Enxoo Digital Nomads, part 2

Polish Version

Hello again! After the break we come back to the topic Enxoo Digital Nomads :)

As I wrote in the last article, Digital Nomads are remote employees who travel around the world and work from different locations. Although the IT industry is undoubtedly a leader in enabling such work, it is not the only one in this matter. All you have to do is run an online business or be a Blogger or Influencer - or perhaps become one during your travels by describing different cuisines, traditions and cultures? :)

Working as a Digital Nomad comes with a whole package of opportunities, including:

• You live almost anywhere in the world (as long as there’s wifi ;) )
• You travel, you get to know different places, cuisines and cultures
• You learn new languages and traditions
• You can choose a place where the cost of living is extremely low
• You can escape from cold winter or the hot summer
• You can realize your dreams

Although the advantages clearly outweigh the disadvantages, there are also a few drawbacks:

• Loneliness
• Workplace and equipment challenges
• Inability to meet with the team on site and get to know new members

But everything has its price, and this form of work definitely opens up many opportunities and allows you to realize your dreams. For us at Enxoo, every employee is an important part of the company, and their comfort, job satisfaction and sense of self-realization are of great importance and undoubtedly affect the quality of work. That is why we are open to experimentation according to Scrum. It is why we constantly listen to our employees and their needs and strive to make them a reality. The opportunity to work as a Digital Nomad allows us to go one step further and opens the way to fulfill our dreams and passions in connection with our work.

Meet our next Digital Nomad, Mikołaj, who focused on the sunny Canary Islands and windsurfing :)

Mikołaj - Salesforce Developer / over 4 months in Canary Island

Where did the idea for such a trip and such a form of work come from?

It is actually something people really appreciate when you can drop almost everything and go somewhere. Even before I started working at Enxoo, I was passionate about traveling. My dream was to combine work with making my dreams come true. I thought that the opportunity to work abroad would be given to me in a few years, when I reached the Senior position. But Covid accelerated it and at Enxoo I got the opportunity to go away and work remotely. I started with Poland, but I thought why not go somewhere warmer, where the sea is ... I am a windsurfing instructor, so I came up with the idea of organizing a trip with windsurfers who can also work remotely. We sat down together, researched where we could go, organized an apartment, a car, vacations and flights. We chose Fuerteventura, which offers the best conditions for water sports.

Do you feel that your stay there has had an impact on your development or prospects?

Life there is stress-free.

At the beginning, I had in the back of my mind whether the results at work would be good, whether it would have a negative impact on my productivity, or whether I would not fall from the level I have reached and achieved so far. It was important to me that my dreams did not interfere with my work. But it worked. My results were very good. I tried to stay in touch with my Leader all the time.

The possibility of such work had a very positive aspect. Thanks to working at Enxoo, I was able to realize my dreams, and to live out my passion for travel.

Working as a Digital Nomad is completely different. You have other things on your mind. You've said goodbye to your life at home and are in a completely new environment. For the psyche, it was relaxation. I felt that many problems and worries had disappeared because I was no longer worried. The mindset changes. When I was there, I didn't need a vacation at all. You don't need it either, because everything you want to see you can visit on the weekend or after work. We usually take vacations to get out of our city. That is unnecessary there.

Did you miss something?

I definitely missed the second monitor.

What you really miss and can equip yourself with is a desk, large monitors and a comfortable chair. That was a problem. Some things you can replace very easily. For example, a portable monitor - now I have the entire workstation in my backpack. As for the desk and chair, you can just go to a store and buy a monitor or an office chair for 30-40 euros.

Do you have any other tips or advice for people who want to try working this way?

It is worth reading a little about this way of working and what will be useful there. Also read a little bit about the place itself. For example, I joined several groups on Facebook, it was an encyclopedia of knowledge and opportunities. You can get to know people, offers and apartments.

What did you like most about this way of working and living?

What amazed me was that life in the Canary Islands is cheaper compared to life in Warsaw. You can be in a cool place and it doesn't have to be more expensive. Of course, a lot also depends on the time of year. When you are there, life is cheaper, but that is because the expenses and requirements change a bit.

A lot also depends on the people you meet. Something completely unexpected can happen to you. When I got there, I did not know that the trip would be like this. I came with a big suitcase, a backpack and equipment and came back with just the backpack. I left all my belongings in place.

When you are there, it is worth getting involved with experiences and people. For example, we were supposed to live in threes, and finally we lived in six with a dog. :D

When I flew there again, I didn't expect anything, and yet this place surprised me again. This time I found a city that adapted to the Digital Nomads who were coming there - Corralejo. At the beginning of the pandemic, they noticed this trend among IT employees who are able to stay with them longer if they have the right conditions to work remotely and have prepared many amenities for them. They opened coworking offices with elevated desks, kitchen, etc. They made sure that there was wifi in every cafe. It surprised me a lot!

Do you plan to return there or will you go in a different direction this time?

When I was there at the beginning, I had no intention of returning there, but to visit other places. But now I plan to return there. Life kind of took care of itself there.

I have the impression that life changes and improves every day the longer you stay somewhere abroad. You get to know people and opportunities and relatively speaking, you become more and more experienced in this form of life.

I have thought about living in Poland for 6 months and the Canary Islands for 6 months, but I haven’t seen enough of the world and want to see a few more places first, especially Asia.

Was something particularly challenging for you or did you miss something?

The only thing that is challenging is the time zones. At Enxoo, it's still fantastic that the working hours are very flexible, but you still have to be there for common meetings. It's best to start very early or very late.

On the one hand, I really like contact with people and I regretted not being able to attend company events. What was sad for me was that this contact would take place mainly via webcam. I also know that in some workplaces they even do without it and the contact is mainly in writing. On the one hand, that would be very helpful for the Digital Nomad, but at the same time sad because you have less and less contact with people at work.

Do you think this form of work had an impact on your development or on yourself?

It definitely broadens your horizons. You get to know other cultures and other ways of life. You meet not only residents and citizens, but also people from all over the world.

Would you have any tips / advice for people who want to try this form of work?

Personally, I would take 2 laptops for the future, in case something happens, it's good to have a spare, because it is your source of income and a window to the whole world.

I also recommend portable monitors that  can easily fit in a backpack.

When it comes to the trip itself, it is good to travel with a companion, especially if it is the first such trip. Together it is easier and undoubtedly cheaper.

It is definitely worth trying and experiencing! It's a different way of working and it's best if you experience it for yourself and see how much fun it is. For example, take a 15-minute break from your computer and go for a walk on the beach with your friend. Depending on where you are, you might as well be having a coffee in Italy or swimming in the sea. The prospect of having grown up in Warsaw and living here makes me love other places more, because I don't know them. Personally, I feel healthier, better, and more active in such places. I have time and desire to go to a swimming pool or a climbing wall. Life is easier there. In Poland there is always a lot to do and you live differently there. You don't get mixed up with your work and you have a lot of sun.

I also recommend joining the website where the Digital Nomads community from all over the world was created. It is a place where they support and communicate with each other. You can find there a whole lot of knowledge and even advertisements - job offers, housing or even the purchase of bicycles. You can find it here:

Remote Community

Now let us know the opinions of the Leaders of Mikołaj about this form of his work!

Magda - Mikołaj’s Clan Coach

Magda, we have already learned Mikołaj's story and perspective related to his departure and work in the Canary Islands for 4 months. As His Leader, can you tell us a bit more about what  you thought of his plan, how you saw it and how you solved it / planned it?

He asked me if I wouldn’t mind. I thought it was a great idea and told him to go for it!

Mikołaj loves windsurfing, I love sailing, and knowing that, I cheered him on so he could do it. Mikołaj's first month was the best ever in terms of ticket solving efficiency, all ceilings were punched through. It was amazing! I have seen him be motivated, have energy and even be  positively infectious. For me, it is rewarding to have Mikołaj on the team, and it's great that he went along.

Mikołaj is a person who dreams. If we can support Him in making his dreams come true, that is wonderful. As a Leader, I am proud of this and consider it a success!

Aneta - Mikołaj's Scrum Master

Aneta, we already got to know Mikołaj's story and perspective related to his departure and work in the Canary Islands for 4 months. As His Leader, can you tell us a bit more, what you thought of his plan, how you saw it and how you solved it / planned it?

Mikołaj said that he was thinking about this trip, so I decided that we need to talk about some things. I told him what is expected of him and when the job is done. I explained that I expect him not to change in terms of his work and the quality of his performance. And he achieved it. Then we met in the meantime to give each other feedback, and I didn't really have anything to say.. The most important thing for me was that he was available.

If something was wrong, if he did not deliver or I noticed any problems, I would react, but it does not really matter if he is here or in Fuerte. We were able to manage it well. You kind of have to work it out, because the team works remotely anyway. You have to find ways to know if these people are actually working, if there is something better or worse. And I have such methods. ;)

It would never occur to me to forbid someone to do something, why should I do it if I don't know what it is like yet. It's worth experimenting. We trusted each other, made an appointment and it worked.

What would you do if you noticed something was wrong?

If one of the people is not working and I would notice something, I would call them, talk to them, give them some tips, I would say that it is a signal for me that it is not working, but we would agree to improve, take our time and only if there is still no improvement, we would have to give up this form.

But we have been working remotely for 2 years. So it would happen at the beginning of the remote work, not after 2 years. We get along, change work hours, and adjust to each other. We do not have any problem with that. The most important thing is to always have everything in order, certain things in order.

Mikołaj is very responsible. Much depends on the person.

Do you think that this form of work somehow influenced Mikołaj or his work?

It is just as good, if not better, but that is because his experience is growing.

I know that working in Fuerte and living there are his dreams that he is now making come true. Then you look at the company and the work differently when you can realize yourself.

I will definitely encourage people to put themselves out there and work as a Digital Nomad!

At Enxoo, you can expect openness to your needs and flexibility. We all try to adjust to each other and help each other develop ourselves and make our dreams come true.

If you would like to learn more about our culture and everyday life, I encourage you to read our Culture Book available here:

Culture Book

And currently ongoing recruitment:

Enxoo - current recruitment processes

Meanwhile, we see you in February with another article by Enxoo Digital Nomads!