Looking back, coding forward: A decade minus two years of digital lessons learned

With the end of the decade, we felt the need to look back and reflect on our journey thus far. It’s been quite a ride! Hope you’ve had your morning brew, because we’re about to share eight lessons from our eight years of coding, designing and drinking coffee.

Lesson 1: Start small, think big

In 2012, we were a small team with big dreams, embarking on a single digital project. We didn’t have an “office”, but we were happy to code out of whichever place gave us the greatest fuel: coffee. This was actually what inspired our name: [e-spres-oh].

Eight years later we know that success is not dictated by the initial resources. Success is driven by the ambitions you fuel your journey with. It’s about code, coffee and reinventing the cup.

Lesson 2: You always need a bigger cup

By 2013, we had already grown so much that we couldn’t fit in coffee shops anymore. So we decided to get a proper office. Okay, an oh]-mazing office. We restored a three story historical building and transformed it into a hip working space that incorporated the coffee shop vibe that got us going.

Growth has to be celebrated but also encouraged. And the new office spoke a mixture of both.

Article in freshome about [e-spres-oh]’s new office

Lesson 3: Put people first

The opening of our coding-playground in 2013 gave us the opportunity to host several community events such as the first tim.js JavaScript meet-up. More growth led to the opening of extra work-space in 2014. AltClub was an alternative office that also had a bar, a fully-equipped professional kitchen, and a game zone. With two working spaces, we could choose from, well… in 2016 and 2017 we gathered the entire team and went on remote working getaways around Europe (who could forget #ohlisbon?).

Great software products happen only if you have the best developers. And, in order to attract unique talent, we need to nurture the software community while helping our own coders discover new grounds.

Concert at one of [e-spres-oh]’s trimestrial parties

Lesson 4: Share the knowledge

Sharing the knowledge started with the idea to create an internal weekly Demo with the intention to help our teams get in-sync. In 2016 we opened the [e-spres-oh] Academy (later on rebranded Decode Academy) and began a series of tech, design and marketing courses for everybody. In 2019 we were proud to team-up with tim.js and create revo.js, the first JavaScript conference in Timisoara, Eastern-Europe’s Tech Hub. We also started a series of tech podcasts featuring leaders and C-level executives that disrupt the industry. With the new year, we’re working on a new laboratory class for University students.

Bottom line is that we’re certain that learning wouldn’t happen without sharing. In fact, that’s why we are writing this article.

Introduction in UX Design Course @ Decode Academy by [e-spres-oh]

Lesson 5: Multi-functional teams are key

In 2017 we diversified our digital products’ portfolio and decided to grow our own UX/UI department. In the past years, we have introduced more team roles and completed the circle with the addition of business analysts. Now, we’re stepping up again by empowering our teams with product engineers (and even more coffee, of course).

We’ve learned that approaching complex products successfully can only be done by tackling them from all perspectives.

Lesson 6: Great can always become greater

From sticking to our strong collaborations’ ethic to working on bigger projects and developing internal projects, we have always strived for “better”. The greatest success came in 2019 when [e-spres-oh] got acquired by Alpine Consolidated and we moved our headquarters to Washington, D.C. while continuing to grow our engineering offices in Timisoara, Romania.

We now know that in order for companies to be great, they have to continuously explore new grounds.

Enhanced team after Alpine Consolidated acquisition

Lesson 7: Have fun

Throughout the last decade, our offices were home to coding, but also to enjoying concerts, theatre plays and countless parties in the attic. We worked-out our coding and design skills, but also our muscles during marathons and hiking trips. We even took it upon ourselves to organize a climbing challenge for the entire tech community. And, in between, we also took the time to say “cheers!” with our very own beer, crafted in collaboration with the coolest craft beer brewer in town.

All in all, we’ve had 8 years of great times, which is what it’s all about.

Cold Bru, [e-spres-oh]’s own beer, collab with BeretaTM

Lesson 8: Drink coffee.

Now, let’s all get back to coding a new decade and learning its lessons. Yes, some will be bitter, some will be sweet and others will taste just like the perfect cup of coffee. To more of those!

Coffee-cake, the best of both worlds

If you want to keep up with our mischievous ways of coding and doing fun things with great energy, subscribe to Tea Break (our blog right here on Medium), stay up-to-date with our LinkedIn, like our Facebook page, talk to us on Twitter or follow us on Instagram (but not in a creepy manner).