Marketing your Mindset

Ferdinand Hardekopf — Tue, 07 Nov 2023 15:42:31 +0000

The following information outlines my approach to working with IT professionals participating in pre-sales activities for the American market. I share this guidance to equip them for successful engagements with United States companies.

As software developers and IT companies, it is imperative that we excel in the art of selling our software. What can set you apart in this highly competitive landscape?

Please allow me to elaborate on the importance of this concept and how it can enhance your company's success. There exists a specific mindset that proves invaluable in the role of a software developer. It's a practical mindset, but it extends beyond that. It's about direct thinking.

Here are some examples:

Instead of perceiving obstacles, I focus on the target.

This exemplifies the practical mindset's approach to problem-solving. It's this mindset that distinguishes individuals as some of the world's finest developers.

Consider this mindset as an example:

Problem ➔ Find a solution ➔ No problem.

Notice the resemblance to a line of code? This mindset is globally recognized in regions where software sales are desirable, such as the United States, Germany, Belgium, and the Middle East. In places where people possess this mindset, you find the best developers.

Now, let's discuss your competition:

Americans tend to be overly cautious during the "find a solution" phase, which can slow down their decision-making process.

In Asian countries, their decision-making process often follows a circular pattern, which presents challenges for developers.

I once worked at Google, where they sought developers who were proactive in project completion and had a passion for coding.

In other countries, individuals with thinking processes deviating from the straight-line approach may find it challenging to write successful code.

Problem ➔ Find a solution ➔ No problem.

The thinking prevalent in Eastern Europe is exceptionally powerful because it allows for direct, practical, and elegant solutions. This is a marketable asset! Once you comprehend this, you'll realize that you possess something exceptional to offer in the realm of development.

In the rest of the world, this skill is highly sought after. Additionally, there's another crucial component: when selling to the Western market, you must exude confidence in your professionalism. This is the essence of successful presale meetings. Avoid underselling yourself; present yourself as the top-tier professional that you are.

Now, you understand why recognizing this particular mindset can set you on a path to becoming an exceptional developer and why your value is highly regarded in other countries. This knowledge is of paramount importance.

I genuinely hope that this guidance proves beneficial for you as a developer and for your company's success in selling to the Western market.

How to increase development speed and improve internal communication using a design system?

Ferdinand Hardekopf — Tue, 07 Nov 2023 15:34:45 +0000

Today we want to share our experience in creating and implementing a design system to speed up the development of a website and mobile application Compare. Let’s say right away that this process was not easy, it was not without all sorts of hiccups - we will also talk about them.

We hope that the article will be useful to everyone involved in the development of large applications in companies with a large number of already working products.
A few words about why we needed a design system

Star Gambling is an online platform where you can choose, compare and order gambling and entertainment products. We have a variety of services, each of which developed at different times and, as is usually the case, contained many old artifacts in both design and code.

A few years ago, Star Gambling changed its development vector and received the status of a financial marketplace. We were the first British fintech company to launch an online rating of gaming platforms. There were more and more products, interfaces became more and more complex, and sometimes, when moving from section to section, it seemed that these were completely different sites. Similar products had different patterns for seemingly identical scenarios. Everywhere there were different questionnaires, different customer journeys and visual design.

DEV Community: Ferdinand Hardekopf

Marketing your Mindset

Here are some examples:

Consider this mindset as an example:

Now, let's discuss your competition:

How to increase development speed and improve internal communication using a design system?