RebelDot in 2022

2022 – A year in review at RebelDot

by People

As we just wrapped up another year at RebelDot, let’s take a moment to reminisce about all the amazing things that have happened in 2022. From continuing to launch top-tier web and mobile apps to seriously expanding our team and fine-tuning our software development processes, it’s been a whirlwind of a year. And we’re so excited to share some of the highlights of it with you. So, grab a cup of coffee, get comfortable, and let’s look back on the good times we had at RebelDot in 2022.

But before delving into our retrospective, here’s a series of metrics, such as eNPS, NPS, Glassdoor rating and Clutch rating, a collection of reviews from both our rebels and the amazing clients we collaborate with, a subjective, yet insightful feedback which we are beyond grateful to have obtained following our 2022 journey:

RebelDot 2022 numbers

Getting back to the office

After almost two years of remote work, our team was eager to get back to the office. So, we took the opportunity to redesign our workspace and create a more collaborative and inspiring environment. The outcomes were spectacular. Our team has never been more energised, creative, or well-connected. Our office is buzzing with creativity and collaboration, making it the perfect place to tackle complex projects and drive success. The Headquarters situated on Buftea Street has become central to our corporate culture, promoting togetherness and a common mission among team members, a space for us to gather, inspire each other and build meaningful relationships which will ultimately turn into building high-quality digital products.

The renovation of our former reception area into a warm and inviting café is one of the most exciting aspects of our new workplace layout. This decision has had a profound impact on the office atmosphere and has become a hub of activity for both our team and visitors alike. The café is used for a variety of purposes, from casual meetings or casual brainstorming sessions to just grabbing a cup of coffee and catching up with friends.

It’s a place where everyone, from regulars to newcomers, can feel comfortable and work together productively. The café has done a wonderful job of strengthening our community by providing a friendly and open space that encourages interaction and innovation. In no time, it has become a symbol of our company’s values and culture, and one of the aspects we take the most pride in is our new location.

Creating a Pet-Friendly Workplace: A Step Towards Employee Well-being

We get it. Pets are a big part of our lives and leaving them behind all day can be tough. That’s why we decided to make one of our offices pet-friendly and sure thing, the outcome was a real mood-booster.

It’s like having an inbuilt icebreaker; The Alverna office feels now even more fun and playful, and it helps us all bond in novel ways. It’s hard not to smile when you see a wagging tail or a furry face.

Now, colleagues don’t have to rush home to let the pup out or feel guilty for leaving them cooped up all day. Not to mention the difference that bringing your furry friend to work can make in finding that sought-after work-life balance.

By doing this, we’re not only making work a little easier, but also a lot more fun. Who wouldn’t want to work with a bunch of cute, cuddly dogs by their side?

RebelDot office pet-friendly

Got onboard 85 new rebels in 2022

It surely has been a tough beginning of the year. With the pandemic, the war, and all the other craziness going on, you’d think nothing could go right.

But, despite the challenges posed by these tough circumstances, our team continued to grow and thrive, as we’ve welcomed no less than 85 new joiners in the past year, massively growing the engineering department which triggered a simultaneous growth of the other departments as well.

People are still choosing to join RebelDot, and the ones who were already here have stuck around and continued to create amazing digital products. It is inspiring to observe the resilience of nearly 200 rebels in the face of adversity.

And get this – not only are people joining, but we’re also seeing more and more of our team members deciding to stay and build their careers with us. A series of metrics which we are beyond grateful to have achieved would be the 14.3% attrition rate and the 81.93% retention score. It’s a testament to the supportive and impactful work environment we’ve built.

We’re not just surviving; we’re thriving and it’s all thanks to our amazing team.

“Our people make this company what it is. It’s their creativity, passion, and determination that drive our success. Despite the challenges we faced, the rebels never lost their spirit or their commitment to each other. As we move into 2023, I’m filled with hope and excitement for what the future holds, because I know that together, we can overcome any obstacle and create something truly special, something that goes beyond any digital product, a culture of togetherness and open communication that will trigger growth, both personally and as a company.”
Tudor Ciuleanu – CEO RebelDot

Expanding horizons: diversifying our client base in 2022

This past year has triggered major growth and expansion for us, as we’ve welcomed a diverse range of new clients from all around the world. Our portfolio has grown to include exciting projects across a variety of industries such as [real estate, blockchain, healthcare, energy, retail and more], allowing us to showcase our versatility and expertise on a global scale.

With this growth, we began working with a wider range of businesses, adopting new technologies and creating meaningful connections with each new client to constantly bring value and create more opportunities for them. We’re thrilled about the future and all the opportunities for continued growth and exploration that lie ahead.

RebelDot software team

Staying ahead of the curve: upgrading our tech stack and refining our skills

Lately, we’ve been making significant progress concerning technical expertise too, not only acquiring more clients but also refreshing our tech stack. We’ve embraced the latest technologies that streamline our processes and elevate the quality of our digital products but also deepened our expertise on the technologies we were already using, making sure our team is staying ahead of the curve.

From sleek and modern Frontend frameworks like React, React Native, Angular, and Flutter, to powerful Backend tech like .NET, NodeJS, Firebase, and Python, and scalable Infrastructure solutions like Amazon Web Services, Azure, and Firebase, our team of tech enthusiasts has been laser-focused on mastering these technologies to continue delivering innovative solutions that exceed expectations.

This double-pronged approach — investing in both new and familiar technologies and growing our team — has allowed us to offer a wider range of services and tackle more ambitious projects with ease, allowing our team to continue pushing the boundaries of what’s possible and deliver web and mobile apps that solve the many pain-points our customers have.

RebelDot 2022 techstack

Rebels Deconstructed podcast – more stories about people

Having constantly been on the hunt for new and innovative ways to inspire and motivate our team, last year we continued launching the Rebels Deconstructed podcast series. The reason? We figured it is a series that gives a voice to our own people and shares their incredible journeys and inspiring stories. From the challenges they faced, to the lessons they learned, these episodes are a true testament to the power of perseverance and the drive to succeed.

Whether you’re just starting out in your career or looking for a bit of motivation and inspiration, these podcast episodes are a must-listen. From founding startups and working with product teams to creative processes and finding inspiration, each episode is packed full of actionable advice and stories that will leave you feeling empowered and ready to take on the world.

A must-listen for anyone who wants to gain insights from industry experts and understand the journeys of successful professionals in the software development field and not only

Embarking on a more sustainable future

Perhaps our last significant move for the year 2022 was adding a sustainability officer in the department to prioritize environmental and social responsibility in the company. This decision was made in response to the company’s growth and the desire to fully integrate sustainability into our core values.

We are excited to have Miana Florian as our Sustainability Officer, working towards achieving sustainable development goals that align with the company’s vision. We perceive this as a learning journey, a measure which will increase our focus on integrating sustainability across all areas of operations.

The goal is to have a positive impact on the environment, community, and society, and to create a brighter future for all.

Rebels with a cause

We said it once and we’ll keep saying it, being a Rebel means getting involved, rolling up your sleeves, and diving right into it.

Last year, we focused on care. It would be a lie to say that we only did it last year, we do it constantly, but 2022 felt like it needed extra attention.

We started off with self-caring, because again, in a time of even more uncertainty, a war at the borders, and miscommunication, we needed something to bring some inner peace. We did our yearly happiness week where each of us is paired with a colleague and has one job: making that colleague happy.

Later in the year, Minte Forte, Mircea Miclea, and Eusebiu Burcas were the ones we invited for some workshops on resilience, handling anxiety, and galloping through the hardship from a financial point of view.

We spread the caring to our non-speaking furry friends, and organised fundraiser through yard sales in both Cluj and Oradea with NGOs that protect, help, and train animals, Nuca and Dog Assist.

Last but not least, we’ve organised our yearly rebelswithacause – a simple, but effective mechanism of giving back. Everyone who wants to get involved inside our team can either put something up for auction, be it a product or a service, either auction for said product or service. The money raised through auctioning gets donated to a cause we choose together. This time, we chose our partners at Little People, hoping we brought a smile through our effort. Some of the things auctioned by our colleagues sound something like: a playdate with Laura’s dog, a sushi workshop, horseback riding lessons, a spa day at Ovi’s house, and many more.

RebelDot community

What’s next for 2023

As we look back on everything that we’ve accomplished in 2022, it’s clear that the resilience and determination of our team shines through. The year brought new challenges, but we navigated through them together and came out stronger.

We are now excited for the journey ahead in 2023 and invite you to continue following along. Here’s to new adventures, continued growth, and making a positive impact in the world through technology.

Cheers to the future!

Andrei Truta 13 years at rebeldot

13 years and counting – Being a rebel and why it never gets boring

by People

TL; DR: From the entry-level developer who tries to prove his worth, to becoming a key member of a team; from getting specific tasks to guiding clients through the features and requirements; from learner to leader and mentor; always changing, challenging, and fulfilling to make a difference and contribute to cultivating a great community.

Maybe you already know the history of RebelDot told on different occasions by Tudi, our CEO and, most recently, as part of the Hacking Work podcast.

What you are about to read is a different perspective on a series of key moments of this history, as experienced by myself, one of the 7 people who started out alongside Tudi, more than 13+ years ago. A genuine and transparent story about how I got to experience the start and development, with all its ups and downs, of what is known today as RebelDot.

RebelDot beginnings

Starting out in tech as a 3rd-year university student

In the spring of 2008, as my 3rd year of university was drawing closer to its end, I took part in a student contest where many potential employers were looking for new blood, talented and young engineers to support their development services. This is where I had my first contact with the representatives of Imprezzio, a US-based company. Tho’ I did not have an exceptional result on the contest, I guess something about the way I presented our concept made them notice my potential which helped me land an interview.

And sure thing, that was truly exciting.

Around the same time, I was accepted for an internship as part of a different company. Having already figured out my close future, I was very relaxed in the discussion with the US-based company, attending this interview to satisfy my sense of curiosity rather than take on a different challenge.

Now I don’t remember everything that we’ve talked about, but this one question stuck with me ever since – Why do you like programming?

It is not the question itself, but the answer that I gave which made it so memorable and which, to this day, still applies – „it’s the feeling that I get when I start with a blank screen/a blank canvas and build something that will end up being used to make a difference.”

The follow-up discussion I’ve had with Tudi, back then the Services Division Director, in charge of scaling the Romanian team, made me really consider this opportunity, something that is still vivid in my memory.

He told me very friendly, yet upfront, that he wanted me to join his team and help him in scaling this Romanian division. I immediately felt that he’s an open-minded person with whom I can be truly transparent which gave me the confidence to take the shot and get onboard.

Andrei Truta RebelDot team

Growing as part of RebelDot

In the first years, the focus was on GROWTH on technical and non-technical skills. I was working part-time, in parallel with studying for my last university year. From the very beginning, I was welcomed with support from all my colleagues. The majority were at the beginning of their career, and it was this authentic spirit of togetherness. Over the years we obviously grew and while it is not something we like to say right now, back then, when there were just 8 of us, having as Headquarters a rented apartment, it did feel like family.

FUN fact – The number 13 received a special meaning for me as part of this team. I have known Tudi for 13 years, he is 13 months older than me, I went on parental for 13 months and, as part of the project I am currently working on, I get to collaborate with colleagues who are 13 years younger than me.

In these 13 years, I saw people come and go, people who all had an influence on my personal & professional development, regardless of their role, seniority or amount of time spent in the team. If at first, we were only developers, I witnessed how the roles diversified in time, onboarding the first QA engineer, the first designer, assistant manager and gradually setting up entire departments. I recommended and brought on board 2 close friends of mine, and it was fulfilling to contribute to their careers.

Andrei Truta 13 years at rebeldot

 

Learning to adapt and keep up with the speed of business

But change wasn’t always easy. Even though steep growth is a good thing, for me, at least, it meant changing the way things are done. I was accustomed to the way we approached tasks and was somewhat scared that our new colleagues would not adopt our culture.

I must admit, sometimes I was slightly reticent towards change. I tried not to show it, but, over the years, I figured that having a fresh new perspective could actually be beneficial, opening new opportunities and chances of learning from each-other.

A pivotal moment occurred a few years after I became a key member of the team working on a large enterprise project. I was part of that team for almost 5 years and started feeling kind of stuck, feeling like I couldn’t keep up with new technology. And new tech was present, since fresh new projects were starting to be developed by other teams in the company, but it seemed a bit out of grasp. So, with an open mind, I addressed my concern to Tudi and we planned my transition. The process didn’t happen overnight, it took several weeks, but with patience and encouragement from Tudi, I had the trust to wait and look forward to its outcome.

Following on the note „be careful what you wish for it might happen”, adapting to a faster pace and ever-changing priorities is something that I felt stronger than I was expecting. It was overwhelming, nevertheless, but one aspect which compensated for this accelerated rhythm was defining a pattern in the people we got on our team. With every new colleague, I got an indirect assurance that there is yet another open-minded person with whom I could always talk and grow. Everyone here is willing to help and commit to building together both apps as well as solid relationships.

Being exposed to such innovative technologies (backend, frontend and machine learning too) and to global clients, leaders in huge industries, helped me develop not just in the technical sense, but also in a social way. I was given ownership on important projects, responsible for impactful technologies and, beyond everything, people’s journeys which helped me define a successful relationship based on trust.

Learning to take risks and being rebel together

The Split. Perhaps the most popular moment in the story of RebelDot, one that we all perceived differently. The reactions varied from OMG to WTF and, of course, NOW WHAT?! It was the only moment when I saw Tudi worried and confused, but, despite all these, he managed this situation in the most considerate way with upmost integrity.

Not many people would have taken the risk of putting the people before themselves. He inspired the feeling that what we built so far should be continued. Continued Together.

And this is what made the rest of us to stick together even in the midst of this chaos – the promise that we can follow the path together.

Andi Truta and the RebelDot team

 

The values of RebelDot are indeed our individual values, because RebelDot is us. And these values have not been thought of thin air, but they were something which we always had. Now, looking back, I feel like we can proudly say “We did it!” And not just this, but “we did it together!”. But more important than looking back is to keep looking forward and continue together!

rebel recruitment people

A rebel perspective on recruitment – recruiting people, not resources in a fast-moving industry

by BusinessPeople

In a world where we are still recovering from the mentality that Human Resources is more about numbers and less about, well… humans, I felt lost for a while.

Please don’t get me wrong, I know that a recruiter’s job is to fill up the open roles. But it feels like some companies got stuck in that old, factory-like mentality, where they don’t care that much about employee satisfaction but simply about scaling the team to do the job.

Brief history of Human Resources

Around 1770 we first heard that employee health is essential for the organization’s health. In the 1920s the Human Resources domain was focused mostly on hiring, evaluation, and compensation.

In the 1970s, companies experienced increased competition in the market as technology was quickly evolving, experiencing globalization and deregulation. This was the context that favorized the appearance of human side management.

So, in the past, people were considered to be resources. The risk of that is depersonalization, commoditization, objectification, etc.

Even nowadays, we can hear about the fact that candidates are resources that have to be sold to the company and then to the client and again.

That can sound like we do not talk about humans anymore.

Luckily in the past years, a lot of recruiters have been focusing increasingly on the human element from Human Resources.

Now let me tell you a story about my experience in the Human Resources world, some information about the hiring market, and what I am doing now.

“Hi,

Adriana here from the People & Culture team of RebelDot. Thank you for taking the time to read my message, I know you get tons of them. I would be more than happy to get a chance to tell you about our company and our way of working, but firstly, I would love to get a chance to get to know you, especially about your learning and growth needs.”

A story about a rebel recruiter

If that phrase looks familiar to you, you may have got a message from me or one of my colleagues.

As I wrote earlier, I am Adriana, part of the People and Culture department of RebelDot, a Trainer and a Coach in personal and professional development in my spare time.

Since I was 8 years old, I have been really drawn to observing and getting to understand the human psyche in my own child-like way. Over the years, I figured I should study this in the future. I got this passion from my mother who studied psychology at that time, and years later, I made my dream a reality.

I was always intrigued by learning, development, and people, by wanting to understand why they are doing… everything and how they are thinking, what brings them motivation, and the list can go on.

After graduating from University, I was fascinated by professional satisfaction and work-life balance, so I started to explore on my own.

My career path was not a typical one, having worked mostly as a volunteer or doing my own gigs, my own businesses before gaining that much experience in typical 9 to 5 jobs. To be fair, I did not believe a company could care about their employees, before getting in touch with RebelDot. I know, I know, that seems to be cheap marketing, but they are just my raw feelings and thoughts materialized in words.

How the recruitment market is changing

Nowadays you may see a lot of people interested in work ethics, an existent match with the company values, sustainability, work-life balance, community, the existence of growing paths, learning possibilities, flexibility, and the list could go on.

Candidates now are more demanding (and that is a good thing) with their needs. A lot of companies are offering a variety of benefits, have amazing offices, and organize a diversity of fun and learning activities.

However, not only these elements, but also the salary package within the IT industry is changing which makes recruitment and employee retention processes more and more difficult to achieve.

People are changing.

Modern medicine is in constant development, life expectancy is extending and because of the time spent in formal, but also nonformal and informal education, young adults are starting their careers later than previous generations.

Meanwhile, career paths are no longer only vertical. It is more like a heartbeat steno gram.

We are living in a world with tons of professional possibilities that we could explore, and people are not scared anymore of taking gap years between studies. And from work too.

You are probably familiar with digital nomads who love to get in touch with other cultures and nature while still working. This way, companies have got to adapt to people, because people, as we can see in the current market, will never adapt to a traditional or old-school way of working.

Why?

Oh well, we are free human beings, and we know that.

*You may think that only Gen Z-es are like this but ask some Millennials about what is important for them, and you might discover that there are some similarities.

Are those changes bad? They certainly might be challenging, but changes are natural, normal and part of evolution. It just depends on us how we adapt and evolve with the market.

How sales-oriented recruitment processes look like

From the start I would like you to know that my purpose is not to say what’s right and wrong when it comes to ways of recruiting new talent.

My words would describe some differences I could observe between those two styles and what is more suitable for me.

I respect all recruiters and all my colleagues from the field. It is not an easy job. The market is constantly changing and sometimes it feels like there are more open positions out there than candidates.

So, back to what we were talking about—sales-oriented processes. Now, this one is fascinating.

As I said earlier, some companies still believe that recruitment is all about sales and numbers.

Indeed, as sometimes it happens that recruiters must fill up the position ‘yesterday’ (preferably), you may see why there is a need for fast recruiting.

And yes, in RebelDot we have similar needs too, but we never forget about our standards, values and culture.

A common thinking in sales is “you have to sell the company to the candidate and the candidate to the company”.

This phrase always made me feel like I’m losing the human in the process. It feels like there is kind of a transaction there. This type of communication is like those discussions we have on first dates, where only the best parts are exposed.

What I felt in this kind of recruitment process is that the information went to a salon and had a makeover and sometimes, the first impression could be slightly different from reality.

Also, I could not stop looking at the fact that, most of the time, it was a need for finding the candidate fit for the role, but the fact that the opportunity needs to be a fit for the candidate too, may be sometimes out of focus.

What I found in RebelDot and how we do human-oriented recruitment

What counted the most when I had to choose between companies was that they shared my values: work ethics, transparency, care, freedom, learning, and growing flexibility, and community.

I was also skeptical in my first days, but pleasantly surprised to discover that values are not only some nice words that RebelDot is using, but something that I could feel when talking to my colleagues, with the CEO and when seeing how people work.

You do not have to take my word for granted, you could come to our Rebel Cafe and judge for yourself.

Please allow me to share with you a conceptual flow of how we recruit people at RebelDot, referring to each of our 5 values.

This approach makes me happy and proud to look for new people to complement our amazing teams.

1. Care at first sight

In the beginning of this article, you can see the way I am texting candidates.

That’s because I am genuinely curious to discover the person, the human behind the profile.

The first step is to read the entire profile.

The second step is to think about what would be the most suitable project for the candidate, based on his/her experience and the preferred tech-stack.

The third step is to formulate a custom message addressing my questions and explaining the opportunity details.

The fourth step is setting a discussion and after that, I always get back to them with feedback that would help my candidates to understand what we think they could work on and some aspects that we appreciate.

Every recruiter value something above all, and that for me is taking my time to compose proper feedback and send it to the candidate asap.

2. Growing together in our internal communities

We all know the struggle about the experience and knowledge.

Working in different companies, with different tasks and complexities, can mean that sometimes the level of knowledge is different. This is something natural and depends on the projects the candidate is working on, or the way tasks are split inside the teams. Also, we must be aware that there are a lot of people who work and learn a lot in their spare time.

All of that can lead to a diversity of seniority levels profiles with a variety of characteristics.

So, sometimes, the level of experience by years is not always equal to the level of knowledge.

What we are trying to see in candidates is the attitude, the fit with our values, because you could always grow skills, but to change attitude is quite challenging.

We are also not a fit for everybody and not everybody is a fit for us.

3. Togetherness – in exploring and decision-making processes

In our discussions, we try to identify the best fit for the role, so, at first, we set a ‘get to know’ meeting followed by a technical discussion. Of course, sometimes there is a technical test or challenge involved in the process.

We believe in helping people learn and improve their knowledge in RebelDot. However, we also understand that learning is something personal to each and every one of us and it can happen in so many ways.

As we have different knowledge and expertise areas, we always exchange feedback with the Engineering teams, when it comes to candidate selection, involving more perspectives into ensuring both technical and cultural fit.

When exploring the experience of the candidates and whether this team might be a fit for them or not, we establish from the very first interaction a participative process, in the sense that we have a dialogue, rather than a one-way conversation.

Also, as part of the decision-making process, we consult our colleagues from the engineering department to ensure that we make the best decision for us as a company, but, most of all, for the candidates, as people, to support them in their personal & professional development.

RebelDot company meeting office

4. Do not forget to have fun with it

We are not really fans of the classic interview concept, so we are always trying to have friendly discussions so we can get to know each other, on a less superficial level.

We are always glad to discover the candidate as a human being, so we are looking forward to learning more about the candidate’s passions besides the job.

Also, we understand that an interviewing process might not be the most comfortable one, so we do our best to create a warm and open atmosphere, in which the candidates can be themselves.

5. Ensuring fullfillment throughout the entire experience

Nothing is more satisfying than treating candidates and all the interactions with respect, care, and attention.

Seeing our new colleagues integrating and growing as part of the team, well, that’s pure magic.

We are all about taking care of our rebels, so after joining our community, the new colleagues are involved in onboarding, and recurrent one-on-one discussions with their Team Lead and with a colleague from the People&Culture team.

Thriving in the current context

There is a variety in the market nowadays, so be sure you take your time to explore and reflect on what is important and suitable for you, even if you are a recruiter or a candidate.

Do not forget that you are not a fit for everybody and not everything is a fit for you.

And that is ok.

The world is full of opportunities and knowledge so make sure you are not staying for too long in the wrong place. Or not at all.

Remember to ask questions, because we do not have to blindly believe everything we hear and be patient when interacting with people and getting to know them better, no matter who you are.

RebelDot sprint planning

Can a positive work environment have a favorable impact on our future?

by Innovation and TechPeople

Our physical environment has an effect on our motivation, productivity, and even general health; – not to mention the effects of rewards (bonuses, working hours, holidays), connections at work, and many other factors. Our behavior and general attitude about work may be impacted more than anything by the fact that we spend a lot of time at the same office, with the same people, Nevertheless, more recently, working from home does also have implications on the way we perceive work.

These factors are already impacting us, whether it’s your typical working conditions, the culture fostered within your team or the interpersonal relationships you have with your coworkers.

So the question is: Does your work environment have a favorable or unfavorable effect on your future?

The dynamic of the work environment, or the attitude that dominates the office and in which we all participate, is a component of work that is difficult to define in precise words in any business.
Each person tells the story of the party from the perspective that best suits them.

Everyone can perceive the office atmosphere for at least two reasons:

It has more to do with how we perform tasks than what we perform.
It consists of elements including time, place, our work habits, and how we relate to others. Because a company’s positive work environment extends beyond the boundaries of the office it doesn’t matter whether we work from home or not…

rebeldot work environment

Why is it important to cultivate a positive workplace environment?

Sustaining the workplace boosts productivity, helps retain employees, and, most significantly, is good for the company as a whole, affecting each of its member’s mental health.

Even jobs with fantastic offices, big salaries, or responsibilities that are entirely vocational are not perfect. However, there is one thing that can save innumerable situations regardless of whether these circumstances exist or, more crucially, when they do not: maintain a positive workplace atmosphere.

To put it another way, the workplace environment, or working atmosphere, is that which you cannot see or touch but which makes you look forward to going to work, feel at ease when you enter the office, accept the need to put in a little extra time or encourage others to apply for jobs there.

“It is clear that maintaining a positive work environment will not always be a solution for any severe issues a company may experience.”

Positive working environments, on the other hand, tip the scale in favor of a business believing that it has the necessary conditions to provide appropriate psychological well-being for its employees when conditions are not as extreme.

On the other hand, those who have the option to leave the company will do so as soon as they can, when the dynamic of the work environment is poor.

Stress and demotivation are generated, relationships are tense and less productive, and these are all effects of poor office environments.

The future of work is influenced by a variety of things. The last of the six factors we listed above, which has to do with the degree of interpersonal harmony within the organization, is by far the most crucial.

Coworker friendships are wonderful if they exist, but they are not necessary for individuals to work well together.

The future of work is influenced by a variety of things. The last of the six factors we listed above, which has to do with the degree of interpersonal harmony within the organization, is by far the most crucial.

Coworker friendships are wonderful if they exist, but they are not necessary for individuals to work well together.

However, for working with others to be rewarding, relationships must also have other elements:

  • friendliness,
  • honest cooperation,
  • trust,
  • compassion

“Nobody enjoys working in an environment where stress can be easily sliced with a knife.”

RebelDot office atmosphere

What qualities make a workplace productive?

A healthy workplace fosters a culture that influences employees: development, attitudes, and mindsets. Positive work environments may contribute to employees feeling satisfied with their employer.

Maintaining a healthy company culture can help businesses create a great work environment by

  • encouraging employee development,
  • promoting communication,
  • assisting people in feeling at home and safe at work.

A productive workplace has a number of distinguishable characteristics. Knowing this environment’s common characteristics can help you better understand it and look for them in your present or future employers.

Positive work environments have the following qualities:

1. A tranquil climate

A tranquil climate that promotes higher levels of productivity characterizes a positive work environment. You’re more likely to stay focused and complete more of your everyday tasks when there are few distractions around you. It also means that you are able to work in a workplace that is stress-free and supports your physical and cognitive health.

2. Clear communication

Clear communication between the many members of an organization is a component of healthy work settings.

Both communications between coworkers and senior management fall under this category. It can make you feel valued at work if you have the chance to ask questions and get feedback.

You can also develop by getting honest, constructive feedback.

3. You can solicit suggestions

You can solicit suggestions from your coworkers, for instance, if you’re working on a new project that calls for brainstorming.

Growing your professional network and raising the standard of your work can be facilitated by knowing you can ask them questions and get their honest opinions.

RebelDot development team

4. An attitude of respect

An attitude of respect, empathy, and general understanding between coworkers characterize a positive workplace.

Additionally, they can make you feel heard and respected at work and promote teamwork.

One way to know you’re valued and that someone actually cares about your contribution to the firm is when a coworker thanks you for helping them with a project.

It’s crucial to work in a supportive workplace where developing your unique talents and strengths is encouraged. You may be able to find career satisfaction as a result.

This aspect of a supportive workplace is crucial because it indicates that you can grow in your career with the help of your employer, boss, and coworkers. Additionally, you can create more work of higher quality and quantity if you are more driven.

5. A positive outlook on work

A positive outlook on work might contribute to a good mood all day long. For instance, if you’re a team leader and you have a problem with a client, how you handle it may affect how other team members feel about you.

Your team is more inclined to emulate you if you can overcome the challenge with a positive approach. In the end, having a positive mindset might help you and your team concentrate on the advantages rather than the disadvantages.

6. A healthy balance between your personal and professional lives

A healthy balance between your personal and professional lives makes for a productive workplace. This guarantees that you can keep enjoying your career without having it interfere with other aspects of your life.

RebelDot positive workplace

Is RebelDot the work environment you’d like to grown in?

To sum it up, a positive work environment enables workers to achieve fulfillment in both their professional and personal life.

At RebelDot this is something we are actively working on, co-creating a positive work environment that encourages productivity, but, most of all, which accommodates all our personal differences. A physical place that encourages us to keep being rebels, meaning fostering our own personality, letting it shine through every task we’re doing, every little initiative, and every conversation we have.

If this sounds like the kind of place you’d like to work in, have a look on our careers page and see if there’s a role that suits you. Otherwise, you can just pop in our Rebel Cafe to talk directly to someone from our team and see for yourself if that’s somewhere you could grow and fulfill your personal and professional ambitions.

rebeldot grundfos

Supporting the biggest water pump manufacturer in the world in their process of digital transformation

by BusinessPeople

Grundfos is a company that connects millions of people, being present in more than 60 countries, ensuring water access and leading the change within some of the world’s biggest agendas on water and energy.

As a large enterprise, Grundfos wanted to scale up its development capabilities by getting on board a technical partner who could help them with their digital development process, building together towards the vision of achieving positive global change.

In this story, we will highlight the power of commitment to company values and the business implications of transparency as part of our way of building digital products.

We’ll be presenting how we got reminded by one of the partners we work with that, while skill can be taught, human connection is what can truly flourish a collaboration and bring to life that “human-centered technology” we all talk about.

The real challenge here was not just about the technical aspects of the project but also the cultural match between Grundfos and us.

It was clear that Grundfos wanted a long-term partner with whom they could build things that last.

So how do you reveal if there is a match between a company of 150+ employees and another one of roughly 20.000? And how can this cultural fit translate into quality work that touches millions of people?

Grundfos digital review

Our approach was straightforward, to say the least.

Reinforcing the values we believe in and owning them as a team.

Simply being true to ourselves.

Like real rebels.

 

We invited people into our house. And our hearts. Visiting our office in Cluj-Napoca, Transylvania, the team of Grundfos got to know our people a whole lot better, to see what drives us all, what keeps us together and whether being a rebel is something that they themselves identify with or not.

We have exchanged history, discussed values, and glanced together at the core of each of our teams. And we were nervous. Because we were indirectly addressing a network of 20.000 people.

It did help to address People & Culture aspects alongside discussions about tech and past case-studies. Once tech & business fit was validated, we had a traditional BBQ in the backyard, where the people of Grundfos could casually interact with our team, sharing stories and enjoying meaningful conversations about tech, family, culture, and life in general. Basically, kicking off the project with an impromptu team-building.

grundfos rebeldot collaboration

Following this encounter in Transylvania, the Grundfos team figured we’re all on the same page and set the ground for a close partnership between us and their digital division, Grundfos Digital. As an implication of the trust we were given, we allocated two fully functional teams to work on two different projects. 

This, in turn, allowed us to pursue our end-to-end development approach so that we can fully immerse in the business and deliver tailored and tested solutions.

With genuine enthusiasm on both sides, the knowledge gaps were soon taken care of via a learning plan that offered our engineers the necessary skills to work with the Siemens Mindsphere platform and deliver top-notch IoT solutions.

Although Siemens Mindsphere was a completely new technology to our engineers, that didn’t stop us from accepting yet another challenge, learning and eventually embedding it into our vocabulary to deliver the same quality standards.

Believe it or not, this was a priceless way in which our rebel character was reflected - acknowledging our gaps and being visibly eager to acquire new skills.

In a span of 5 months, the Grundfos Digital team scaled our collaboration from 2 to 4 teams working on 4 separate projects to continue delivering thriving digital solutions within the IoT ecosystem.

The key here was being equal partners, assuming full ownership and organically integrating our way of doing things - being there every step of the way, throughout the end-to-end process.

This would not have been possible without the overwhelming level of acceptance that the team of Grundfos welcomed us with. We have been treated as part of their team and were given the chance to actively contribute to their communities, working and growing together.

But to ensure that we understood the impact of our collaboration and the heritage of the devices we were about to augment using technology, Grundfos invited us too into their headquarters.

We spent there (5 days) with our first two teams. While the cultural shock had its say through LEGO houses, actual houses, the Danish hygge and Liquorice, it was fascinating to see just how comfortable we all felt there, talking, and working with a group of nice people whom we just met.

We felt a deep sense of belonging and a refreshing boost of enthusiasm seeing how aligned everyone was at Grundfos, working towards a common goal of, you guessed it, making the world a better place.

The trip to Denmark was nevertheless a motivation impulse to every team member and a confirmation that we were working on something bigger than ourselves. Literally. We got a proper induction into the company culture, went on guided tours through the factory and the museum (talk about heritage) and got to see the huge water pumps, the one evergreen device that stood at the core of the business.

This offered our team the right context to do what we know best and bring to the table our true way of working - not implementors, but consultants who pay undivided attention to every stage of the process, improving and optimizing along the way in each area where there is a need to accelerate and or develop much more efficient processes.

Coincidentally or not, we figured that our development process was similar to Grundfos’ way of working, which was a great starting point for our collaboration.

RebelDot cafe

Why we added an actual café into our new headquarters.

by NewsPeople

Two years ago, I was excited to spread the word about our decision to leave the main Rebel office situated in a nice office building in downtown Cluj, to adapt to the new paradigm of working – working from home.

This time, I will be sharing with you just how this whole thing turned out, why we decided to move back to our HQ, and how this newly redesigned space is helping us get closer to our vision of creating communities based on fair relations.

Adapting to working from home: Leaving our day-to-day office for an actual home, turned into a social space.

Right after the pandemic hit, we were just leaving our HQ as a natural next step in adapting to the new not-so-clear context.

We figured, since our colleagues were already improvising their personal home offices, ours should transform into a social space, a place where people could connect outside the limitations of whatever conferencing platforms we were using at that time.

The place where we used to meet, work and connect on a regular, the 3rd floor office where we made so many memories and experienced the beginning, ups and downs and eventually flourishment of RebeDot, became empty as we moved on towards working remotely from a house on a residential street.

Or how we like calling it, the Rebel Playground.

RebelDot yard

Imagine a house hidden on the narrow streets of Cluj-Napoca, a welcoming little office, an actual home turned into a social place where people could create digital products, but, most of all, meaningful relationships with each other.

Team BBQs, movie nights, product demo sessions, yard sales, client meetings. These were just a few of the events we all enjoyed in this comfy little house during the pandemic.

It was our way of adapting to the “future of work”.

Truth is, we had no clear forecast on how we were going to do our daily jobs in exactly two years from then.

After all, we lived through some truly “uncertain times”, right?

However, what was clear was knowing that the office was not going to disappear but just change.

And so, it happened.

RebelDot office

People started to get back to the office.

We spent two years, growing from 60 to almost 200 people, more than tripling in size while working remotely, enjoying the comfort of our homes, but missing real human connections.

For that face-to-face feedback, those silly early-morning jokes, or the daily “anybody want to order something to eat?” questions.

And, to our surprise, as the pandemic went by, we’ve seen people joining our informal office more and more, up to the point where it became a sort of gateway, the kind of place where you go to escape the day-to-day routine and chat with people.

People gradually become more interested in working from the office a few days per week.

In fact, when we asked our colleagues, as part of our yearly company meeting, what they would change at RebelDot, the most frequent answer was “a bigger office”.

And so the next logical step was finding one.

But the idea that we could have more spaces where internal communities could blossom organically, a context where people already working together could connect in a natural way..

This is what intrigued us.

And this is what led us to reinvent ourselves once again and come up with yet another bold decision, owning it, just like we did when we set out to leave our main office for a smaller social space in response, wanting to adapt to the remote-working paradigm.

“Redesigning our old office and deciding to move back there was a decision none of us had foreseen. And honestly, I am happy with the outcome. 2 years ago, I knew that the next few years of work were going to be remote, and I also felt the office was never going to be the same again, hence the decision to leave our bigger HQ for a smaller & not-so-office-like space. However, imagine how I felt seeing that people are increasingly coming back to the office, overbooking that unofficial playground on Alverna Street.”

Tudor Ciuleanu
Rebel Cafe

Moving back into our old office space, this time reinvented.

At the end of last year we asked our colleagues what they would want to change in RebelDot… well, they asked for more office space.

So, we went back to the drawing board.

We acknowledged that a lot of things have changed since the last time we stepped foot into our main HQ, but we also knew that our desire to connect with each-other was greater than ever.

The past years have taught us an important lesson about the kind of environment that makes us the most productive, and what fosters creativity and innovative thinking.

But also quite a lot about how much of an impact being around each-other can have.

The new RebelDot office space is in no way what it used to be.

I mean, yea, it is the same space, but reinvented to suit hybrid working and deliver to our people’s need of integrating work with life.

Our HQ on Buftea street has been reimagined to ignite creative thinking, relationship building, fun and comfort at work.

A ton of attention to detail has been invested into every single square foot of this office, from the redesign of our open space to the small writings on the glass doors, the music playlist and even the snacks in the kitchen.

Many of us started getting used to working from coffee shops, so we brought the coffee shop to the office.

In our old office we used to have a boring front desk area and a person waiting for visitors there.. We thought this was to way to go, but what we didn’t know back then was how impersonal this approach was.

What used to be a standard reception, now turned into Rebel Café, the place which pretty much gives, as well as maintains, the pulse of our days at the office.

We even welcomed onboard Amy, a highly talented barista who, in no time, became that one person always welcoming us with good coffee and a genuine smile.

While everyone on the team can choose whether they would like to work from the office or from home, providing people the environment they need to be the best at their game is crucial for our company culture.

The layout of our Cluj HQ is designed to bring productivity, relationship building, and relaxation as well as fun together in the same area. We have organized the space into meeting rooms and team rooms, cafes, lounge rooms, and common areas, as well as a game room. None of the spaces or desks are permanently booked, it’s everyone’s office.

Our team is divided into people working from our offices in Cluj or our office in Oradea, hybrid and remotely. This space is our main HQ, and we want all of our people to know that we are part of a bigger community than the one that can be observed while walking the floor of our office. That’s why we also integrated a caricature wall showcasing all our faces and signatures – a wall of fame thingy.

RebelDot wall

Everything for the people.

We are a human-centered company, and we intend to continue to place great value on the relationships we have with each other at work, be it with clients or colleagues. We love our people. We also believe work should not just be fulfilling, but also fun – that’s a great deal of how we make sure we stay in tune with our wellbeing: having fun together.

We want our new space to be a community place. That’s why friends, family, and the friends of our friends are always welcome here.

rebeldot intern Mihai

Rebel Tech Stories: Looking back on my .NET internship

by Innovation and TechPeople

As part of our conversations with the younger rebels, those of us who started out as interns and who are now an integral part of the team, this time we’ve asked Mihai to share a little about his own journey.

Mihai has been with us for almost a year now, having gone through a 10-week .NET internship initially, where, under the mentorship of some of our smartest engineers, he and his colleagues learned to work effectively as part of a team, learning, failing and growing together.

Like many of the rebel interns, he has quickly blended in and learned along the way how to aim towards a healthy balance between work, life and university. Today, he is building digital solutions to one of our key accounts, and he’s confident that the learning process won’t stop in the near future.

When he got some spare time, you can find him jamming to some classic rock ballads. Occasionally, on a good Friday evening, he’ll show off his cook skills, preparing some of his epic signature hamburgers, having everyone stay for this treat, and mingle in the backyard of our office for hours into the evening. 

When and why did you choose an internship?

I started looking for an internship because the university encouraged but kind of suggested that we should find a place to get some proper work experience. The options were to either work for the university or in an actual company and so I decided to go for the latter.

Did you have a specific pattern when looking for companies to apply for?

I just knew that I wanted to get to a place where people were nice and where I could get along with all my colleagues, although it sounds a bit utopian. I just felt it was a real possibility.

Around the time I decided to go for an internship, a career fair took place which I thought was going to be helpful but ended up confusing me even more.

There were about 30 different companies at that fair, a mixture of everything, You’d attend a presentation, then you’d jump from one to another, without understanding anything about their actions and their culture.. It seemed quite tough to make a choice.

How did you end up choosing RebelDot?

I remember there were a lot of pictures from barbecues / team-buildings, and Christmas parties.

Clearly it looked like a place where people feel good.

Seeing all this, I asked the girls at the RebelDot booth for details about the professional opportunities and, of course, about the technical aspects of the available internship.

I really wanted to do back-end and I saw that the internship was based on the .NET technology which was just what I wanted.

It was a perfect match, in fact, the first internship I have applied for.

How did you feel after the interviews?

To be honest, after the HR interview, I remember telling myself that this is where I want to be. It was a very nice and friendly conversation.

Feeling this oddly familiar vibe from the very beginning, I realized that this is the kind of mood I would like to have at work constantly .

As serious and professional as the conversation was, I didn’t feel it was something procedural, but rather a genuine and casual conversation.

I felt like a human being and not like a “human resource”.

Tell me about your first week as an intern at RebelDot.

I was happy to see that everyone was excited to meet us, me and my fellow intern colleagues, get to know us and support us with any question we had. That day was also when we met our mentor, Emi, kicking off a 4-week training period.

The really interesting part came when we started the actual internship project.

I don’t think any of us have worked in a team in this way before. That is, to try to organize ourselves, each with his bit and his responsibilities, so that in the end we can synchronize and organize as a team.

How was the team-work like as an intern?

To give you some context, everything I had done in terms of “team-work” until then had been in college where someone would come up with ideas and we’d try to help each other. It was very superficial, though…

At the internship, however, everyone had their own piece. We were self-sustaining, but also responsible for the team’s work. When we didn’t know something, we would communicate with each other and teach each other.

I realized that things go much faster and that you learn from others. I saw that as long as everyone does a little bit and we’re transparent to each other, the puzzle comes out until the end.

Besides, I was constantly motivated by our mentor to learn more. I remember him handing out the usual tasks and then telling me “Mihai, this one seems like a breeze. Don’t you want a challenge?” This had me prove to myself that I have a lot of potential to explore and materialize.

Do you have any memorable moments throughout the internship?

Yes. The 3 years anniversary.

It was very nice because I met a lot of people. In the following days after the party, I was even more excited to go to the office because I knew I would recognize a lot of the people I met there.

Everyone was super friendly and I felt comfortable making conversation with every person present there.

This is one advantage of RebelDot being a highly selective company when it comes to people’s character. You can clearly see that, although everyone is kinda different, you are surrounded by nice people.

There ain’t a super-specific -specific pattern. I would say that we rather complement each other with our different personalities.

Which is amazing.

What is one aspect that you enjoy the most as part of RebelDot?

The fact that everyone is open to communication. You can ask anyone for help, no matter what you ask. People will not judge you. When you have open-minded people who care about you and your opinion, it is very easy to come up with suggestions and simply speak your mind up.

That is, in fact, actively promoted within the company – the spirit of initiative, the desire to experiment and implicitly to develop both the business and yourself as a professional and as a human being.

What do you like to do outside work?

I like to play the guitar. I haven’t done it in a while, but I’m still trying to recover on this side.

I like to spend time with people and I have time for all this even if I work.

Sometimes the faculty also intervenes, but even so, I am in a position where I manage to make time for university and the projects for university as well as work and of course, social life.

Did the internship help you as a student?

What I noticed is that the way I am now studying and completing my uni projects has started to be the same. I’m much more organized now. Somehow this way of doing things came organically, a way I learned during the internship, constantly collaborating with my team, but also developing independently.

I like to take things in stride and see how it all works.

I now see programming quite similar to playing the guitar – divide it into small pieces until you get a result.

When you learn a new song, for instance, you try to divide everything into smaller pieces. Take a small part and do it until it’s okay.

The same goes for programming – I have a function to do – I do it in small pieces and I check that each piece works properly. It’s also about the structure.

What advice would you give to a student looking for an internship?

Say what you have in mind at the interviews.

Be exactly the way you are and speak your mind. Be honest with yourself and to the people you’re talking to.

That’s because you can’t get anywhere by being someone you’re not.

If you don’t like the way you are, try to change and get to your best option, or if you like the way you are, just be yourself.

People will appreciate that you are committed and genuine and eventually you will get to the right place, along with the right people.

Let's grow together!

While our internship positions are currently closed, chances are you will find an attractive role on our careers page anyway. Take a shot and apply for it and let’s see if that’s the kind of place where you’d like to kick off a career in tech. 

Product Design Internship

UX & Product Design Internship – A glimpse into how people grow at RebelDot

by PeopleProduct Design

Hi. My name is Viviana, I am a UX & Product Designer at RebelDot and in this article I am going to talk you through my recent journey as part of this team, trying to give you some insight into the growth opportunities that you’ll find at RebelDot.

Since I too started out as an intern, I am going to take this opportunity to remind you about the UX & Product Design Internship happening this summer.

If you’re a team player who wants to grow both personally and professionally, who is passionate about design, and wants to solve real problems, then you probably might be a good match for us. You can find out more about the role here.

But anyway, let me first tell you how things worked out for me.

Becoming a design intern at RebelDot

After completing my bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences in Romania and being drawn by the aspects of society and culture, I continued my undergraduate studies abroad, in Cardiff, where I studied Product Design. From medical design to creating gaming devices, I explored as many areas of design as possible in order to find the one that I truly like. During my final year of studies, I focused my attention on UI/UX projects, and after working as a UI/UX Designer for nine months, I decided that this is what I wanted to do.

However, this time I was looking for a different Design experience.

I wanted to find meaning in what I do, to constantly fuel my curiosity, to find an environment that challenges and allows me to grow, and, equally important, a place where I feel appreciated and cared for.

And, from the first glance at RebelDot’s website, I felt that it might be the right place. I loved the vibe which was very different from the other tech companies I looked at, I loved how everything was revolving around people and how the values that were promoted resonated with me.

Applying for a design internship

Unfortunately, there weren’t any job openings for Juniors or any Design Internships, but that did not stop me from trying my luck and sending an email. To my surprise, I have got a response and I was invited to the first stage of the recruitment process.

The whole process was a glimpse of the challenge that I signed up for, and a constant reassurance that my initial feeling about RebelDot was more than right. I was straight away introduced to the company’s culture, and I was thrilled by the warmth, kindness, and professionalism that I have noticed from the very first interview.

Getting to know the team and the culture at RebelDot

From the beginning of the internship, I was convinced that RebelDot is a place with an amazing culture and with people that share the same values; a place where I felt included and appreciated right away. Over the span of three months, I met wonderful people that helped me develop both from a personal and professional perspective, and I have always received the support and guidance that I needed.

What I loved the most was the approach towards the internship program which provided me with a hands-on experience of what it means to be a UX & Product Designer, covering all the aspects and the steps of a design process. I was taught how to take ownership of every decision, how to be in control during presentations and client meetings, and how to communicate effectively. I was always encouraged to explore, to question everything, and to find the answers to different problems by myself.

I really enjoyed the fact that my mentor, Tom, did not tell me the answers straight away, but instead, guided me towards finding those solutions myself, allowing me to use my creativity and to develop my own way of seeing things.

Getting to know the job

Going deeper into the project, tasks were becoming more and more challenging, but my level of confidence was also rising. Having people that were constantly encouraging me and giving me constructive feedback was accelerating my progress and was helping me to change my mindset.

Instead of being scared and anxious about the challenges that were coming, I started to see them on a more positive note and to make of them an opportunity to grow. Tom went above and beyond to make this internship experience as close to reality as possible, being both a mentor and playing the role of the client, in such a credible way that I was perceiving him as two separate individuals.

I like how the theoretical aspects were perfectly combined with the practical ones, and how I always had the chance to take a step back and reflect on the things I learned, on the things that went well and on the ones that didn’t, getting a chance to learn from my mistakes, and to understand how I can improve my skills.

Actually doing the job

The most challenging aspects were the ones that involved talking in front of people, especially during the client meetings, and during my first usability test. When conducting the usability testing, I actually wrote my whole speech down (including the “hello” part), so I won’t forget anything, but the fact that everyone was open-minded, relaxed, and willing to help, made it very easy for me to get over those constraints and made the whole process really enjoyable.

Having access to stakeholders was also a great opportunity as I was able to see how things work from multiple perspectives, to understand the different needs, the technical limitations, and to learn how to collaborate and communicate effectively. As it is not only about creating beautiful designs, but also about creating feasible products that address the real problems.

See if RebelDot is the kind of team you're looking for

Maybe you’re not a student anymore. Or who knows, maybe you didn’t even enroll into formal studies. Perhaps you’re just really into observing the smallest of details and designing beautiful, minimalist or edgy, yet practical pieces. Point is, those skills that you’ve been polishing for a while now could keep on delighting the human eye while also solving some real problems and support communities of people that you haven’t even thought of.

I for one realised that this could be a fulfilling alternative thanks to a module that caught my attention. To you this breakthrough might happen only by taking a shot at trying something different. Or not. Who knows. Maybe you’re better off designing concert posters or stock doodles.

That’s still freaking awesome.

However. If you feel like there’s exploration to be made in this field, just send your protfolio over and let’s see if that’s the kind of team you’d like to be a part of.

Victoria React Native intern rebeldot

Rebel Tech Stories: Landing an internship at RebelDot.

by BusinessInnovation and TechPeople

We are still looking for driven and talented students to apply for our 9 week .NET/React paid internship. That’s why we figured we’d talk to Victoria, one of our very last interns who we met this summer and who became, in the meantime, an integral part of our development teams, working on a global project, with some of the latest tech.

In this article Victoria is going to talk to us about her experience as an intern at RebelDot, discussing in detail the journey she went through to land a permanent role as part of our team and work with us on developing digital products, technology solutions to current, real problems.

How did you decide to apply for an internship?  

I’ve started applying for internships ever since my second year because I wanted to already apply most, if not all the theoretical aspects which uni has taught me. I wanted to see how things are functioning, outside university, out there in the real life.   

And so I started applying in my second year, without any success, only to carry on with my efforts in my 3rd year of studies. 

I took on this quest and started looking for different opportunities and collectives until I found one that I genuinely liked. And who liked me too.  

That’s how I got into RebelDot. 😊    

Did you know from before the kind of company you wanted to work in? 

To be honest, I was super confused, I didn’t really know what to expect.. I have never worked before, until this last summer and I didn’t know how life was going to be outside university, not just work-life.. 

I didn’t have any specific expectations or super vivid scenarios. I just knew I wanted to resonate with the vibe of the company and to simply get along with the people in there. 

Do you remember what the internship application process was like at RebelDot? 

The very first interview I’ve had was with Oana, one of our People and Culture specialists. I remember that it was a very casual conversation, the kind of talk that makes you feel you had known that person since way back. 

I got to have a glimpse into how the culture was like at RebelDot, hear more about the project that we were going to work on and.. Make a new friend, actually. 

After that I had the technical interview with Andrei one of RebelDot’s team leads, who made me feel super comfortable, even though it was a rather techy interview to which I didn’t know some of the answers.. 

He managed to not make me feel frustrated for not knowing, but instead directed the whole conversation in such way so that I could figure out the answers myself. 

Which was quite motivating and comforting. Especially as a first impression. 

What was your first impression of RebelDot? 

My interview with Oana was the first interaction that I had with RebelDot, so to speak.  

I guess I made a more objective opinion after the interview with Andrei. By then, I’ve had the chance to have talked to 2 people already who validated my impression – the fact that there is a chill vibe in this company, the kind of ambiance that makes me feel comfortable and relaxed. 

I got the sense that people are motivated to build amazing technology, but more than that, to care for each other and build meaningful relationships. I liked it. I felt like I belong to this culture. 

What made you choose RebelDot? 

Leaving aside the reasons I’ve previously mentioned, another one would be the opportunity to work with React Native. That’s something that I wanted very much and that was not possible in other companies as an intern, for some reason. 

Do you remember how you found out about the internship at RebelDot? 

I have heard of RebelDot before through my colleagues who have already applied for some of the internship opportunities. Most of them told me that the technical test was fairly difficult and that they only got negative answers.  

I guess this is something that intrigued me. I took it as a challenge, knowing that RebelDot, as open as it is, wasn’t really a place for everyone. 

In terms of technical details, were there other reasons why you accepted the offer from RebelDot? 

I knew we were going to work on a real project. We were told that there was a training that we had to go through, which got me super excited because, although I really wanted to work with React Native, until that moment I have never had the chance to.  

Having studied mostly Java in university I figured maybe it was the time I’d learn something new, especially if I was offered a training opportunity. After I saw the RebelDot opening for the React Native Internship I told myself “that’s gotta be a sign”. 

Do you remember your first week of internship at RebelDot?  

Definitely. The first week was super fun and I was fortunate to already have some “friends” in the group that I was part of. Oana and Andrei.  

Besides them I got to meet the entire team, 17 interns, divided into 3 teams.  

The first day was when we all got to know each other. We were this weird mix of people from different backgrounds and universities.  

It was amazing to see how involved the senior rebels were in this project and this new collective.  

Considering that they were Senior Developers or Delivery Managers, the kind of people that you’d think are super busy, it was genuinely surprising to see how dedicated they were to make us feel welcomed and comfortable and excited for what was going to follow.  

Right from the start, after me and my colleagues have been allocated to the project, we benefited from close support from Andrei (Team Lead), Oana (People and Culture specialist), Iulia (People and Culture Business Partner and Tom (Head of Product Design). 

They talked us through the entire product development lifecycle, which helped us get a broad perspective on what we were going to work on, as well as create a sense of informality between each other which obviously made our communication super efficient, transparent and friendly.  

I could say that we were privileged to have this opportunity, but is not really a privilege because this is the way every internship unfolds at RebelDot. Which is pretty cool. 

How would you summarize a day as an intern at RebelDot?  

Team-work. 

The most important thing I learned as an intern was team-work. In university, most of what you do as a student is then passed through different tools such as anti-plagiarism, so that your work would never be similar to what your colleagues would do. While it does make sense to some extent, I found it rather absurd and upsetting.  

On the flipside, throughout my internship I had my own tasks, but also the freedom to work on the very tasks together with my colleague/s so that we’d be more efficient, but also learn from each other.  

We’d spend hours in huddles and slack calls, talking and doing what is also referred to as “peer programming”.  

You know what.. I’ve seen that “this meeting could’ve been an email” meme so many times, but it was just interesting to see how, in our case, the interns, the moments which brought the most value professionally, but mainly personally, were those never-ending meetings. 

I mean.. that’s what crystalized our team.. constant communication helped us develop chemistry, a collaboration that resulted in quality code and an environment where you just liked being a part of. 

How did having a mentor help you as an intern?  

First of all, Andrei shared with us his own experience and journey. He knew how things were supposed to play out. At the beginning of each sprint, he would give us the direction, that true north, the way in which we had to manage ourselves and each other, the way we had to provide feedback and the way we had to use GitHub in order to make our work easier and more efficient, developing an objective perspective on our output.  

I very much enjoyed the fact that this learning process never stopped at the work per-se. Often, there were random moments throughout the day when, if Andrei would feel like he had something insightful to tell us, he would just say it on the spot. I sensed that he was driven by an honest wish to help us develop as engineers, but mostly as people.  

What skills should a student have to apply for an internship opportunity? 

Technically, I’d say a solid knowledge of basic programming concepts such databases, OOP and algorithmics. 

Besides, I’d recommend students to try experimenting their hard skills on a personal project so that they’d learn the basic concepts I was mentioning before by actually practicing them.  

And, obviously, a strong drive to learn and be open to new technologies.  

In terms of soft skills and personal qualities, what really helped me was simply being open-minded and nice to the people around me. 

What does being a rebel mean to you?  

Not necessarily thinking outside the box, but just thinking differently about things. Having the courage to stand out by being yourself and by engaging with people. 

Do you feel like RebelDot is a place where you can be the rebel you just described?  

Yes, I think it is something that happens on a daily basis. I mean we were never constrained to do things in a particular rigid way. We are encouraged to figure things by ourselves, using our own reasoning so that, in case we mess things up, our mentors would help us get back on track by perfecting our reasoning and not by blindly following some else’s way of thinking. 

rebeldot internship .net

Become a part of our team!

If this sounds like the kind of team you’d want to be a part of, go apply for our latest .NET/React Internship and give it shot at becoming our next rebel colleague.

RebelDot 2021

Looking back on 2021: RebelDot’s values in action

by NewsPeople

Hi,

It’s me again, this time with a recap of some of the coolest stuff we did this year @RebelDot.

For this article, I thought I’d ditch the usual format of listing all our achievements and rather talk about our core values and specifically how everything that we did in 2021 is, in a way or another, tied to each of these 5 values – togetherness, growth, care, fun and fulfillment.

Although I have tried to discuss them separately, keep in mind that they all exist in harmony and that each of the initiatives mentioned as specific to one value, can easily be interpreted into any of the other 4 of our guiding values.

Let’s proceed, shall we?

Togetherness

After almost two years of leaving the office to work in a hybrid setup, we gradually came to the realization that it is a blessing in disguise.

Having to adapt to this new context we started thinking creatively, more than ever, about the ways we can engage our people virtually.

With about 78 new people in our team, and an overall number of 150 rebels (70 more than last year, around this time), we started placing emphasis on the informal nuance of our interactions and gave our shot at extending this casual friendly vibe outside the office.

We did so by setting up events that broke the tech bubble and introduced people to new experiences, things that we’ve probably never tried or even thought of trying, moments of novelty that we got through together.

Ever thought about getting a sailing certificate?

Probably not. And neither did our 10 rebels who went to Croatia for a week to do so. Or going to a team building where you get to literally build something for the community around you? Or how about learning how to cook some gourmet pasta dish through an online masterclass thought by one of our full-time Delivery Managers, part-time “remote chefs”?

These are all just a fraction of the experiences that made togetherness seem less and less vague for our people and gave them more reasons to look forward to.

And, by the way, this sense of togetherness didn’t stop at our colleagues but was infused well into our client relationships too. In fact, one of our biggest clients to this day became our close partner after having spent a full day at our cozy office, sensing the “rebel” atmosphere, listening to our company’s story, our individual tales, and ambitious vision, all while enjoying a BBQ in our mildly popular backyard.

rebeldot yard

Growth

When it comes to growth, there are a couple of actions, part of our yearly strategy, which we do to make sure that we stay on top of our game, delivering state of the art digital product, and building healthy relationships. Yes, I am speaking of formal learning programs here: leadership & feedback trainings, workshops, and access to digital libraries. We very often even read books together, and later discuss them at our morning coffees, day to day meetings and of course, the #book-lovers Slack channel.

But these haven’t been the engine of our growth this year.

An important yet sometimes forgotten component of growth is the acceleration of growth that happens while spending time and overcoming day to day challenges with the right people. Now when I say right, I don’t mean likeminded and cultural fitted people. Think the opposite.

By adding 78 new people to our team, we’ve learned that real growth happens when we embrace our differences in opinion and culture. It’s when you stop doing thigs because ‘this is how they have been done before’ and consider new, rebel ways of doing things.

In 2021 we onboarded no more than 27 interns on areas such as React Native development, .NET development, People and Culture, Product Design and even Blockchain development. It is not a practice that we are new to, as we’ve been creating opportunities for students ever since the company took shape. Still, it is the most internship positions we have ever offered.

RebelDot culture

Here’s a word from our People and Culture department on why creating internship opportunities was an integral part of our agenda in 2021:

“We wanted to be more intentional in growing new talent through our internship programs, while also creating mentorship opportunities for our current rebels (as in RebelDot we also believe in the power of taking care of others). This year was particularly tough in selecting a limited number of interns, as along the recruitment process we realized that the competition was super strong and that we had to make difficult choices between many high-caliber candidates. And this is why we decided to add a few extra spots in our programs, as it would have been a pity not to continue with candidates who were fit in terms of technical skills, as well as from a cultural and values perspective.”

This lowered the company’s overall age to 28 and made youthfulness and adolescent-like energy a default vibe at the office. We probably spend more time on Tik-Tok than we did in 2020, and let’s just say that our parties have gotten a little bit more intense.

rebel hoodie

It would probably be a bit of an assumption to say that our clients felt these aspects of organic growth too, but one thing that is for sure when it comes to growing our clients’ businesses is that we made sure to always be there, from the napkin wireframes and all the way to releasing their digital products in stores. Just like we did in all these years.

Besides, we are now proud to have also amplified our service offering, starting 2022, we can run the products we are building, going beyond digital product discovery & design, product adding post-launch support as continuation of the full product development process we follow at RebelDot.

Some of our rebels also went on to land some important certifications, or pivot to roles that increased their responsibility but also catered to their ever-growing aspirations and potential.

Care

For this aspect I am going to share my personal perspective for I became truly inspired by the way care for both my colleagues and the surrounding community is practiced here, at RebelDot.

I’ve learned at university that nowadays, each respectable company “has to have” a CSR plan. Basically, for those of you not fans of the corporate lingo, think of it as a carefully articulated plan to help others for the betterment of the world..

I’ve never really doubted that companies and the people part of these entities simply have a genuine willingness to do good, but “packaging” it in this super corporate practice just isn’t it for me.. I mean, it might be the norm, it might make doing good mainstream, which is very much needed, but this sort of “branding” simply put a superficial if not even selfish nuance to doing good.

And that’s totally not the norm at RebelDot.

Now don’t get me wrong. Obviously, the People and Culture department is making sure that we hold a solid awareness of the social causes, as well as the means in which we could support our community, extending well beyond just developing digital products.

Still, it saves plenty of room for random acts of kindness, the kind of unplanned help that you offer because you’ve been moved, inspired or asked for in that particular moment.

I remember when I started working here, ready to start showing off my academic skills to create a fancy CSR plan then seeing Tudi, our CEO, casually approaching me and my colleagues on a daily basis to let us know about social causes that he found and that needed our immediate help.

Imagine how great I felt to have some of my (once esteemed) university learnings disregarded in such a beautiful way. To have this reality check and observe that acts of generosity happen naturally here, without really planning months ahead for causes that maybe need urgent actions. This was one of the first rebel plays I noticed and loved and adhered to ever since.

Fun

There was a time when we used to say that coding is fun. Eventually we started to dust off the vague industry cliches and really dig into the essence of our values. We realized that building apps is more challenging than it is fun. But being part of an atypical team navigating a big mess is what (truly) makes it fun.

It is the process and the people. The ways in which the seriousness of a project is alternated with the informality of your colleagues in what is supposed to be a stiff, professional stand-up meeting. It is the inside jokes that you and your team develop, the endless memes on “that Slack channel” or the shamelessly extended lunch breaks where you bond together over some cheap takeaway noodles.

Not to mention about the periodical after hours or late Fridays at the office, where roles start to dissolve and where the authenticity of each rebel somehow harmonize into an almost identical collective willingness to share stories, get to know the protagonists, and build genuine friendships.

It wouldn’t make sense to start listing the fun initiatives that we participated in this year, because, really, you’d probably finish reading this article next year. It is not something super specific, like coding or a team-building, but more like onboarding the right people and simply letting them be.

rebeldot anniversary

Fullfilment

Having a fulfilling job clearly is not just about the work itself. While we constantly try to take care of this aspect by handpicking ideas and founders we truly believe in, matching them with rebels who show an interest in those particular visions, there are other aspects which, taken altogether, can ignite a deeper meaningfulness to the job.

We do believe that you are much more than your role which is why we strive to create a context where your true colors can surface and where you can progress on all levels. Take the example of Vali, one of our day 1 colleagues, who actually started out as an intern and is now a veteran React Native Developer.

He also happens to be a very talented beach volleyball player, competing regularly in both local and national tournaments. This year we found out about his intention to compete in the biggest national contest so we sponsored the entire freaking competition. Hell, we even designed the jerseys for all the participants. No second thoughts, just straight action. It wasn’t even part of a strategy of some sort, but a spontaneous wish to do so right after the moment we found out about this. Just like our “CSR” initiatives.

RebelDot values 2021

Come work with us!

If you consider yourself a kind & supportive human, you have a sweet spot for all things tech and you’re up to new challenges, you might have a home with us. 🏠

What we are looking for is not know-it-alls, nor ideological fits.

We want to grow together while creating a space in which diversity is important and your different perspective will contribute to building great digital products. 🚀

So if you think we might be a good fit for your personality and career ambitions, have a look on our careers page and give it a shot! 

As we continue to expand our web and mobile apps development team to support more companies with our technical expertise, we have around 20 open positions and an internship in the works, so plenty of opportunities for you to become part of our team of rebels.

We look forward to meeting you!