Rather than burdening you with a lengthy monologue you’ll likely skip, let’s cut to the chase about what intrigues you regarding me. Below are brief Q&As for an efficient exchange - straightforward enough so we both save time without unnecessary fluff.
What is your why?
I don’t think I have it. At least, not for now. Searching for the purpose in what I do has shifted from an act of introspection and vital expansion to a constant burden and anchor that prevented me from moving fluidly, limiting me at every new step I took for not knowing if I was heading in the right direction.
What do I do now? I try to flow. Open doors. If a project sparks my interest, I go for it and (try) to not question anything beyond whether I feel positive about it at that moment. In some way, I attempt to let my early sensations guide the path of my life. Believe me when I say I’ve tried almost everything, and this resonates with the nature of things. That’s how it should be.
Are you a designer or a developer?
Both and neither at the same time. Let me explain: I love creating, and I have the training and experience necessary to use both design and coding tools when needed. The idea of confining myself to a single label for life is something I find jarring, and I am certainly against the notion that such an approach de-professionalizes a creator. On the contrary, I see it as a constant feedback loop between design and development, enabling me to build bridges and enrich both worlds.
What are my current tools of choice? Like everything, it depends on the context, project needs, business goals, timelines... but I particularly lean towards a stack in NextJS with Styled Components for development, and I have a keen interest in robust design systems for product design. Lately, Figma has become my right hand.
Why did you start Etéreo?
Out of an act of rebellion. It’s a long story, and I don’t think it would interest you much without a good coffee in hand, but after that opening line, I owe you a brief explanation: After several years working in consultancies, I ended up at a startup where I met a group of software engineers whom we hired to assist in our development, and who would eventually become my partners at Etéreo. There, I discovered that we could go directly to clients without going through middlemen who take up to 80% of our salary just for attaching a foreign surname’s stamp, which supposedly inspires trust.
We turned it around. The people who work with us keep the vast majority of what they earn. The rest stays in the company. Our company’s growth evaluation is governed by a ’Happiness Index’ that assesses overall feeling, client, tasks, technology, sense of progress, freedom, and financial satisfaction.
What experience do you have?
Over 12 years. If you want a number that says quite little. Let’s see. Since 2011, I’ve been professionally immersed in the world of software creation, but I must tell you that my interest in this field began at a very young age. In fact, I was already dabbling in design and code with a Pentium II when I was 8 or 9 years old. I know, I am that kind of person. Throughout my career, I’ve worn various hats and worked in an array of environments. Some offered incredible opportunities for learning and constant adventure, while others were mired in tedium and bureaucracy. Each experience, however, has contributed to my journey, enabling me to reach my current level of self-confidence and expertise.
My path has taken me through small design and software development studios, consultancies, multinational corporations, startups I’ve assisted in founding, web3 projects, NFT collections, and building companies and communities.
Who have you work with?
With many awesome people and companies. But also with many challenging ones, where I’ve had to work on improving communication, contextualizing cultural aspects, handling feedback, and biting my tongue more than once. If you’re looking for company names, here are a few:
- Mercedes Benz
- Hugo Boss
- Amadeus
- Cisco
- Airbus
- Movistar
- Yoigo
- Pepephone
- Santander Bank
- Codere
- KIA
- Hugo Boss
In the crypto ecosystem, I’ve also had the privilege of working directly with:
- Arbitrum
- IOTA Foundation
- MakerDAO
Where can I find your work?
In my Recent work page. Most of my work is subject to NDAs, making it challenging to showcase everything publicly. However, you can find a list of projects that are available for viewing. If at any point your project piques my interest and we share a mutual desire to collaborate, I can show you more of my work off the record.
You can contact me here.
How can I work with you?
In two ways: Write to me at hayder@hey.com with a description of your project that includes both short-term and long-term goals, and explain why you think I would be more helpful to you than any other designer or developer with more emotional stability than I have. I recommend that you put effort into this first email to save us both time. Remember, I do not work with consultancies or recruiters. If you need a team, I suggest you speak directly with Etéreo at etereo.io. You'll be well taken care of, with wild salmon, grapes, and chocolate. Or maybe not, but we're very nice and it's almost the same thing.