Introduction: In today’s dynamic business landscape, the ability to swiftly adapt to market changes is crucial for success. Stagnation can be a business’s worst enemy, and agility has become a defining factor in separating thriving companies from the rest. This blog post explores how strategic nearshoring, particularly in software development, can take your company’s agility to new heights.

So What is Agile?

Nearshoring for Agility

In the ever-evolving business world, agility is the key to survival. An agile company is one that can swiftly adapt to market changes, exhibiting traits such as being fast-moving, flexible, responsive to unexpected obstacles, customer-centric, and possessing a continuous competitive advantage. While some aspects of agility are top-down responsibilities, specialized skills, especially in development, play a crucial role in achieving true agility.

How Nearshoring Enhances Agility

Nearshoring development services, particularly in South America, offers unique advantages that can significantly contribute to making your company more agile. Let’s delve into the specifics.

#1 Take You to the Cloud

Migrating your technology to the cloud is a game-changer for agility. Beyond basic storage, the cloud provides powerful and flexible services that enable seamless technology pivots. Nearshored development teams in South America can assist in migrating to cloud-centric services like AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud, amplifying your company’s power and flexibility. Embracing Software as a Service (SaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) further propels your agility to the next level.

#2 Containerize Your Services

For those instances where the cloud isn’t the perfect fit, nearshoring teams can help containerize your applications and services. Containers offer unparalleled agility and scalability, allowing rapid shifts in paradigms without the traditional time and budget constraints. Nearshored development teams can deploy technologies like Kubernetes and automate your DevOps pipeline, ensuring your technology remains agile and adaptable.

#3 Expand Your Development Talent Pool

Ensuring your development team is not only talented but also capable of maintaining agility is paramount. When in-house developers fall short, nearshoring provides access to a flexible talent pool that can quickly adapt to your needs. A diverse set of skills, including expertise in building hybrid clouds, deploying automated containerized pipelines, and employing edge computing, becomes achievable with a nearshored team.

#4 Bring New Development Languages to the Table

Nearshoring not only injects new talent into your business but also introduces a variety of development languages. While local talent might excel in certain languages, embracing a broader spectrum is essential for true agility. Nearshored teams from South America can bring expertise in Golang, SQL Data, .NET, PHP, Java, Node.JS, JavaScript, React Native, Ruby On Rails, and YAML file structures, ensuring your technology remains agile and competitive in a rapidly changing landscape.

Nearshoring for Agility

In conclusion, to compete effectively in today’s market, embracing agility is non-negotiable. Nearshoring, particularly in South America, emerges as a strategic move to break away from outdated models and foster a dynamic, agile approach. If you’re serious about navigating the complexities of the modern business landscape, consider partnering with a qualified nearshoring company to elevate your agility and secure your place in the competitive field.

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[Forbes/ Nov 7, 2023,10:48am EST / Jon Younger] – The landscape of freelancing in Latin America (Latam) is poised for continued growth in 2024, according to leading CEOs in the region. A decade after a World Economic Forum report highlighted Latam’s economic potential, a recent article by Jon Younger explores the flourishing freelance revolution and its impact on the region’s economy.

In the face of economic challenges and the ongoing pandemic, Latam has experienced a surge in entrepreneurship, with a significant portion of the workforce engaging in independent or freelance work. Notably, countries like Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, and Colombia boast over 25% of their workforce being self-employed or solopreneurs.

Several digital talent marketplaces have emerged, providing a platform for independent professionals across various sectors, including technology, marketing, creative services, and management consulting. Companies like Torc, Ollo, and The Flock are connecting Latam talent with global corporations, reflecting the region’s appeal for remote work.

To gain insights into the future of freelancing in Latam, Jon Younger interviewed prominent CEOs from leading freelance companies in the region. Here are some key forecasts and insights for 2024:

1. Rodrigo Silva, CEO Lithium (Uruguay):
“Uruguay has emerged as a key player in the freelance economy, with notable companies such as dLocal, the country’s first unicorn. Looking to 2024, the freelance market in Uruguay will expand further, supported by government initiatives in the tech industry, increased digital literacy, and rising global demand for freelance services.”

2. Jonathan Siddharth, CEO Turing:
“Latam stands as a pivotal market for Turing, attracting high-quality software engineers. We’re dedicated to connecting their expertise with exciting, full-time opportunities, certain that LATAM engineering talent will propel innovation and collaboration with our enterprise clients to unparalleled levels.”

3. Michael P. Morris, CEO Torc:
“Latam remains a top growth market for nearshore talent network Torc. With increased demand from Latam developers to work with US companies, Torc continues to be a definitive remote talent sourcing option. Increased productivity, reduced skill gaps, and improved team culture are speeding nearshore adoption.”

4. Ramiro González Forcada, CEO The Flock:
“The freelance revolution in Latam has experienced a remarkable surge in recent years. Looking forward to 2024, the forecast for freelance growth is highly optimistic. Latam has four advantages: time zone, talent, English language proficiency, and cost.”

5. Juan Francisco Mejía Betancourt, CEO Wokiconsulting:
“Latam is emerging as a high-potential market for freelancing. Growth has been 50% in the last year, especially in Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Venezuela, and the Dominican Republic. We’re seeing a growing ‘silver economy’ in the hiring of experts over 50 years old and into their second career as a part- or full-time freelancer.”

6. Karina Rehavia, CEO Ollo:
“The Latam freelance landscape is undergoing a very dynamic transformation. Based on current trends and the adoption of remote work, we foresee an even further increase of freelance adoption in the years to come, with freelancing continuing to be an integral part of our evolving work culture.”

7. Jacqueline Samira, CEO Howdy:
“More freelancers in Latam realize the benefits of working for US companies and being paid in US dollars. We’re seeing US companies now being interested in opening up more opportunities across marketing, design, financial operations, and support, giving more access to more people.”

8. Tomas Uribe, CEO Mavity:
“Latam, especially Colombia, offers significant freelance opportunities. With the ‘great reconsideration’ trend, reevaluating skills for multiple industries, growing at an estimated 25% in 2024, there is increased interest in design and no-code/low-code app development.”

9. Calvin Smith, CEO Awana:
“In Ecuador, more developers are working remotely with US employers. Freelance teams are on the rise in 2024, and companies want to work with trusted vendors of freelancers, ensuring guaranteed quality.”

10. Sandra Arévalo, CEO Wisar:
“Latam freelancers are connecting with freelance jobs worldwide. Local governments need to ensure online freelancing is inclusive, broadening digital skills training and English proficiency. Factors related to stability can play a role in the sustainability of freelancing careers.”

11. Pedro Arnt, Co-CEO dLocal:
“Freelance positions have increased worldwide, and Latam is no exception. Our 2024 projections show strong growth in gig economy-enabled online marketplaces, ride-sharing, and social media eCommerce. We have aligned our product launch roadmap to meet this growing vertical, recently launching a platform-focused payments solution, our fastest-growing segment.”

The CEOs collectively envision a bright future for freelancing in Latam, highlighting the region’s potential as a significant technology hub and a preferred destination for global companies seeking remote talent. As the freelance revolution continues to reshape the workforce, Latam emerges as a key player in this global transformation.

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Introduction: The healthcare industry has witnessed a significant transformation in recent years, thanks to rapid technological advancements. This shift was accelerated by the global health crisis triggered by COVID-19, demanding swift and innovative solutions. Telemedicine, AI-driven algorithms for virus analysis and vaccine development, and robotics for healthcare assistance are just a few examples of the remarkable progress we’ve seen.

Wearable Monitors:

IoT technology plays a pivotal role in healthcare, particularly in patient monitoring. Beyond the smart thermometers, bracelets, and rings that collect vital signs, IoT offers a range of impressive applications. For instance, remote glucose monitoring devices continuously and automatically measure glucose levels, sending data to a central monitoring device. Hand hygiene monitors remind healthcare professionals to wash their hands, reducing infection risks, especially when dealing with high-risk patients.

Even more remarkable are mood monitors and those designed for Parkinson’s patients. Mood-aware devices gather data like heart rate and eye movement to interpret a patient’s mental state. Parkinson’s monitors assist patients by monitoring their symptoms, reducing the need for constant observation by medical specialists. These devices provide symptom control and collect data for AI-powered solutions, leading to a deeper understanding of health issues.

Swallowable Sensors:

While wearable devices have their limitations, ingestible sensors are poised to revolutionize healthcare. Imagine swallowing a tiny sensor, like a pill, capable of reading vital signs from inside your body. This is what IoT promises. Doctors could measure various signals, such as stomach pH levels, and identify potential problems like cysts, internal bleeding, and tumors. Although these sensors aren’t widespread yet, companies are collaborating with IoT professionals to develop smaller, easily swallowable versions, bringing this innovation closer to reality.

In-Body Devices:

In addition to swallowable sensors, IoT devices can monitor conditions that require internal access. Smart inhalers, for instance, can measure real-time air quality and provide alerts when conditions become hazardous for asthma patients. This data can lead to a better understanding of asthma triggers. Smart contact lenses have potential applications in healthcare, offering information to doctors during surgery and helping patients with vision issues adapt to different environments more effectively.

Robotic Surgeries:

IoT’s role in healthcare extends to the development of internet-connected robots capable of performing complex procedures with precision. Surgeons can control these robots to perform minimally invasive surgeries, resulting in fewer scars and faster patient recovery. This may sound like science fiction, but successful trials have already taken place, including the removal of cancerous tumors and eye surgeries. While not yet widely adopted, these robots are likely to become more common shortly.

Integrated IoT is the Key:

The full potential of IoT devices in healthcare is realized when integrated into a smart network. Rather than operating autonomously, healthcare IoT devices need to connect with other solutions, such as AI, augmented reality, 5G, and edge computing. This integration provides a deeper understanding of the body’s conditions and diseases by combining real-time monitoring with analytical algorithms. It’s not just about understanding our bodies better; it can save lives by providing vital information for quicker and more precise treatments.

In conclusion, IoT devices in healthcare must evolve from mere connectivity to true integration, delivering additional value and improved solutions for patients. With the digital acceleration observed during the pandemic, this vision is closer to becoming a reality than ever before.

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In the ever-evolving landscape of finance, two groundbreaking trends have emerged, revolutionizing the way we interact with financial services: Open Banking and Embedded Finance. These trends hold the potential to reshape the financial industry significantly. In this comprehensive article, we will delve deep into the essence of these trends, their profound impact, and their diverse applications.

Open Banking: A Paradigm Shift in Data Access

Key Trends:

At its core, open banking ensures secure and frictionless interoperability within the banking realm. It grants third-party payment services and financial providers unprecedented access to banking transactions and data. In 2022, the global open banking market reached a staggering valuation of $20.07 billion, with projections of a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 27.2% from 2023 to 2030, ultimately soaring to a remarkable valuation of $135.15 billion by the close of the decade. Regions such as the European Union, India, and Australia have embraced this transformation with notable progress. In parallel, the United States and Asia are navigating ongoing regulatory developments at varying paces, laying the groundwork for forthcoming mainstream adoption. Open banking hinges on third-party organizations gaining access to financial data through Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), enabling individuals to seamlessly manage and transfer their finances.

What is Open Banking?

Open Banking is a dynamic system that facilitates secure and seamless interoperability within the banking sector. It opens doors for third-party entities, such as payment services and financial providers, to access a treasure trove of financial data and transactions held by banks and other financial institutions.

The Purpose of Open Banking

Open Banking is fundamentally driven by the aspiration to democratize access to financial data, empowering users with unprecedented control and flexibility over their financial affairs. Additionally, it fosters competition within the financial landscape, potentially catalyzing heightened innovation and the evolution of financial products and services.

Where Can Open Banking Be Applied?

The versatility of Open Banking extends across various domains, including:

1. Personal Financial Management: Applications and platforms designed to assist individuals in managing their finances, such as budgeting and savings tools, can harness Open Banking to access user-specific bank account data, enabling personalized financial recommendations.
2. Loans and Credit: Financial institutions can utilize Open Banking to meticulously assess customers’ creditworthiness, streamlining the provision of loans and credit facilities.
3. Digital Payments: Open Banking streamlines digital payments, empowering users to execute transactions directly from their bank accounts through various applications and websites.
4. Investments: Investment platforms leverage Open Banking to provide investors with a consolidated view of their portfolios and bank accounts, facilitating more informed investment decisions.
5. Business Banking: Open Banking transcends the personal realm, extending into the corporate sphere. Here, companies harness financial data to optimize financial management and expedite business transactions.

Embedded Finance: The Confluence of Financial and Non-Financial Services

Key Trends:

Embedded Finance is the integration of financial products into non-financial platforms, customer experiences, or journeys. This integration provides banks with a direct channel to connect with customers. Noteworthy instances include sales financing at appliance retailers or auto loans at dealerships. The Embedded Finance sector is poised for extraordinary growth, projected to expand by a remarkable 421% over the next five years, culminating in a global revenue estimate of nearly $11 billion by 2027. Brands targeting high-net-worth individuals are strongly encouraged to explore embedded investment strategies, broadening their appeal to premium users.

What is Embedded Finance?

Embedded Finance epitomizes the seamless integration of financial services into non-financial businesses, empowering companies to diversify their service portfolios beyond traditional offerings.

The Purpose of Embedded Finance

Embedded Finance serves as a catalyst for diversifying a company’s revenue streams, fostering heightened customer loyalty, and delivering a more comprehensive user experience. By seamlessly incorporating financial services into their offerings, businesses can provide customers with a more convenient and unified experience, often resulting in elevated customer retention and augmented revenue.

Where Can Embedded Finance Be Applied?

Embedded Finance finds relevance across diverse industries and scenarios, including:

1. Retail: establishments can offer a spectrum of financial services, such as loans or credit cards, to customers during the checkout process. This strategic integration holds the potential to amplify sales and enhance customer loyalty.
2. Mobility: The providers, such as ride-sharing applications, can seamlessly offer financial services like payments and insurance to users, thereby streamlining the travel experience.
3. Technology: The companies can integrate financial services into their platforms, empowering users to execute payments, manage investments, and access loans directly through their applications.
4. Real Estate: They can seamlessly incorporate financial services, including mortgages and insurance, into their offerings, simplifying the home-buying process for customers.
5. Tourism: The industry can harness Embedded Finance by offering travel insurance and related financial services to travelers when booking flights and accommodations.

Conclusion

Open Banking and Embedded Finance represent two pivotal trends poised to reshape the financial landscape. Open Banking champions democratized access to financial data and spur market competition, while Embedded Finance empowers companies to diversify their revenue streams and provide holistic user experiences. These trends span a multitude of industries and scenarios, and they will undoubtedly continue to mold the future of financial interactions on a global scale.

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Introduction

In the fast-paced realm of AI and technology, an intriguing trend has emerged, capturing the attention of job seekers and employers alike. A recent Forbes article, authored by Emmy Lucas on August 17, 2023, shines a spotlight on the explosive growth of job opportunities connected to ChatGPT, a cutting-edge AI language model developed by OpenAI. This 21-fold surge in LinkedIn job postings since November of the previous year paints a vivid picture of the transformative impact of AI in the workforce, heralding new opportunities and skill requirements.

AI Skills in High Demand: The ChatGPT Phenomenon

The Forbes article highlights the pressing demand for professionals well-versed in natural language processing (NLP) and artificial intelligence (AI), with a specific emphasis on skills related to ChatGPT. This AI language model has revolutionized various industries, from content creation to customer service. The remarkable increase in job postings underscores the broader shift towards AI-powered solutions, with businesses keen to integrate AI technologies to streamline operations and enhance customer experiences.

Navigating the AI Frontier: Job Market Implications

The exponential growth of ChatGPT-related job listings on LinkedIn signifies a larger trend of businesses embracing automation and AI as cornerstones of their operations. As AI technologies continue to evolve, the demand for experts capable of harnessing their potential grows. This transformation points to a changing employment landscape, wherein proficiency in AI and NLP becomes a sought-after skillset to drive innovation and competitive advantage.

Adapting to the Future: Skill Acquisition and Collaboration with AI

The article underscores the broader significance of the AI-driven transformation, particularly in terms of skills and workforce dynamics. The integration of AI technologies prompts the emergence of novel job roles, urging individuals to acquire new skills and adapt to evolving market demands. As AI continues to shape the job market, the ability to work harmoniously with AI systems becomes crucial, emphasizing the importance of lifelong learning and skill expansion.

AI and Business Synergy: Rethinking Traditional Operations

The surge in ChatGPT-related job postings on LinkedIn also highlights the reconfiguration of traditional business practices. The article suggests that AI and NLP technologies are infiltrating sectors that were once dominated by human involvement. This transformation reinforces the need for a versatile workforce, capable of embracing AI while staying attuned to human expertise.

Seizing Opportunities: Navigating the AI-Infused Workforce

In conclusion, the Forbes article provides a revealing glimpse into the evolving job market dynamics, courtesy of the surge in ChatGPT-related job listings. The article encapsulates the broader integration of AI across industries, showcasing the growing need for professionals skilled in AI and NLP. As the employment landscape undergoes a transformative shift, adaptability and proactive skill acquisition emerge as linchpins for both job seekers and employers.

Embracing the Future: A Call to Action

The article serves as a rallying cry for professionals to embark on AI-related education and upskilling journeys to remain relevant in a swiftly changing job market. It also encourages businesses to harness AI technologies, such as ChatGPT, to enhance productivity and drive innovation. By striking a balance between human creativity and technological prowess, individuals and organizations can harness the myriad opportunities presented by the AI-driven future of work.

In summary, the Forbes article adeptly captures the essence of the AI revolution through the lens of ChatGPT-related job listings on LinkedIn. As industries continue to adapt to AI innovations, a new frontier of possibilities unfolds for those ready to embrace the transformative potential of AI-powered solutions.

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The software development industry has witnessed remarkable growth in recent years, with rising demand for skilled professionals who can bring innovative solutions to the digital world. Latin America has emerged as a hotbed for exceptional software developers, garnering attention from global businesses seeking top-tier talent. In this article, we delve into the factors that contribute to the excellence of Latin American software developers, exploring the region’s educational systems and resources that play a pivotal role in nurturing their skills.

1. A Strong Educational Foundation:

Latin American countries have invested significantly in their educational systems, producing a workforce that is well-versed in computer science and software engineering. Many universities across the region offer specialized courses in programming languages, software development methodologies, and other related subjects. Moreover, the curriculum emphasizes hands-on projects and real-world applications, allowing students to gain practical experience and problem-solving skills.

The region’s focus on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education has led to a large pool of tech-savvy individuals, providing businesses with access to a vast talent pool that possesses the necessary expertise to tackle complex software development challenges.

2. Collaboration with Industry:

Latin American educational institutions have fostered strong partnerships with the tech industry, promoting collaboration between academia and businesses. This synergy facilitates knowledge transfer, enables students to work on real projects, and exposes them to cutting-edge technologies used in the industry. As a result, graduates are well-prepared to enter the job market, armed with relevant skills and a deep understanding of industry needs.

Furthermore, tech companies often sponsor events, workshops, and hackathons in collaboration with universities, encouraging students to showcase their talents and network with potential employers. This dynamic ecosystem enhances the employability of graduates and ensures a constant flow of skilled developers into the industry.

3. English Proficiency:

English proficiency is a crucial aspect of the software development field, given its global nature. Latin American countries have recognized the importance of English as a universal language for technology and have integrated it into their educational systems. Many institutions offer English language courses and encourage students to develop their language skills through international exchange programs and internships abroad.

By being proficient in English, Latin American developers can seamlessly collaborate with clients and teams from around the world, breaking down communication barriers and ensuring smooth project execution.

4. Entrepreneurial Spirit:

Latin America has witnessed a surge in tech startups and entrepreneurship, fueling a culture of innovation and creativity. As a result, software developers in the region are often exposed to dynamic and challenging projects from an early stage in their careers. This exposure instills an entrepreneurial mindset, where developers learn to take ownership of their work, embrace innovation, and seek creative solutions to problems.

The combination of technical proficiency and entrepreneurial spirit has contributed to the region’s reputation as a hub for innovative startups and technology-driven ventures.

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Step 1: Collect and prepare data
Suppose you want to train an artificial intelligence model to recognize images of cats and dogs. In this case, you will need to collect a large number of labeled images of cats and dogs. These images can come from public databases, such as ImageNet, or you can collect them yourself. Once you have the images, you need to prepare the data by cleaning images, resizing to a common size, and normalizing pixel values.

Step 2: Choosing a learning algorithm
For the image recognition problem, you can choose to use a convolutional neural network (CNN). CNNs are efficient for image processing and have proven to be successful in classification tasks. You can choose an existing CNN architecture, such as VGG16 or ResNet, and adjust it to your needs.

Step 3: Train the model
Once you have the data ready and have selected a CNN architecture, you can start training the model. This involves feeding the labeled cat and dog images to the model and adjusting the neural network weights through backpropagation. During training, the model will learn to recognize distinctive features of cats and dogs to perform the classification correctly.

Step 4: Validate and evaluate the model
After training the model, you need to evaluate its performance. To do this, you can use a validation dataset that was not used during training. For example, you may have a set of cat and dog images that were not used to train the model. By running these images through the model, you can evaluate their accuracy, i.e., the proportion of correctly classified images. If the performance is not satisfactory, you can make adjustments to the model or to the training data.

Step 5: Optimize and adjust the model
Based on the evaluation results, you can optimize and adjust the model. For example, you can try to change the CNN architecture, adjust hyperparameters such as learning rate or batch size, or even collect more training data if the model shows deficiencies in generalization. These adjustments will allow you to improve model performance and obtain optimal results.

Remember that these are only examples specific to cat and dog image recognition. The artificial intelligence training process may vary depending on the problem you are tackling. However, the general steps of data collection, algorithm selection, training, evaluation and tuning are applicable in different AI training contexts.

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In the competitive global information technology (IT) scenario, operational efficiency, quality of service and agility in delivery are crucial aspects for success. In this context, nearshoring in Latin America emerges as an effective strategy to boost business performance, bringing important benefits beyond simple cost reduction.

In recent years, the region has become an ideal nearshoring hub for global companies, offering an attractive combination of technical IT talent, robust infrastructure, compatible time zones and competitive operating costs.

With The Flock’s extensive talent network, global companies have immediate access to the best IT talent in Latin America for all their nearshoring needs. So, in today’s article, we’ll better understand the benefits of nearshoring and why Latin America stands out.

Why choose Nearshoring in Latin America?

Nearshoring is the practice of transferring operations to geographically close countries to take advantage of specific benefits, such as lower costs, specialized talent, similar time zones and greater integration among the team. This model contrasts with the offshoring model, which involves outsourcing to distant countries such as India or Pakistan, which often face challenges of cultural and time zone differences.

Latin America has attracted the attention of IT companies around the world thanks to its growing technology talent base, good infrastructure and stable economy. Countries such as Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Costa Rica and Colombia have invested significantly in training IT professionals, resulting in a highly skilled workforce ready to meet the demands of the sector.

In addition, Latin America’s geographic proximity to the United States and Europe allows for better synchronization of activities, facilitating real-time collaboration and minimizing the difficulties associated with time zone differences. This becomes even more relevant in a world where remote work is increasingly part of our daily lives, making the ability to collaborate online critical to the success of projects.

Thus, in our opinion, nearshoring presents an ideal balance between all these factors, allowing companies to have great benefits by moving part of their operations to Latin America.

Main benefits of nearshoring in Latin America

Nearshoring in Latin America provides a number of benefits to global companies looking to strengthen their IT staff. Let’s take a closer look at the main ones:

Cost reduction.

First, there is the issue of cost reduction. Latin America has a highly skilled workforce, but costs are generally lower than those in countries such as the United States and Europe, allowing significant savings for global companies without loss of quality.

Large talent pool

The Latin American region is rich in technical talent, with a growing base of highly skilled IT professionals. Many of these professionals are fluent in English and Spanish, which facilitates communication with international companies and the execution of IT projects.

Favorable time zones

Geographic proximity to the United States and Europe is another factor driving nearshoring in Latin America. This proximity allows for better synchronization of work schedules, which facilitates real-time collaboration and makes project management more efficient.

Facilitated communication and cultural similarities

Culture also plays a crucial role in this dynamic. The cultural similarity between Latin America and the North American and European markets, greater than, for example, countries such as India or Pakistan, favors effective communication and mutual understanding, minimizing misunderstandings and improving efficiency.

Stable business environment

Finally, Latin America has a stable and secure business environment. Many countries in the region have strong economies and policies favorable to international business, making them attractive locations for investment and long-term expansion of foreign groups.

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• Constant innovation: Never settle for the status quo. Constantly look for ways to innovate and improve your products or services.
• Focus on the user experience: Put your customers at the center of everything you do. Design products and services that deliver an exceptional experience.
• Simplify: Eliminate unnecessary complexity. Strive for simplicity in design and functionality, making your products intuitive and easy to use.
• Build a team of excellence: Hire talented and passionate people. Create a team that shares your vision and works in harmony to achieve extraordinary results.
• Dare to be different: Don’t be afraid to challenge established norms and be different. Originality and uniqueness can be key to standing out in a competitive market.
• Focus on quality: Don’t sacrifice quality for speed. Make sure that every detail of your product or service meets high standards of excellence.
• Learn from failures: Failures are learning opportunities. Learn from them, adapt and move forward with greater wisdom and determination.
• Keep a long-term focus: Don’t get carried away by short-term trends. Keep a long-term vision and constantly work toward your long-term goals.
• Communicate effectively: Clear and effective communication is crucial. Learn to convey your vision and ideas convincingly to both your team and the outside world.
• Follow your passion: Find what you are passionate about and pursue it with determination. Passion is what drives success and helps you overcome obstacles along the way.
  

  At The Flock, we help and accompany you in the design of technological solutions:

• Build a high-performance team at a cost up to 30-60% lower compared to the United States.
• Take advantage of Latin America’s flexible, 100% validated, and bilingual teams.
• Our flexible solution allows you to adapt to the current dynamic context.
• We value trust to drive your business growth.
• We offer efficient technological solutions and a highly trained team.
  

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Finally, Payroll processing, known as Payroll, can be a complicated challenge in any industry. But when it comes to the IT world, it presents additional challenges in a 100% Globalized world. In a highly dynamic and constantly evolving environment, Payroll Difficulties in the IT world require special attention and tailored solutions. Here are the top 4 IT Payroll challenges and how to overcome them, with the help of The Flock.

The complexity of contracts and salary structures:

It is common to find complex contracts and salary structures due to the diversity of roles and skills. This makes it difficult to accurately calculate pay and properly allocate benefits. To overcome this difficulty, The Flock provides a comprehensive Payroll management solution. Its team of experts manages all aspects of payroll processing, ensuring accuracy and compliance with labor laws.

Regulatory and legal compliance:

The IT world is subject to specific labor regulations and legislations that must be complied with in payroll processing, which will depend on where the company is located. Keeping up with legal changes and ensuring compliance can be a daunting task. With The Flock, you can rest easy, as their team of professionals is specialized and keeps your Payroll always up to date and in compliance with current regulations.

Benefits and bonuses management:

Employees often receive additional benefits and bonuses, such as stock options, incentive plans, and performance bonuses. These elements can complicate payroll management. The Flock offers an integrated platform that allows you to efficiently manage all of these benefits and rewards, ensuring accurate and transparent calculation of payouts with no hidden costs.

Scalability and growth:

Finally, As your project in the IT world grows, Payroll management can become more complex. The Flock provides a scalable solution that adapts to your constantly evolving needs depending on the stage of your project. Its advanced technological platform allows you to manage the growth of your team efficiently, without having to worry about administrative and payment processes.

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This year presents we want to present you the 7 working trends for 2023 companies with questions regarding the labor market situation. With the COVID-19 pandemic control, new adjustments in labor dynamics were necessary. Many companies have returned to in-person work, while others have opted for remote or hybrid work. Environmentally friendly open spaces are crucial for agile and sustainable work, benefiting personal development and health. Establishing a home office agreement to support remote work is also essential.

So it is necessary to be current on the upcoming trends in 2023.

 Who wants to establish guidelines for expanding themselves?

1. Onboarding: Successful onboarding is critical to ensure employee retention. Working with IT recruitment specialists to hire the right candidates and fit them into the company culture is essential.
2.   Company culture based on confidence: A culture of trust is crucial for successful labor relationships. Transparency, collaboration, mutual respect, and support lead to productivity, a better working environment, and employee retention.
3. Fulfillment within the organization: Employees prioritize fulfillment, well-being, and happiness over stressful work environments. They value developing bonds with colleagues, mutual respect, inclusion, and work-life balance to improve performance and enhance positive leadership.
4.   Remote and collaborative work modality: Many companies have adopted a remote work plan that allows employees to work from anywhere, promoting active collaboration and building bonds. With the pandemic, remote work has become a necessity, and organizations need to adjust to the teleworking law for both part-time and full-time jobs.
5.   Multiple employment: Remote work has changed the way collaborators participate in projects. It is now more focused on achieving goals and fulfilling tasks rather than maximizing productivity. Talents prefer to manage their time and work on multiple job proposals to increase their earnings.
6. Flexibility in team dynamics: Flexibility in team dynamics is crucial for boosting the performance and career growth of freelance members. Collaborating on common projects based on knowledge and technical skills has become the norm, and productivity is now being measured by goal fulfillment within a flexible time scheme. Talents prioritize their independence and the ability to link productive time with leisure, which is why they need holidays and days off according to their convenience.
   
   
   

   (Differences between a freelance and a contractor,
   two ways of referring to the same thing?)

    

7.   On-demand holidays: remote work requires a change of mindset for talents and business people. This is because compulsory breaks and time off, which are established according to an agreement depending on important dates, are a thing of the past. Now there is another logic regarding time management, as collaborators are the ones who define how long their holidays will be, without any limits established by law.

As is common every year, those organizations that are ready to face fixed events and deal with the unexpected are the ones who will be in the best conditions to take up challenges, overcome obstacles and move forward.

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The Flock helps you accelerate your digital transformation. Build your Team Now. Click here!

Access the world’s best jobs. Apply as Talent

Ramiro González Forcada and Nicolás Castro are 29 years old and founders of The Flock, a digital platform of Validated Talenthat match technological projects with Latin American freelancers.

Its beginnings and the pandemic as an opportunity

It was in the midst of the pandemic and socially isolated, as almost everyone, when they started to brainstorm about their current enterprise, which is present in more than 10 countries and manages more than 20 projects at the same time with 50 #flockers working on that. The confinement played in their favor to have greater availability and thus be able to work, almost exclusively, in the project they trusted so much.

They make up a seamless team and they complement each other. They foster remote, independent and asynchronous work. Nico states that Rami has a good mix of strategic vision, leadership and critical analysis. On the other hand, Ramiro declares that they have both the same desire, objectives and values but from different perspectives. “I encourage the team and always challenge us to go one step further. Nico does short-term oriented management and has a good trade-off between moving on and experiencing the current moment, he knows how to enjoy every step.”

They met when they were children, as they used to live in the same neighborhood and their schools were near. They had many people in common and they met again at university. “We started to get to know each other little by little, at first in study groups, then in social meetings and later on we set up different projects. In that moment we realized that we enjoyed working together, we had similar ideas and dreams and we wanted to create something big. We made some things before that did not result as expected but we never gave up. We had the feeling that we had to work together and we finally got to this project which joined many objectives: global outreach, technology and impact,” say both of them.

The pandemic was a breaking point for the start of The Flock. “That context helped us a lot when trying to demonstrate that it is completely possible to work with people from many parts of the world and focused on meeting objectives instead of schedules,” states Nicolás. The arrival of the pandemic showed people’s potential to the world and that they could be able to develop their tasks from anywhere. Ramiro also claims that “it was a reality before the pandemic but with this phenomenon, everyone was forced to do it, and even some companies that would have never taken the leap are now experiencing positive results.”

The challenging world of startups

They are versatile, skilled and passionate about technology and they argue that the start-up world evolves really fast and flexibility is needed in order not to be left out soon. The most challenging is to find the product-market fit. That is to say, to find the moment in which you know exactly the added value that is provided to the client and they perceive it in the same way. That moment, when you understand how to speak to them, what to say and how to sell, which is really important, represents the starting point where more growth can be obtained.

They work with elastic teams which is a win-win scheme where both parties win.

Although there are many similar platforms, the added value of The Flock is that every #Flocker who joins the platform can work in a comfortable way, as they forget about dealing with clients, they have an income in dollars and on time, they have predictability regarding potential projects and it is fully remote. Every talent can decide when and where to work, which gives a real balance between their jobs and personal life. Moreover, they state that it has great benefits for companies, as they have motivated teams, they invest in the necessary skills for every product stage when they need it and they improve their return of investment in the labor force, among others.

The founders highlight communication as an essential aspect in order to be able to work with elastic and remote teams both for the clients and the Flockers. That’s why in The Flock we put a lot of emphasis on following the project implementation methodology.

The importance of reliability and curiosity

According to their experience, talent must have reliability in people in order to develop themselves professionally within remote teams. The idea is to know that when they say they will do something they will actually do it. This is very appreciated in The Flock and it adds a lot of value to the profiles. Regarding this, Ramiro mentions a key concept: curiosity.

“Working in remote teams makes you relate to different cultures and languages; you must be curious in order to be constantly learning from others.”

“We are very strict when validating a talent, we permanently look for the perfect manner to make up an IT team.” Therefore, in The Flock they create a rigorous process, by means of which they quickly detect the level of every applicant. Their objective is to become the biggest validated talent platform in Latin America that searches for the perfect match between talent and project.

They affirm that Latin America is a high-quality pole of talent attraction, they are really motivated to grow in a professional way. Besides, they underline the good level of English, which is the universal language in the digital product development world. Nowadays, this region possesses a lot of skilled people, not only in the technical field but also in languages and social skills.

Finally, how do you see TF 5 years from now? We expect The Flock to be the leading digital talent platform worldwide. They see themselves working with more and more quantity and variety of people and enterprises, with increasingly ambitious projects and improving the work-life balance of many people. That’s where we’re headed.

#TheFlockTip

What would you advise someone who wants to quit their permanent job in a company and start working as a freelancer? “We consider that nowadays talented people, especially from the digital product development world, have more opportunities than ever. Indeed, enterprises are the ones that are concerned about getting good talent and not the other way round. They argue that it is the right time to take the leap towards the independent and freelance world. “Companies like ours help in that transition and accompany the freelancer’s life.”

The founders made a short, random and a bit nerd quiz so as to know more about their vision and the way they are when working in The Flock.

Bonus track!

 Does contact beat CV or does experience beat studies?

• N: This has changed a lot. There are CTOs from huge companies who did not go to university or do not have any degree. I think experience obtained by working and the desire to learn beats any contact or degree.
• R: Experience without a doubt beats studies. But studies plus experience is a boom.

Which is your favorite Google extension?

• N: https://glossarytech.com/. It is really useful for those who do not know too much about technology and would like to understand and learn a bit more.
• R: Google Docs Offline → To have access to everything when the internet goes down.

Which was the last app you downloaded?

• N: A customer’s one. I can not tell you too much because of privacy policies 😉
• R: Bird.

Your favorite emoji?

• N: I really like the rock hand emoji ??.
• R: The upside down face ? .

Your last search in Google?

• N: Rock hand emoji haha
• R: Upside down face.

Working day or night?

• N: I love mornings. I wake up early to work or work out.
• R: Free! No fixed schedule preferences.

Physical books or eBooks?

• N: I am old school regarding books, I prefer the printed ones and their smell.
• R: Both, it depends. When studying I prefer the physical one so as to take notes on it.

Which is your mantra on a busy day of work?

• N: I try to prioritize and deal with one issue at a time.
• R: Order and prioritization.

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The Flock helps you accelerate your digital transformation. Build your Team Now. Click here!

Access the world’s best jobs. Apply as Talent