Javed Khan

How did you get your first remote job?

I searched for open source bitcoin projects that I could contribute to and found btcsuite, which is a Go implementation of the bitcoin protocol.

It was very well maintained and much easier to delve into when compared with other projects such as bitcoincore.

I was learning Go at that time and I found submitting minor PRs (small in impact and a humbling experience) to btcsuite projects as a quick and effective way to assess skills that I was learning.

Chatting with the devs on IRC was a great way to discuss and learn stuff too.

I got a break when Conformal Systems (the people behind btcsuite) were looking for interns. I applied right away.

I wrote about my experience here: https://tuxcanfly.me/internship-with-conformal-systems.html

I must have done a decent job because after the internship I was asked to join for a full time role 🤓.

Do you have any rituals or habits which help you to work remotely?

One of the perks of being remote is the ability to set one's own goals and schedules. I made use of this opportunity to experiment with a lot of different routines, setups and schedules to see what works.

That said, some of the habits that have stuck with me over time are: working out in the gym, having a regular call with the team and reading books.

We've setup a recurring calendar event for calls so both me and the team know when to catch up and be available.

It's not all rosy though, it's easy for bad habits to creep up, especially when you are working alone. Procrastinating, playing video games, and social media can eat up a lot of your time if you don't manage it properly.

It's a constant battle and you need to be mindful not to catch yourself doing it in different ways 😅.

What is the biggest benefit of working remotely?

For me the biggest benefit is being my own boss. I can schedule my day as I see fit, as long as I get stuff done.

I've been meaning to travel to different places and work from there as a digital nomad but I haven't got a chance so far. Hopefully, that changes going forward 😄.

What advice would you give to someone who is out there looking for a remote job?

First advice I would give to someone looking for a remote job is to get involved and start doing!

Slack, mailing lists, Github, Gitter, IRC are just some avenues that you can use to join in. You can also create a personal portfolio showing samples of your work and experience.

Not many employers have a good experience hiring remote workers so you need to convince them that you are the exception.

Do you see any cons of working remotely and how do you try to overcome them?

Working remotely can get lonely sometimes and you might fall into a rut because of bad schedule, procrastination, etc.

Sorting out issues with the team is a must. You cannot let things pile up as that can hamper the efforts of other team members.

It's best to take some time off and try out random creative things. Convex tinkering :)!

"Procrastination is the soul rebelling against entrapment." - Taleb

You have been working in the cryptocurrency space for a good time. Do you think it can open up more remote working opportunities in the future?

Absolutely, I think cryptocurrency will be a hot topic for years to come and it will require a lot of skilled developers. Definitely an exciting space to be in!