Recently I had a talk w/ a longtime client. Besides cost and development speed, she mentioned a few other benefits that very well resonated with me, though not obvious at first. They were:
-Trips to Vietnam. Having worked w/ the team for a few years, this client visited Vietnam 2 times. After a week or two of work, she was able to take time off to recharge. She visited many Unesco sites (Halong Bay, Hue, Hoi An), a few stunning islands (Phu Quoc, Con Dao) and sampled amazing dishes and fresh tropical fruits (stinky durian on a boat in the Mekong delta was a highlight).
-A chance to step away from America. Whenever she worked with the Vietnam team (either on site or via Zoom), she gained a new perspective on her own life. Impressions she had about other cultures turned out to be false or exaggerated. Things she has taken for granted suddenly appear so fragile. A right is now a privilege. Every trip humbled her, opened up her mind and filled her heart with love and compassion.
-An unofficial mentorship role. Since most of her Vietnamese teammates were younger, they picked things up quickly, had an almost limitless energy and an innate curiosity about US life/career. She ended up having many meetings with the team (during and after work hours ), discussing about things not necessarily relating to the project. Relationships that were professional blossomed into lasting friendships.
-A new workflow model that ended up super productive. Since the team in Vietnam is self-managed and is 12 hours ahead of PST timezone, many times she would go to sleep only to wake up the next morning amazed that the tickets she assigned the previous night were finished while she was sleeping. Almost by magic!
