially who are going to be involved in projects, initiatives, changes and etc. Without observing proper communication, people will judge every action based on how they perceive it.

Constant reminders
The only way to improve is to measure how we've performed month to month, week per week, day by day. In the midst of hustling and grinding, people sometimes get lost and get off track. Reminders will serve as everyone's daily fuel -- on top of their personal motivations and inspirations. Don't let people forget what your mission is all about and how your brand is different from the rest.


So far, I've been enjoying the ride I'm having with Onerent. Still, there are many things needed to be done -- and that makes it more exciting.

From leading a platoon, to an army

I was not ready for this, yet, I still said yes.

Lately, I have been entrusted by management a task that is very crucial in the company's betterment and survival. It's something I didn't ask for, though, it's something everyone else has wanted. It was said that my leadership style and approach is what people in the company can capitalize on. And it's time to have a broader audience for it, management highlighted.

Thinking about the role and scope, I can't help but ask myself -- "what will you do now?". Seeking answers for the past weeks is not so productive, I got lost. Maybe because weeks is a little bit short when we talk about the time in realizing the uncertainties and the unknowns on my current position. Maybe the next folds will manifest in the next quarter or even in the next year, who knows.

As a reminder to myself, I created this methodology that I could always go to every time I get lost. I call this The Lost Framework.

When you're in the state of leading yourself, it is expected that you'll get lost along the way more frequently. And it's normal! trust me, it is. The framework I am adapting for myself is mainly focused on communication -- it requires one to talk. Problems and issues get solved most of the time when it's discussed and talked about. The key is for you to know who to talk to and what questions you should ask.

In leading a large body of individuals that are striving for excellence and pride, I am counting on what Sun Tzu said in his book, The Art of War. A section of that book gives the reader an idea as to what mindset is all about, though, one should comprehend where to strike the balance.

Traits of a losing General:

• Recklessness, which leads to destruction
• Cowardness, which leads to capture 
• Hasty temper, which could be provoked by insults
• A  delicacy of honor, which is sensitive to shame
• Over solicited solitude for his men, which exposes him to worry and trouble

The hard thing about being a leader is the fact that your judgment is always tested, every now and then. One should have a  mental model and thought process in order to come-up of his perspective of both the problem and the solution. This is a real struggle for most, especially those who are new to the position. I always consider what Peter Drucker said about management, "Efficiency is doing things right. Effectiveness is doing the right things". It helped me weigh things out and decide which path to go for any given situation.

As your people look up to you, keep in mind that in a world where you can be anything, be humble.

AWS Summit 2019 - The Singapore Experience

What a privilege it is to be a speaker for the AWS Summit Singapore 2019. It was an honor to speak in a large crowd, what an experience!

2:45pm | Rebuilding Onerent Platform, AWS All the Way!

It's my first time to visit Singapore and like any other stories about the great country, it stood to its promise. Clean! Safe! Innovative!

There's no doubt that businesses are eyeing to put-up a headquarters in Singapore. It's a state of the art tech-hub. The government is properly serving the people. The people living in the country is disciplined. Additionally, the tax rate is low! What else could you ask?



While touring for 4 days, I get a chance to step foot to AWS Singapore Headquarter. A once in a lifetime opportunity any AWS Enthusiast could hope for.

AWS APAC Leaders (Vietnam, Thailand, and the Philippines)

During some nights, I get the chance to see and witness the light and fountain show on the other side of the Marina Bay Sands. It was so magnificent, especially when you see the vibrant colors in-person!

Marina Bay Sands, Light Show

To wrap it all up! I've added another ID on my list. More to come, I hope! I wonder what's next?

• 2017 - AWS Community Day, South Korea (Gangnam-gu District)
• 2018 - AWS Community Day, Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City)
• 2019 - AWS Summit Singapore, Singapore (Expo)

Measuring Leadership

It took me some time to realize how I made significance to the team as someone who's leading from behind. For a person who actively monitors and tracks daily performance, being unable to see my own progress is something unacceptable -- especially if no numbers are able to back up my claim (that I'm doing well on my job).

When you are in the leadership role, sometimes, the things you do don't always add up to the numbers. Sometimes, your routine is more into making sure everyone, being a part of a bigger machine is working harmoniously along with the rest. While searching for some key metrics I could set for myself, I bump into some realization that somewhat opened my eyes as to how and where to set the numbers.

The following details are primarily based on my personal opinion. If you find it useful, use it. If you don't agree to what I'm saying, let me know (email me at neil@onerent.co).

• Good deeds should be credited to the team, mistakes, on the other hand, should be accounted to the leader. You might ask why? You have to understand that each one of your men is paid to work on things, their objective is to do it well. You as the leader is paid to make sure mistakes are avoided as much as possible. Being able to foresee what waits ahead for the team is one of the key abilities a leader should have, being able to tell the team what to prepare for is a  great asset of a leader. The more mistake the team incurred -- the more you should ask yourself why (as the number of mistakes progresses, the poorer your performance becomes). Possibilities are:
• Instruction might not be clear enough to be understood. No proper training. No proper on-boarding or at least not given enough time to fully grasp the scope of work.
• Lack of resources. Miscalculation of project estimates.
• Assigning incapable people to the scope. Misjudgment of the workload and workforce.
• Loopholes on the hiring process. Not a real culture/skill fit.

NOTE: Don't count how many things you've done well, that's what you're paid to do. Instead count the mistakes you've made and see if it resonates your pay grade.

• Attrition rate matters, everyone is a resource. What about this? If the people that once served your team suddenly leaves, regardless of the reason, you might start asking yourself why (as the number of people leaving your leadership, the weaker you are as a leader). Possibilities are:
• There's something wrong with them not being able to cope-up with your leadership approach. Or the other way around, where you as the leader, not being able to hone people the way that suits them.
• You ended people's contract because of poor performance. Now the question is, have you trained them and helped them improve? Is your training approach effective? Were there any follow-ups being made after the training? Have you constantly reminding every individual you've coached?

NOTE: Don't just count the people you've on-boarded. Make sure those individuals stay, hopefully for a long time.

• Less dependent, more trust, makes more leaders. How so? When you grow people, you teach them all the things they need to know in order for them to do well in their job. Not only limited to doing their scope, as much as possible, you as the leader also have to add more work on their plate if you can spot that the individual is capable of doing such. The less dependent your people becomes, the more you give them room for growth. The more they make decisions themselves, the more trust you build with them. The more you do this, the more leaders you have. If people can't decide and speak for themselves, then, probably -- there's something wrong and you might ask yourself why (as the more people gets dependent to you, the less effective you are in developing people). Possibilities are:
• You are too insecure that one day, someone from the team will replace you as soon as they know how to do things (way better than you do).
• You are too afraid that one day, someone might surpass your knowledge
• You feel like the information you have is too vital for your survivability, thus, you hoard it to yourself.

NOTE: Don't just count the number of people you have on your team, also see if they are able to do things themselves and empowered to do things as necessary.

The function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers. The more leaders you produce, the successful you are in your role.

As you step into the circle of leadership, you need to remind yourself that -- everything is no longer about you. You are no longer the best agent, coder, system admin, engineer or marketer. You are now a servant of the people that you're tasked to grow. Understand the meaning of leadership and you shall see yourself -- feeling the fulfillment every end of the day.

Sharpen-the-Axe Session, Boji talking about Building Mental Models

An Instrumental Part of Onerent's Culture

Last year, the company committed to doubling the number of engineers in the Philippine office with a  focus on aiming for a faster performance that will help meet the demands from our investors and stakeholders, optimizing the time in addressing technical debts and being able to work on more initiatives as the idea comes by. While we are all excited for the tremendous growth, making sure that efficiency and collaboration are well-observed in the larger set of crew -- is something we need to add emphasis.

For 2019, we've rolled out a new way of spending the last Friday of the month for everyone in Engineering! It's called DND or Digital Nomadic Day.

So what is DND?
DND is a theme day with a twist. Rather than spending time in the office, the entire Engineering team will invade other places and have all activities be hosted in there. And guess what? The theme of the 1st DND is a Hackathon. Sounds exciting, right?



IDEA CRAFTING / PROBLEM SOLVING:

When we give out the instructions for the criteria of judging, we didn't narrow down the team's option in selecting which problem(s) they have to tackle but instead, we gave them the ability to really think of a problem themselves. We were surprised by what each team came up.




The Grinders, whose members are Kevin (Software Architect), Joy (Salesforce Team Lead) and Loren (Salesforce Developer) came up with a platform that aims to solve parking and traffic jams, named Parkie.

TEAM: The Grinders

Humble Kids, whose members are Jethro (Software Engineer), Diom (Software Engineer) and Elmer (Salesforce Developer) crafted an application that bridges people who are looking for work and those who need something to be done. The application Gotto primarily aims to solve the issue of unemployment.

TEAM: Humble Kids

Lord of the Flies, whose members are Sonito (Software Engineer), Boji (Software Engineer) and Emman (Salesforce Developer) targets the problem about waste management. The approach they introduced utilizes technology to better monitor waste collection and segregation, keeping the world a better and cleaner place. Receptacles is what they call it.

TEAM: Lord of the Flies

Geek Freaks, whose members are Kris (Software Engineer), Wilfred (Software Engineer) and Julian (VP of Engineering) came up with an app that helps people have proper education about different cultures in different regions around the globe. The Fit-In technology basically uses a speech to text mechanism that utilizes machine learning that scores the word you've said (based on how appropriate it is for a location).

TEAM: Geek Freaks

MENTORING SESSION:

While each idea is great, it's always important to have another pair of eyes look into the plans and see what are the things that could be improved, nailing down loopholes and making sure the idea is future proof. Our very own CTO, Rico, spent the whole day with the team, guiding each one to survive the pitching round.

Humble Kids ft. Rico (CTO)

Lord of the Flies ft. Rico (CTO)

The Grinders ft. Rico (CTO)

Geek Freaks ft. Rico (CTO)

PITCHING ROUND:

The pitching round is very crucial as everyone's work is optimum and so we asked our good friends from Product's team to decide who's making it to the top. Special thanks for Marx and Shannen (Growth's UX/UI Designer) for being there with us, making the hard decision on selecting the winner.


Criteria of Judgement:

• Social Impact - 25%
• Execution - 25%
• Customer Viability - 25%
• Business Model - 25%

Hackathon Winner:

• Lord of the Flies with their platform Receptacles.

The Grinder, Parkie

Lord of the Flies, Receptacles

Geek Freaks, Fit-In

Humble Kids, Gotto

CONCLUSION:

It was a long day, too many things have been prepared -- but it was all worth it. Everyone had the chance to showcase their talent and had the chance to show off their entrepreneurial side.

As the event organizer, I've learned that:

• People are generally great in their own way and uniquely equal at some point.
• One's idea could be more polished if a team is working on it.
• Teamwork is essential in any group activity, especially when dealing with limited time.
• Everyone will step-up when they need to.