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🌍Insights on Successfully Working with Global Companies in Remote Environments

Published: January 2025

As part of my ongoing efforts to share real-world experiences with the developer community, I recently had the chance to present a talk to the AWANA community, focused on how to thrive as a remote engineer working with global teams. While much of my direct experience has been with U.S.-based companies, the principles apply broadly to remote work in a global context. You can check out the LinkedIn post about the talk here.

The Remote Reality

Remote work is no longer a trend, it’s a permanent part of how many companies operate. Having worked with teams from the USA, Finland, and Latin America, I’ve seen first-hand how distributed teams can succeed when the right strategies and mindset are in place.

🔑Key Takeaways from the Talk

  1. Be Visible and Communicative

    2. In a remote setup, your impact isn’t always seen unless you make it visible. Regular async updates, clear documentation, and proactive status sharing are essential. It’s not about over-communicating, it’s about being intentionally visible.

  2. Understand the Business Context

    3. Whether you’re working on machine learning pipelines or backend systems, understanding why your work matters in the larger picture makes all the difference. Ask questions. Understand how your work ties to business value.

  3. Time Zones Are Not a Barrier, They’re a Superpower

    4. Distributed teams allow for 24/7 productivity. But it requires planning agree on overlapping hours, use async tools like Notion or Loom, and design your workflow so it doesn’t rely on immediate responses.

  4. Culture Matters

    5. Every company and country has its own culture. Take time to observe, listen, and adapt. What works in one culture might feel awkward in another. Respecting this is part of being a good global teammate.

  5. Own Your Growth

    6. Remote environments offer a lot of autonomy but also demand self-discipline and initiative. Push your learning forward. Volunteer for that tricky feature. Propose a solution to that nagging issue. That’s how you grow.

From My Experience

Working with global companies has taught me to be more intentional, adaptable, and technically mature. It’s also shown me the value of soft skills, clear writing, empathy, and listening go a long way in remote teams.
In my current role as part of a Machine Learning team working remotely for a U.S.-based company, these principles have helped me collaborate effectively and contribute meaningfully to large-scale systems and ML workflows.

If you’re navigating remote work or about to start working with international teams, I hope this post gives you a helpful perspective. Feel free to connect or drop me a message, I’d love to hear about your journey too.