A career built on learning: How Scio approaches growth in software development.

A career built on learning: How Scio approaches growth in software development.

Scio, Software Development

Written by: Scio Team 
Software development team collaborating in an open workspace, discussing ideas and sharing knowledge

Introduction: Why Learning Shapes Modern Engineering Teams

Software development has always attracted people who enjoy learning, experimenting, and staying curious. It is a field shaped by constant change, where new frameworks appear, architectures evolve, and engineering practices refine themselves every year. For developers, choosing where they work is not only about finding a job. It is about choosing a place that fuels their curiosity, supports their growth, and gives them the room to explore new paths. At Scio, this idea has guided nearly a decade of building a culture that supports long-term growth. Learning is not an extracurricular activity here. It is part of the way teams operate, collaborate, and deliver value. Whether someone joins as an apprentice or arrives as a seasoned engineer, the opportunity to learn, teach, and improve is foundational. This article explores how Scio approaches learning as a core part of engineering culture, why programs like Sensei-Creati exist, and how developers describe the difference it makes in their careers.

Section 1: Learning as a Foundation for High-Performing Engineering

A strong engineering culture begins with curiosity. Developers who enjoy learning tend to ask better questions, experiment with new approaches, and stay engaged with their work. This mindset becomes even more important in an industry where the pace of evolution never slows. For many engineers, the first years after school reveal something important. Academic training introduces concepts, but real-world software development requires a much broader set of skills. Modern teams expect familiarity with Agile practices, continuous integration, automated testing, cloud-native architectures, and cross-functional collaboration. Closing those gaps requires practical experience, mentorship, and access to peers who can guide growth. That was the experience of Carlos Estrada, a Lead Application Developer at Scio who first joined as an intern. At the time, his academic focus was on networks and web technologies. While valuable, it left gaps when he began working on production-level software. Concepts like SCRUM, Unit Testing, or structured code reviews were new. Rather than facing those challenges alone, he learned them through collaboration, project immersion, and day-to-day problem-solving with his team. Stories like this are common across Scio. The company’s approach is not to expect engineers to arrive fully formed. Instead, Scio builds an environment where continuous learning is natural, welcomed, and encouraged. This learning culture connects every part of the organization. Developers share knowledge with developers. Teams learn from other teams. Partners receive the benefit of engineering groups who stay current, challenge assumptions, and continually refine their craft. This structure is what helps Scio provide high-performing nearshore engineering teams that are easy to work with, a core goal reflected across its culture and brand direction. The result is a workplace where growth becomes a shared responsibility. Instead of a top-down directive, learning emerges from collaboration and mutual curiosity. It encourages developers to set goals, pursue new skills, and take ownership of their professional evolution.
Two professionals discussing work at a computer, representing mentoring and collaborative learning in software teams
Sensei-Creati is built on collaboration, shared experience, and personalized learning paths.

Section 2: Sensei-Creati, Scio’s Model for Collaborative Learning

To support long-term development, Scio designed a program called Sensei-Creati, a hybrid model of mentoring and coaching built around voluntary participation. Unlike traditional performance-driven mentoring, this program focuses on curiosity, autonomy, and personalized growth. Here is how the structure works:
  • A Creati is any collaborator who wants to develop a skill, improve a technical competency, or explore a new area of engineering or soft skills.
  • A Sensei is a more experienced peer who has walked that road before and is willing to share feedback, experience, and perspective.
  • When a Creati approaches a Sensei, the two begin a development process designed to be collaborative, flexible, and centered on the Creati’s goals.
The program is open to everyone, regardless of seniority. A developer in IT who wants to learn Quality Assurance can find a Sensei with QA experience. A senior engineer who wants to improve communication or leadership skills can work with someone skilled in those areas. The structure encourages movement across technical and non-technical domains, making the program more dynamic and more relevant than a traditional career ladder. One important requirement is that every new Sensei first participates as a Creati. This allows mentors to experience the program from both perspectives. Before becoming a coach, each Sensei also completes a short course on coaching methods. The focus is not on telling someone what to do. It is on active listening, empathy, and helping someone unlock their own clarity and direction. As Yamila Solari, Co-Founder and Coaching Leader at Scio, explains, the intent is to create a culture where growth is fueled by collaboration rather than hierarchy. Strengths are identified, encouraged, and used to overcome challenges. Conversations are guided without judgment. The process supports both technical advancement and personal development, making it valuable for engineers at every stage of their careers. The program itself is rooted in evolution. When Sensei-Creati began nearly ten years ago, it was tied to supervision and performance evaluation. Over time, Scio realized that real learning does not happen through obligation. It happens when someone is genuinely open to it. The program then shifted to a voluntary model, which proved far more effective. Engineers choose the skills they want to explore, the pace they prefer, and the direction of their development. This shift transformed the program from a compliance activity into a foundational part of Scio’s culture.
Software developer explaining ideas during a virtual session, illustrating teaching as a path to mastery
Teaching reinforces understanding and helps engineers refine their own technical judgment.

Section 3: Teaching as a Path to Mastery

For developers like Carlos, learning eventually evolved into teaching. As someone who has spent more than a decade at Scio, he experienced the entire cycle. He arrived with gaps in his knowledge. He learned through real-world projects and collaboration. And eventually, he became part of the company’s Coaching Committee. In that committee, senior staff help guide activities such as: assessing developer performance for promotions designing technical tests for new candidates shaping workshops that support advancing engineers refining the Sensei-Creati curriculum to include new technologies and tools Teaching, as many experienced developers know, directly strengthens one’s own skills. Explaining a concept requires clarity. Demonstrating a technique requires mastery. Reviewing someone else’s code exposes patterns and anti-patterns that improve your own thinking. Carlos describes his early days as a coach as a mix of excitement and nerves. He did not yet see himself as a mentor, but the moment a Creati approached him with a request to learn a technology he knew, everything clicked. Shared interests built trust quickly. The experience helped him refine his teaching, prepare more thoroughly, and become intentional in how he supported others. Over time, this led to a mentoring network inside Scio where senior developers guide apprentices, mid-level engineers teach emerging juniors, and staff across disciplines exchange knowledge constantly. The result is a more resilient engineering team, one that can respond to rapid industry changes with confidence and shared skill. There is also a deeper philosophy at work. The software community has always been built on shared knowledge. Blogs, forums, conferences, and open-source projects rely on transparency and collaboration. Scio embraces this idea as part of its identity. Shared stories of success and failure form the foundation of collective learning, and curiosity becomes a driving force that shapes every new innovation. Sensei-Creati strengthens this dynamic by removing hierarchical pressure and replacing it with a shared sense of ownership. Engineers teach because they want to. They learn because they choose to. The program’s impact is stronger because it is built on voluntary engagement, not mandatory participation.
Engineer working thoughtfully on a laptop in a calm environment, symbolizing long-term professional growth
Long-term growth in engineering comes from consistent learning, reflection, and shared feedback.

Section 4: A Framework for Long-Term Growth in Engineering

Building an engineering culture around learning does more than improve individual capabilities. It creates predictable benefits for teams and clients. Developers who continually refine their skills bring modern practices into every project. Teams communicate more effectively because they are used to open dialogue and constructive feedback. The organization becomes better at adapting to new challenges because learning is already a habit baked into how people work. Beyond the technical impact, there is a retention benefit as well. Engineers stay longer when they feel supported, valued, and encouraged to grow. Programs like Sensei-Creati demonstrate a commitment to personal development that goes beyond traditional corporate training. They offer engineers agency, which is especially important for high performers. To illustrate the difference, the following simple module shows how Scio’s approach compares to more traditional, compliance-oriented models of professional development:

Comparative Module: Traditional Career Development vs. Scio’s Learning Culture

Aspect Traditional Model Scio’s Approach
Participation Mandatory, top-down Voluntary, peer-driven
Focus Performance gaps Personal and technical goals
Mentorship Assigned by management Chosen by the engineer
Pathways Linear Flexible, cross-disciplinary
Culture Evaluation-oriented Growth-oriented
Motivation Compliance Curiosity and autonomy
Outcomes Narrow upskilling Holistic development
This structure reflects why Scio invests in the culture behind its learning programs. Growth is not treated as a checkbox or a requirement. It is part of what makes the engineering teams stronger, more collaborative, and more enjoyable to work with.

FAQ: Sensei-Creati Program: Mentorship and Professional Growth

  • No. The program is inclusive and open to every collaborator at Scio, regardless of their seniority level, role, or technical discipline. Growth is a continuous journey for everyone.

  • They must complete a short internal coaching course. This ensures that every Sensei has the necessary tools and communication skills to provide effective guidance and high-quality mentorship.

  • Yes. The program actively encourages exploring new career paths and expanding skill sets. We believe cross-functional knowledge makes our teams stronger and our collaborators more versatile.

  • No. Participation in Sensei-Creati is entirely voluntary and exists independently of formal supervisory evaluations or annual performance reviews. It is a space dedicated purely to personal and professional development.

Scaling New Heights: Lessons in Scrum Methodology Learned from Climbing Mountains

Scaling New Heights: Lessons in Scrum Methodology Learned from Climbing Mountains

Agile Methodology, Nearshore Software Development, Scio, Software Development

Written by: Rod Aburto 
Engineer standing on a mountain peak at sunrise, symbolizing leadership perspective and long-term progress
Scrum has earned its place as one of the most reliable frameworks for guiding engineering teams through uncertainty, complexity, and constant change. Yet some of the most meaningful lessons about Scrum are often learned far away from planning boards and sprint reviews. In my case, many of those insights came while climbing mountains. Mountaineering has a way of stripping things down to the essentials. Every step, every checkpoint, and every decision is a reminder of how progress really works. The parallels with Scrum are not only striking, they are useful, especially for engineering leaders looking to strengthen execution, collaboration, and strategic clarity. Below are the lessons that have proven most valuable, both on the trail and inside product teams.

The Power of Iterative Progress

Scrum succeeds because it turns large, uncertain projects into small, manageable increments. The approach keeps teams aligned while reducing the emotional pressure that comes from staring at a massive, distant finish line. Mountain climbing operates on the same principle. No climber thinks about the summit while standing at the bottom. The focus is always the next waypoint, the next hour of effort, the next safe stretch of terrain. For engineering teams, this mindset matters. Breaking work into small, visible chunks helps teams maintain momentum and stay grounded in measurable progress. In both software development and mountaineering, the path rarely unfolds in a straight line. Weather shifts. Priorities change. Terrain surprises you. Having a rhythm of incremental progress makes it possible to adapt without losing sight of the mission. Even more important, iterative progress allows for real assessment. Each checkpoint gives you a chance to evaluate performance, adjust pace, and correct course. This is what makes sprints effective. They create natural pauses where teams step back, reflect, and move forward with greater clarity.
Group of climbers ascending together, representing collaboration and shared progress in Scrum teams
No summit is reached alone. Scrum, like mountaineering, depends on shared context and continuous communication.

Collaboration and Communication at Every Step

Climbing, much like software development, is a team activity. No summit is ever reached without a group that communicates clearly and trusts each other. Daily standups, sprint planning, and backlog discussions exist for a reason. They create space for people to sync, share context, and surface challenges while there is still time to address them. In mountaineering, that alignment can be the difference between a safe climb and a dangerous one. Climbers talk through weather changes, equipment status, energy levels, and route decisions. They ask direct questions and expect direct answers, because lack of clarity creates unnecessary risk. Engineering leaders often underestimate how much communication influences performance and morale. Teams that talk openly solve problems earlier and move faster. Teams that avoid difficult conversations eventually slow down. The same is true on a mountain. When everyone understands the plan and feels confident sharing concerns, the climb becomes safer, smoother, and more efficient.

Adaptation and Risk Management in Real Time

Every climber eventually discovers that even the best plans are temporary. Conditions shift, obstacles appear, and judgment becomes the most valuable tool you have. Scrum teams experience the same truth every sprint. Product requirements evolve. Unexpected bugs surface. Customer priorities change. The ability to adapt quickly is what separates resilient teams from overwhelmed ones. Risk management in both worlds is not about eliminating risk. It is about anticipating what could go wrong, preparing for it, and responding without losing momentum. Good engineering leaders create environments where changing direction is not seen as a setback but as part of the work. The team’s ability to process new information and pivot responsibly becomes a competitive advantage. In mountaineering, small adjustments keep the team safe and on track. In software development, continuous adaptation keeps the product relevant and reliable. Both require awareness, humility, and steady decision-making.
Team discussing ideas together, representing feedback loops and continuous learning in Scrum
Retrospectives and feedback loops help teams learn early, before small issues slow progress.

Feedback Loops and Continuous Learning

Scrum depends on feedback. Retrospectives, sprint reviews, and user validation provide critical insight into what’s working and what isn’t. Without consistent and honest feedback loops, improvement stalls and teams plateau. Climbers approach their craft the same way. After a climb, the team takes time to review what happened, what choices made sense, and what should change before the next attempt. These post-climb evaluations are a form of retrospective discipline. They shape future climbs and strengthen team coordination, safety, and performance. For engineering leaders, this is a reminder that feedback should never feel optional. It should be embedded into the team’s habits. The goal is not to document mistakes but to learn from them. The most successful engineering teams treat feedback as fuel for iteration, not a form of accountability. The same mindset drives safer and more confident climbs.

Focus on Incremental Goals

Reaching base camp is an accomplishment. Clearing a difficult glacier crossing is an accomplishment. Surviving a long night climb is an accomplishment. These milestones create energy and build confidence. Scrum uses the same principle. Teams need achievable goals inside every sprint to feel momentum and clarity. Incremental goals help teams pace themselves. They also provide checkpoints for evaluating physical, emotional, and strategic readiness. On a mountain, this can influence whether a group pushes forward or turns back. In software development, it determines whether the team moves into the next sprint or refines the scope. Small goals steady the climb. They also help leaders make smarter decisions about effort, staffing, and risk. When engineering teams learn to celebrate wins along the way, they build resilience and sharpen their ability to take on more demanding challenges.
Climber navigating rocky terrain, representing resilience and perseverance in engineering teams
Progress is built through steady steps, even when conditions are uncertain or demanding.

Resilience and Perseverance When Things Get Tough

Mountains test resolve in ways that few other experiences can. Bad weather, exhaustion, uncertainty, and fear all play a role. Progress is physically and mentally demanding. Software development, while less dramatic, follows a similar pattern. Teams deal with shifting timelines, late discoveries, and technical constraints that push them to their limits. Resilience is built in small moments, not big ones. It comes from trusting the team, staying focused on immediate goals, and not letting temporary setbacks dictate long-term outcomes. Scrum encourages this mindset through short cycles, clear priorities, and consistent opportunities to reset. Perseverance does not mean ignoring difficulty. It means navigating it with clarity and composure. Climbers know that every tough stretch is temporary, and every step brings them closer to the summit. Engineering teams benefit from the same perspective.

Comparative Module: Scrum vs. Mountaineering Lessons

Area of Practice Scrum Application Mountaineering Parallel
Progress Strategy Execute work in defined sprints with established objectives Advance sequentially from one designated camp to the next
Communication Conduct daily standups and maintain transparent collaboration Engage in detailed route discussions and ensure continuous status updates
Risk Management Adapt the strategic roadmap based on the assimilation of new information Modify the ascent path in response to evolving environmental conditions
Feedback & Learning Implement retrospective analyses and incorporate user-derived insights Conduct comprehensive post-climb evaluations and debriefings
Resilience Sustain a consistent operational pace despite inherent uncertainties Persevere through challenging and demanding physical terrain

Conclusion

Climbing mountains has taught me that progress is never a straight line. It is a series of deliberate steps, clear conversations, smart adjustments, and steady perseverance. Scrum captures those same principles and applies them to engineering work in a way that feels both practical and enduring. Engineering leaders who embrace these parallels gain more than a project framework. They gain a deeper understanding of how teams move forward, how people grow, and how challenges shape capability. Whether you are leading a development team or planning your next climb, remember that every milestone offers a moment to learn, reset, and prepare for the next stretch of the journey.
Two people standing on a mountain peak with a question mark, representing reflection and learning in Scrum
Strong teams pause to ask better questions before deciding the next move.

FAQ: Lessons from the Peak: Applying Mountaineering Principles to Scrum

  • Both rely on incremental progress, collaborative communication, and adaptive decision-making. In both worlds, you must move through uncertainty by adjusting your path based on real-time feedback from the environment.

  • They involve planning, risk assessment, teamwork, and adjustments under pressure. This mirrors the realities of modern engineering, where a team must stay aligned while navigating complex technical terrain.

  • By reinforcing feedback loops, encouraging resilience, and breaking large initiatives into manageable, high-visibility goals. This reduces "summit fever" and ensures the team stays focused on the immediate next step.

  • No. Much like finding a safe route up a mountain, iteration creates clarity and reduces rework. It allows teams to adapt faster to changing requirements with significantly less friction and technical debt.

How to overcome any tech challenge and come out as an IT hero for your company

How to overcome any tech challenge and come out as an IT hero for your company

Nearshore, Scio, Software Development

Written by: Scio Team  

Team of IT professionals collaborating on a laptop with digital network icons representing technology challenges.

The Everyday Challenges of Small IT Teams

Today’s business world is more tech-savvy than ever, and staying ahead of the competition often requires staying ahead of the latest trends in technology. But for smaller IT departments this can be a total challenge, where keeping an open dialogue with the rest of the company and understanding their needs to find the right solutions is the only path to success. Of course, investing in quality tools, so the IT team has access to reliable and current resources, would be ideal, as well as researching new technologies, and networking with experts to explore unusual sources for potential tech advances, but this is not always the case. Often, a small IT department can provide innovative solutions, stay competitive and maintain a robust infrastructure even in an increasingly fast-paced world only by doing a truly heroic effort at getting the job done.

Why External Technical Partners Can Make a Difference

For these reasons, having an external tech partner can greatly relieve the stress caused by tackling complex tasks without enough resources, bringing outside expertise and additional bandwidth to the table to tackle any project efficiently and cost-effectively. With this access to best practices and tools designed specifically for the task at hand, utilizing an outsourcing partner can be one of the strongest leverage points in making sure that small IT teams can do more with less.

The Reality of Running a Mid-Sized IT Depart

However, there’s no denying that maintaining a mid-sized business’s IT department running smoothly can still be tricky. Smaller teams have a more difficult time responding quickly to software and hardware malfunctions, meaning keeping your tech running at an optimal level can be difficult. It can also be hard to adequately protect sensitive data that is stored digitally, as cybersecurity solutions often require more resources than the small IT staff may possess. On top of all this, managing employees’ demands and expectations takes further coordination from the small team members. And that’s without mentioning how keeping up with advancements in technology is also a challenge for smaller teams who might not have the budget for frequent upgrades and replacement parts. For many businesses, having a dedicated IT department is an invaluable asset, but these departments face unique hurdles that should not be overlooked.

Recent research reinforces how quickly technology landscapes evolve. Deloitte’s 2024 Tech Trends report highlights that even well-structured IT teams struggle to keep pace with emerging tools, rising security demands, and new expectations from the business. This makes adaptability—and the ability to collaborate effectively across disciplines, more important than ever.

Common Challenges for Small IT Departments and How to Address Them

Challenge Impact on the Team What Helps Overcome It
Limited internal bandwidth Delays, context switching, growing backlog Support from a high-performing external engineering team
Rapid tech changes Skill gaps, slower adoption, higher learning curves Continuous learning + collaboration with experienced peers
Unexpected incidents Stress, downtime, operational disruption Clear processes, communication, and shared responsibilities
Complex projects with tight timelines Reduced quality, missed expectations Additional senior engineering capacity and structured planning

When the Pressure Rises: What Should IT Leaders Do Next?

With this in mind, it’s fair to say that being in charge of such responsibilities is nothing short of daring for many IT leaders, especially when it comes to times of crisis and rapid change that often require these departments to do a lot with very little. So what are your options if the job is surpassing your resources, and you need to find quality solutions fast? What is the best approach to take?
IT professional interacting with a digital interface that represents system monitoring, troubleshooting, and real-time decision-making.
Clarity under pressure: every IT hero moment begins with understanding how your systems behave.

The Hero Call: How to Step Up in Critical Moments

There are a few simple steps to have in mind if you need to become the IT hero at your company. Do your research and learn everything you can about the systems currently in use; chances are that by having a thorough knowledge of information systems, industry trends, and technology, you’ll set yourself apart from the rest. Being an ardent learner, able to stay on top of advancements and new technologies while being proficient in problem-solving skills, is also a must because, when used correctly, IT can help companies become more efficient and maximize their output, so taking extra initiative to understand how different aspects of the IT domain fit together is essential. And last, but not least, building relationships with other departments in the organization too (and knowing how various areas work together) can help you better understand how technology can best be applied to meet organizational objectives. 

Manage Crises with Structure and Clear Communication

All of these preparations can make a difference if a tech crisis happens. For a small IT department, dealing with these difficult situations (that can go from sudden malware attacks that cripple operations to unexpected hardware breakdown that leaves machines non-functional, to incorporating a new platform to change the workflow of the company) can be a daunting prospect, so the best thing you can do is approach the situation with focus and thoroughness. Bringing in all involved stakeholders so you can assess both the short-term and long-term impact of the project and develop a plan of action is a good first step. Secondly, find ways to streamline processes by leveraging technology already available in the department as well as ensuring there are reliable backups in place. And always strive to maintain consistent communication so all parties involved are kept up-to-date on the actions being taken. 

When to Bring in a Nearshore Partner for Support

Nevertheless, even the best IT departments can sometimes be outclassed by the size of the task, which is why having the perfect Nearshore partner at your side is the best course of action. We have touched on the subject of choosing the perfect tech partner, but in short, when tackling IT problems for small businesses, the key is to face difficult situations with creativity. Successfully taking on a big technology project requires the ability to think outside the box and come up with creative solutions that fan enthusiasm for the project’s objectives. Furthermore, having excellent communication skills will help ensure that this technology project is understood and adopted within an organization. Adopting new technologies can be daunting, so bring patience and composure to the table when introducing a new technology initiative. 

What to Look for in the Right Development Partner

And if you decide to go down the path of bringing a development partner, there are some key items to look for, like 24/7 support, an in-depth understanding of the industry, and enough flexibility to accommodate rapid changes. Businesses should also confirm that they have reliable security protocols and measures in place, and remember that experience always counts — having worked with clients similar in size and offering long-term customer service is invaluable. Choosing the right partner can save hours of headaches and help give the business confidence as it grows into the future, and you will be the key to letting this positive outcome happen.
Lightbulb surrounded by connected tech icons representing innovation, problem-solving, and IT team impact.
Where ideas spark: innovation grows when expertise and problem-solving align.

Always Bring Your Best: How IT Teams Create Real Impact

As the architects of the digital transformation happening in today’s world, IT departments are essential for the success of practically every business, and they have to exhibit a rare combination of expertise, agility, and cross-company collaboration to reach success by possessing a level of technological understanding and reliability to handle any challenge that comes their way. And working quickly and effectively with the outsourcing provider just ensures the right decisions are made quickly and resources are managed responsibly. As the go-to experts on technology in the company, they would ensure the smooth implementation of initiatives while also maintaining proper protocols for cyber security, playing a vital role in streamlining operations between departments. In other words, a heroic IT department can create an efficient working environment where everyone just “clicks”.

How Strong IT–Partner Collaboration Drives Better Results

And if you add a tech partner to bring any project to fruition, these teams will be enabled to go above and beyond to solve difficult issues that threaten the success of the company, thanks to the knowledge of how to navigate different systems, stay organized, and harness new technology trends that can improve operations, while maintaining cost efficiency. This sets them apart from all other tech departments as their commitment is to take any issue head-on and provide valuable solutions that benefit their clients. With this type of mentality, mid-sized companies can get the most out of their partnerships by knowing that their IT department is up for any challenge put before them, committed to achieving maximum efficiency, good communication, and proactive attitudes without sacrificing the ability to be agile in responding to an evolving landscape.

Key Takeaways for Becoming the IT Hero Your Company Needs

  • Nowadays, IT is the underlying linchpin in many businesses, but this job has plenty of challenges that any competent team has to navigate carefully.
  • The best approach for a small IT department that might not have many resources is to have the best development partners and a clear plan to ensure success in any project.
  • The department head of IT has a big responsibility on his or her shoulders, so being smart about how to act is what separates the adequate teams from excellent ones.

Strengthening your ability to respond to complex technical challenges rarely comes down to tools alone; it comes down to the people you collaborate with. Many engineering leaders find that working with a high-performing nearshore team helps them maintain momentum, reduce operational strain, and focus on the initiatives that matter most to the business. If you’re exploring ways to expand your development capacity with a partner that prioritizes alignment, communication, and long-term collaboration, we’re always open to a conversation. You can reach us anytime at sciodev.com/contact-us.

FAQs: Key FAQs About Overcoming IT Challenges

  • Small IT teams should prioritize core responsibilities, automate repetitive tasks, and rely on nearshore partners to add scalable bandwidth during high-pressure periods. This strategy helps maintain quality and prevents internal staff burnout.

  • A good partner brings specialized skills, faster execution, and additional resources to stabilize critical systems quickly. They allow your internal IT department to focus on problem diagnosis while the partner executes the necessary solutions in parallel.

  • Look for time-zone alignment, proven experience with mid-sized companies, strong security practices, and flexibility to adapt quickly. Factors like 24/7 support availability and cultural compatibility also play a major role in ensuring smooth long-term collaboration.

  • Preparation involves maintaining thorough documentation, regularly reviewing infrastructure health, staying informed about new tools, and creating crisis-response playbooks. Partnering with a nearshore team also ensures quick access to additional expertise and resources when an incident occurs.

CPH Success Story: The Key to a Winning Partnership between Nearshore Companies and their Clients 

CPH Success Story: The Key to a Winning Partnership between Nearshore Companies and their Clients 

Nearshore, Scio, Success Stories

Written by: Monserrat Raya 

Business professional touching a digital innovation icon representing nearshore software collaboration.

Introduction

True collaboration creates great software At Scio, we’ve learned through experience that great software doesn’t come from process charts or delivery checklists—it comes from people. Collaboration is what makes a product truly work. It’s the bridge between intention and execution, between what clients imagine and what developers bring to life. When a U.S. company partners with a nearshore software development firm, what they’re really doing is choosing a partner that will share the weight of innovation. A real partner doesn’t just take tickets; they listen, anticipate, and adapt. They care about the client’s goals as if they were their own. That’s the essence of collaboration—and the reason why our relationship with CPH & Associates has endured for almost a decade. This success story is more than a case study. It’s a reflection on how trust, culture, and shared values can transform a business relationship into something much greater than a contract.

From vendor to partner: the leap toward true collaboration

There’s a moment in every partnership when something shifts. The client stops seeing you as a vendor, and you stop seeing them as just a project. Suddenly, you’re solving problems together, making decisions side by side, and celebrating milestones as one team. That’s the kind of transformation we believe in. At Scio, we call it strategic nearshoring—because collaboration should never feel like a transaction. It should feel like building something that matters. That’s exactly what happened with CPH; Associates, an insurance company based in Chicago that wanted to simplify how clients interacted with their providers. Back in 2014, they came to us looking for a team that could translate that vision into technology. What began as a project soon evolved into a partnership defined by cultural alignment and mutual respect.
Scio and CPH engineering teams collaborating in a project kickoff meeting.
True partnerships begin with shared goals — not just deliverables.

Dissecting the meaning of collaboration

When both sides share similar values and ways of thinking, collaboration becomes natural. But when there’s a mismatch in culture, expectations, or communication, even the simplest project can become complicated. In software development, success depends on much more than clean code or technical expertise. It depends on how teams communicate, how they build trust, and how they respond to challenges together. A nearshore partnership thrives when both companies mirror each other’s values—transparency, accountability, creativity—and use those similarities to navigate complex projects. True collaboration isn’t just talking daily on Slack. It’s about trust, communication, experience, and technical mastery. These four factors are the backbone of every strong partnership, and in the CPH story, they became the blueprint for long-term success.

Key Factors Behind Successful Nearshore Partnerships

What Made the CPH × Scio Partnership Work
Factor
Why It Matters
How It Worked with CPH
Trust Trust allows both teams to move forward confidently, take risks, and solve problems before they escalate. CPH trusted Scio early because we focused on solutions—not just deliverables. When issues arose, we faced them together.
Communication Clear, consistent communication prevents wasted effort and keeps everyone aligned with the same vision. With overlapping time zones between Mexico and Chicago, teams worked in real time—reviewing sprint outcomes daily and maintaining a shared rhythm.
Industry Experience Experience helps predict risks, streamline processes, and design solutions suited to each industry. Scio’s background in regulated sectors like healthcare and insurance made it easier to meet CPH’s compliance needs and workflows.
Technology Expertise Innovation happens when teams master the tools and technologies that sustain the business. Scio guided CPH through modernization—updating architecture, strengthening security, and ensuring system scalability.
These four pillars became the DNA of our collaboration. They defined how we approached every iteration, every technical challenge, and every opportunity for improvement.

A first approach: from potential to partnership

In 2014, CPH & Associates had a bold vision—to create a unified digital platform for their clients and insurers. The goal was simple: convenience, transparency, and a modern customer experience. But the challenge was complex. Finding the right partner meant more than outsourcing talent; it meant finding a team capable of understanding both the business and the people behind it. That’s when CPH found Scio. Our first meetings weren’t just about timelines or budgets—they were about alignment. As Ameet Shahani, Director of Technology at CPH, recalled later, “Scio’s first approach had substance.” We weren’t selling hours; we were proposing ideas. We didn’t just ask what needed to be done—we asked why. That question—“why?”—was the beginning of everything. The collaboration didn’t become seamless overnight. It took time to find balance. CPH’s domain in insurance came with unique challenges—strict compliance, security demands, and detailed workflows. But as trust built up, both sides found a rhythm that made distance irrelevant. Almost ten years later, the CPH–Scio partnership continues to evolve. What began as a project turned into a long-term collaboration built on cultural synergy, continuous improvement, and mutual respect.
Visual network of connected speech icons symbolizing collaboration in software teams.
When communication flows, innovation follows.

Learning through collaboration: growing together

In software development, learning never stops. Every sprint, every deployment, every retrospective brings a lesson. But when two organizations commit to learning together, that’s when something remarkable happens. The collaboration between Scio and CPH is a living example of that principle. Over the years, dozens of Scio developers have contributed to the project—each bringing fresh perspectives and gaining valuable industry experience in return. For Scio, this project became an internal training ground—a place where our engineers could refine their craft, learn about compliance-heavy environments, and understand how technology impacts real people’s lives. For CPH, it meant working with a team that was always improving, always learning, and always committed to excellence. That’s one of the hidden advantages of nearshore partnerships in Latin America: the ability to rotate and refresh talent without losing momentum. Because of shared time zones, similar professional standards, and cultural proximity, collaboration feels effortless. Developers can join ongoing projects smoothly, contribute fast, and bring energy to long-term initiatives. As Ameet described it, “It’s not the flashiest project out there, but it’s meaningful.” That kind of work requires patience, experience, and a team that genuinely cares. It’s not about chasing trends; it’s about building systems that last.

Why cultural alignment matters more than ever

Cultural alignment is often treated as a soft skill, but it’s one of the most powerful competitive advantages a company can have. In software partnerships, it determines whether innovation flows or stalls.

When two teams share the same values—honesty, accountability, curiosity—they make better decisions. They catch misunderstandings early and turn challenges into collaboration opportunities. That’s exactly what happened between CPH and Scio.

Unlike many offshore engagements, where time zones and cultural gaps slow things down, nearshoring to Mexico and Latin America brings U.S. companies closer to partners who think and work like them. Shared language nuances, similar work ethics, and compatible business hours turn collaboration into a natural daily flow.

For a deeper dive into this topic, check out our related article:
How to Build Culturally Aligned Nearshore Teams That Actually Work

At Scio, cultural alignment isn’t just a checkbox—it’s part of how we hire, train, and grow our teams. Through our Scio Elevate framework, we focus on developing well-rounded engineers who combine technical skill with empathy, communication, and adaptability. Because technology changes fast—but human connection is what makes it all work.
Learn more at Scio Elevate.

Hands joining to form a light bulb, symbolizing partnership and innovation.
Collaboration turns ideas into light — and partnerships into impact.

Lessons from a nine-year partnership

Every long-term partnership leaves lessons behind. For Scio and CPH, these lessons are not about technical success alone—they’re about people, adaptability, and shared purpose.
Lessons from a Nine-Year Partnership
Insight
What It Means
Collaboration is intentional It requires time, openness, and shared rituals—like retrospectives, honest feedback, and transparency about challenges.
Culture isn’t a soft skill — it’s a system How people treat each other and solve conflicts directly shapes the success of a project.
Learning is mutual CPH gained flexibility and innovation; Scio gained domain expertise and a trusted partner.
Trust compounds Every project milestone reinforces reliability. Over time, trust becomes the most valuable deliverable.
Together, these insights highlight the deeper truth behind every successful nearshore partnership: alignment creates acceleration.

Beyond technology: the human equation

Software development isn’t just about code—it’s about people working together under pressure, finding creative solutions, and growing through the process. When Scio partners with clients like CPH, what we’re really building is understanding. That understanding becomes innovation. It turns feedback into better features, conversations into breakthroughs, and challenges into trust. That’s the real key to a winning partnership—empathy and consistency. As companies across the U.S. look for nearshore partners who can scale their development capacity, this story serves as a reminder that success isn’t found in the latest framework or trend. It’s found in the daily practice of listening, aligning, and collaborating with purpose.

The takeaways

Key Lessons from the CPH × Scio Partnership
Lesson
Description
Partnerships thrive on shared culture When both sides value transparency and accountability, collaboration turns friction into progress.
Proximity matters Working in similar time zones fosters real-time collaboration and faster decision-making.
Experience builds resilience A decade-long partnership like Scio–CPH is proof that knowledge and adaptability drive long-term value.
Learning never ends Every collaboration teaches new lessons that shape the next generation of software engineers.

To explore similar success stories, read Why Nearshore is the Right Fit for Agile Software Development.

Ready to build your own success story?

If you’re a tech leader in Dallas, Austin, or anywhere in the U.S. looking for a reliable nearshore partner that values trust, collaboration, and shared success—let’s talk.

Contact Scio and start your own success story today.

Keyboard key with a red question mark representing inquiry and problem-solving.
The best partnerships start by asking the right questions.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is a growth mindset truly about? 4 myths that you should avoid

What is a growth mindset truly about? 4 myths that you should avoid

Scio, Software Development, Successful Outsourcing

Written by: Scio Team 
Business professional reviewing Agile methodology dashboard while choosing a Lean Product Development partner

Introduction

In software development, the difference between a team that stagnates and one that scales often comes down to mindset. CTOs and VPs of Engineering in hubs like Austin, Dallas, and Silicon Valley know this well: technologies evolve, markets shift, and the pressure to deliver innovation never slows down. This is where the growth mindset comes in. Popularized in education and psychology, it’s now a critical concept for software teams. But despite its popularity, the term is often misunderstood. Let’s clarify what a growth mindset really means for software leaders and explore the myths that can derail your teams if left unchecked.

Why Growth Mindset Matters for U.S. Software Teams

For U.S.-based technology companies, having developers with a growth mindset means more than just a positive attitude—it translates into resilience, adaptability, and faster adoption of new tools and practices. Take, for example, distributed or nearshore teams. Leaders in Austin working with developers in Mexico often highlight how a growth mindset culture reduces friction, accelerates onboarding, and creates an environment where challenges become stepping stones rather than roadblocks. In today’s market—whether you’re scaling SaaS products, integrating AI-driven features, or managing compliance-heavy systems—a growth mindset in your development team is not a “nice to have.” It’s strategic.
Growth mindset in software engineering — continuous learning, feedback and collaboration.
A growth mindset helps developers expand skills, collaborate better, and adapt to new technologies.
And a lot has changed in the software development field over the years. New languages, frameworks, and development practices mean that it’s more important than ever to develop a well-rounded skill set. To become a truly effective software developer, you need to be able to work in a variety of environments and be comfortable with a range of technologies. You also need to have a strong foundation in the basics, including principles of software design, data structures, and algorithms. And finally, it’s important to be able to communicate effectively with other team members, whether it’s working with architects to design a system or collaborating on code reviews. A growth mindset is the best strategy to do so, helping you stretch into other important areas (like teamwork, communication, or leadership) outside of your normal interests. However, getting into a growth mindset is not an easy task. And it isn’t because accomplishing this is singularly hard or demanding, but because there are a lot of myths and misconceptions about what a growth mindset is, or how to effectively harness this way of thinking to become a better developer. So, what are some of the myths about developing a growth mindset, and how to avoid falling into them?

Myth 1: It’s an intrinsic quality to have

We see this kind of thinking all the time, from the “there are two kinds of people in the world” type of mentality, to the idea that natural talent or ability is the most important quality to have (and bad luck to anyone born without it). However, when it comes to a growth mindset, this idea is harmful and simply not true.  After all, a person with a true growth mindset believes that intelligence and talent are not fixed traits; everyone can grow and improve with the necessary effort, and that every challenge is an opportunity to grow. So why isn’t everyone running around with a growth mindset? Well, because a fixed mindset, or the belief that intelligence and talent are fixed traits that cannot be changed, is still very prevalent, and even the default in our current society. This mentality leads people to give up easily, believing that they cannot improve, simply because they are afraid of failing. However, with the right tools and environment, anyone can learn to grow, stop fearing the failures that are necessary to evolve, and better themselves in areas of skill that they thought impossible before.

Myth 2: It’s all about being positive

Being «positive» is often touted as the key to success in life, an antidote of sorts for all kinds of problems, from personal relationships to financial success. Generally, the thinking goes that if you stay positive, good things will happen to you. Although starting with a positive attitude certainly helps, this is not the most important element of a true growth mindset. A growth mindset is about taking risks, learning from failure, and always striving to improve.  In fact, «positive thinking» can be a form of self-deception that can prevent people from achieving their full potential; being successful in any area requires the willingness to face your limitations, recognize them, and make an effort to improve. By pretending that everything is always rosy, people with an uncritically positive outlook may avoid taking risks and miss out on growth opportunities. So, if you want to achieve real growth, you need to have a positive attitude toward failure and a willingness to take risks. Only then will you be able to reach your full potential.
Chess piece symbolizing strategy and growth mindset in software development challenges
A growth mindset in software development helps teams face challenges and improve performance.

Myth 3: A growth mindset guarantees positive results

One of the key elements of a growth mindset is the willingness to take on risks and challenges. Learning and improving on areas we never considered before requires effort, the willingness to hear criticisms and feedback, and committing time and resources to achieve it. But most importantly, anyone who wishes to get into a growth mindset needs to understand that failure is always an option and that a growth mindset does not guarantee positive outcomes all of the time. Instead, it is simply one tool that can help achieve goals.  What matters is how we deal with these challenges and setbacks. If we allow them to defeat us, then our growth mindset won’t matter. But if we use them as opportunities to learn and grow, then we can overcome anything. So yes, a growth mindset is important, but it’s not a silver bullet. It won’t magically make everything better. But it will give us the strength to keep going when times are tough, helping us see failure as a normal part of the learning process, and letting us get ready for the next challenge. As one might say, “you are either learning or winning”.

Myth 4: Absolutely everything is possible

As the saying goes, a “jack-of-all-trades is a master of none”, and the notion that anyone can be an expert at everything is misguided and can set unrealistic expectations when it comes to getting a growth mindset. The core tenet here is that you can develop any skill you want if you put effort into it, and that people in general don’t exist in a static state that is impossible to change. If, as a developer, you want to have skills that go beyond pure technical know-how, like leadership, teamwork, negotiation, or public speaking because you want to become more well-rounded. It could open up opportunities for you and there are techniques and strategies you can try to be more proficient at.  But don’t develop unrealistic expectations about it. If we believe that we should be able to do everything expertly, we’re bound to feel like failures when we inevitably fall short. An average person has affinities and weak spots in different areas, which is fine and normal. This should neither stop you from trying new things nor make you believe that you need to be the best at everything you attempt. What’s more, this belief devalues expertise. If everyone is supposedly an expert, then what’s the point of learning from those who have spent their lives honing a particular skill? Instead of trying to be good at everything, we would be better off accepting that we have our limits and that there are some things we’re simply not cut out for and focusing on becoming the best at what we’re interested in. Only then can we truly excel.

Growth Mindset vs Fixed Mindset in Software Teams

Growth Mindset vs Fixed Mindset — Key Dimensions for Software Teams
Dimension
Growth Mindset
Fixed Mindset
Learning Sees mistakes as feedback for improvement Avoids challenges for fear of failure
Collaboration Values feedback and peer reviews Sees feedback as criticism
Innovation Experiments with new tech stacks Sticks only to what already knows
Adaptability Thrives in nearshore and hybrid models Struggles outside comfort zone

How Leaders in Austin and Dallas Apply Growth Mindset

Local tech leaders know that a growth mindset is not just theory—it’s a competitive advantage.

  • Austin startups: invest in continuous learning, sponsoring certifications and training in emerging frameworks.
  • Dallas enterprises: strengthen collaboration by pairing senior engineers with nearshore juniors, creating mentorship loops that benefit both sides.
  • Silicon Valley companies: normalize failure as part of innovation, rewarding teams not only for wins but also for documenting lessons that improve delivery speed.

This approach demonstrates that adopting a growth mindset is not only about individual improvement—it’s about how entire teams adapt, collaborate, and sustain growth across distributed models.

Hand placing wooden blocks with lightbulb icons, symbolizing innovation and growth mindset in software development
Visual representation of growth mindset and continuous learning in software development.

Key Takeaways

  • Growth mindset ≠ positivity only — it’s about resilience, risk-taking, and learning from feedback.
  • Failure is feedback, not the end — the best U.S. tech teams see mistakes as data to improve.
  • Not everything is possible — realistic expectations prevent burnout and value real expertise.
  • Leaders in Austin & Dallas apply it daily — through mentorship, certifications, and cultural alignment with nearshore teams.
  • For U.S. companies, mindset is strategic — it impacts delivery speed, team morale, and long-term innovation.

Final Thoughts: Why It Matters Now

At its core, acquiring a growth mindset should benefit you personally. It’s about believing in your ability to learn, improve, and become a better developer—and a better leader. The payoff? Increased motivation, resilience, and a stronger capacity to see challenges as opportunities instead of setbacks.

But for U.S. tech leaders in Austin, Dallas, and beyond, the stakes are even higher. In today’s competitive market, a growth mindset directly impacts delivery speed, team morale, and innovation. When combined with the right cultural alignment—like what nearshore teams in Mexico can offer—it becomes a driver for real business outcomes.

Let’s talk about nearshoring. At Scio, we’ve been building and mentoring software teams since 2003, helping CTOs and VPs of Engineering create high-performing squads that don’t just code—they adapt, grow, and scale alongside your business.

FAQs About Growth Mindset in Software Teams

Q1: Does a growth mindset really improve developer performance?

Yes. Studies show growth mindset teams adapt faster, handle feedback better, and innovate more effectively.

Q2: How can U.S. companies foster growth mindset in nearshore teams?

By encouraging mentorship, continuous learning, and cross-border collaboration in distributed teams.

Q3: Is growth mindset the same as optimism?

Not quite. It’s about resilience and adaptability, not blind positivity.

Q4: Can developers shift from fixed to growth mindset?

Absolutely — with the right leadership and culture, developers can change how they approach feedback and challenges.

Q5: Why is growth mindset critical for Austin or Dallas tech leaders?

Because adaptability and cultural alignment directly impact delivery speed, product quality, and innovation.

Suggested Resources for Further Reading

To explore more about how mindset and methodology shape software success, here are some recommended resources:

Internal Links

Discover how Latin American nearshore teams align culturally with U.S. companies and why this cultural fit drives stronger outcomes. Read more.

Compare Traditional vs Agile software development methods and see which approach best supports your product strategy. Learn more.

External Links

Harvard Business Review – What Having a Growth Mindset Actually Means: A must-read analysis of how this concept is often misunderstood inside organizations.

McKinsey – Achieving Growth: Putting Leadership Mindsets into Action: Practical insights on how leaders turn growth mindset into behaviors that accelerate business outcomes.

McKinsey – How Top Performers Drive Innovation and Growth: Research on how leading companies foster innovative mindsets to expand within and beyond their core business.

“They have programmers in Mexico?”: The story of remote work at Scio with CEO and Founder Luis Aburto (Part 1)

“They have programmers in Mexico?”: The story of remote work at Scio with CEO and Founder Luis Aburto (Part 1)

Interculturality, Latin America Nearshoring, Nearshore Software Development, Outsourced Engineering Team, Scio, Software Development, Strategic Digital Nearshoring, Success Stories

By Scio Team 
Luis Aburto, CEO and Founder of Scio, a nearshore software development company in Mexico, specializing in remote teams for U.S. tech companies.
When it comes to working remotely and managing a hybrid working model, nothing is better than hearing it from someone doing it since 2003. So we sat down with Luis Aburto, CEO and Founder of Scio to find out what worked, what didn’t, what is Nearshore development, and the long road from emails to agile methodologies. Enjoy!
As a potential client, if I wanted to work with Nearshore developers, I would like to know how they can maintain cohesion in the team. Anyone can say “I’ll find you a developer” and then open LinkedIn, but that doesn’t make you a recruiter.

It’s not about just finding resources, it’s about building high-performing teams of people who integrate well, and I’d like to see how they achieve that and motivate their collaborators to strive for a well-done job. That’s what I would look for in a Nearshore company.

Scio started all the way back in 2003, and in the years since, it refined a unique perspective on software development, remote hybrid work, and what’s next for a programmer interested in joining an industry at the forefront of innovation and adaptability. But how did it all begin?

Luis Aburto, CEO and Founder of Scio, a nearshore software development company in Mexico, specializing in remote teams for U.S. tech companies.
Luis Aburto, CEO & Founder of Scio, on building nearshore software teams for U.S. companies—especially in Texas.

Nearshore: A new way to develop software

Well, at the end of the 90s, very few organizations in the US realized that software development could be done in Mexico. Clients had the idea that “IT outsourcing” was something you did in India, and nowhere else you could get these kinds of services.

One of the first companies to talk about “Nearshore development” was Softtek, which started to promote this model around 1998 or so. At the time, the attitude was something like “Seriously? They have programmers in Mexico?”, and certain friction existed towards the idea of outsourcing development here.

Now, since Scio began, our focus has been working with North American clients so, by definition, we have been doing remote work since day one. Sure, we occasionally visited clients to discuss the stages of a project, collect requirements, and present advances, but collaboration has mainly been remote, through conference calls and the like.

Technology wasn’t what it is now. Skype was the most advanced thing then, but Internet speeds gave us barely enough quality to do videoconferences, so we used phone landlines and conference speakers to make calls. It sounds quaint nowadays, I think, but it helped us start developing efficient ways to collaborate remotely.

It all happened exclusively at the office, too. Today it is very common to have a good broadband connection with optical fiber at home, but in ’03, dedicated Internet connections for businesses were barely enough, so if you worked from home, sending your code to a remote server somewhere and trying to integrate it with the code written by the office team was a very slow process, and not efficient at all.

Vintage office desk with a typewriter, invoices, and coins—illustrating the pre-Cloud era of software development and Scio’s early remote-work context serving U.S. clients from Mexico.
Early nearshore realities: collaborating with U.S. clients from Mexico before Cloud DevOps—foundations that shaped Scio’s modern remote delivery.
Also, we didn’t have stuff like GitHub or Azure DevOps, where everybody can send their code to the Cloud and run tests from there, so even if your clients were remote, you needed to be at the office to access your Source Code Repository with reasonable speed.

Internet speeds eventually started to get better and the possibility of working from home became more feasible. Around 2012 we started by implementing a policy where you could choose one day to work remotely per week, so by the time this pandemic got here, everyone already had a computer and good Internet plans, so it wasn’t a very radical change for us. We just leaped from doing it a single day of the week to doing it daily.

And yes, I do mean “this” pandemic because it isn’t the first one Scio has gone through. Back in 2009, we had the Swine Flu (AH1N1) in Mexico, and we had to completely shut down because going home and working from there couldn’t be done by everyone. The infrastructure necessary wasn’t there yet, so you couldn’t ask the team to work remotely overnight, even for a short while.

Other things changed once we could implement this “Home Office Day” policy, mainly realizing this was not a “lost” day of work. The response to it was great, as you could keep in contact with the team without getting lost in a “black hole” of not knowing what was going on, and do other stuff if your tasks allowed it.

Eventually, we had a couple of team members that, for personal reasons, left the office to work remotely full-time. The spouse of one of them got a job in Guadalajara and he didn’t want to leave us, so asked if we would be okay with this arrangement. After some time seeing how well this worked out, we fully opened to the idea of hiring more people remotely, to the point we had four full-time collaborators in Guadalajara on a co-working space we rented so they wouldn’t feel alone.

Computer screens with programming code reflected on eyeglasses, symbolizing Scio’s transition from email-based workflows to agile methodologies for U.S. clients.
Scio’s shift from email-heavy workflows to agile practices transformed collaboration with U.S. tech companies.

A technology leap

For our clients, things worked a little differently too. Back in the early 2000’s, collaboration happened a lot through email, where you had these long chains of messages that contained whole project proposals and development plans.

You can still do that of course, but it’s more common nowadays to just say “hey, let’s have a quick call, I’ll explain this and you can give me your feedback” to arrive at a decision, than having to compose an email, read it, discuss it with every relevant person, take note of all the stuff that wasn’t clear, and respond back and forth during the whole dev cycle.

This was our very early collaboration flow until agile methodologies became the norm. Soon our teams had daily scrum meetings with clients, with the key difference that, instead of a call of 10 or 15 participants joining from home, you had a meeting between two boardrooms: on one side of the call was the team at Scio, and on the other, our counterparts at the client’s office.

Everyone gave their status and comments, and once we finished, further exchanges were done by email or phone calls. We canceled several phone lines last year, by the way, when we realized they hadn’t been used in years. In the beginning, we needed lots of lines for every team to keep in touch with their respective clients, but now Zoom, Hangouts, Microsoft Teams, and Slack offer plenty of more convenient options to do so. Shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic, this was still our collaboration dynamic, with two meeting rooms giving their respective status, and anyone working from home for the day joining the call.

Developer working remotely on a laptop during a video call, showing Scio’s bilingual nearshore collaboration with U.S. tech teams.
Scio’s remote-ready developers in Mexico work seamlessly with U.S. teams thanks to strong English skills and cultural alignment.
But now that everyone is working remotely, barriers have started to diminish, both in culture and in attitude. In the US you are probably already working with people in California, Texas, or New York, so working with someone in Mexico doesn’t feel different, as long as the language skills of the person are good.

The newer generations of developers and engineers have a better level of English now than just a few years ago. Maybe because there are more opportunities to get acquainted with the language; earlier you had to go to very specific stores to get books and other materials in English, which wasn’t cheap, and without stuff like YouTube and Netflix, the type of content you could get to practice was very limited.

This evolution of the software developers, when you are not limited to local options as long as you have the necessary skills to collaborate with a remote team, is very notable. The people we used to hire outside of Morelia were the ones willing to move here, and the process of seeking out people to explicitly be remote collaborators was gradual until we developed a whole process to assess which ones fit Scio’s culture the best.

Team meeting in a bright office, illustrating the importance of soft skills in Scio’s nearshore software development teams for U.S. companies.
At Scio, strong communication and collaboration skills are as valuable as technical expertise when working with U.S. clients.

Soft skills: The key to a good team

In that sense, I think soft skills will have more weight in the long run than purely technical skills. Someone with an average technical level, but who is proactive, knows how to communicate, and can identify priorities is someone who brings more value to a team than a technology wizard that doesn’t play along and keeps themself isolated, or assumes stuff instead of validating it.

You would think social skills are irrelevant for someone working remotely when they are actually critical to collaborate effectively. Some people prefer to not interact with others and would rather just get instructions on what to do, but this only works for well-defined tasks in which it is very clear what you are trying to accomplish.

I know this is the optimal way to collaborate for those developers who are less interested in social aspects, but it doesn’t work for projects that require innovation, creativity, and problem solving, with complex workflows involving tons of people whose input is important at every step.

This is why, I think the “introvert programmer” stereotype is something of a myth, at least nowadays. This profession is moving towards a place where the most valuable persons are the ones with a well-rounded profile, capable of communicating with the business sponsors, his or her coworkers, and final users, and not only those who are super-gifted in their programming skills.

People in software, as a whole, are becoming more versatile, and the ones capable of connecting are going to be more visible and be considered more valuable, getting more opportunities in their careers. This is what I can say about the path that the people at Scio have followed so far. From now on, collaboration is a priority because remote work makes it more important than ever, and motivating and stimulating this collaboration, indeed this cohesion, is what will differentiate good Nearshore companies from the best ones.