6:30 AM – The soft hum of the morning prayers echoes through the neighborhood as Arif awakens. The sun rises gently over Yogyakarta, casting a warm glow over the rice fields visible from his window. Arif enjoys the quiet of the early morning, sipping on his coffee as he mentally prepares for the day ahead. As a remote software developer, he’s responsible for maintaining and enhancing the online ordering system for Jace Foods SG, a Singapore-based food and services company that specializes in event catering.
7:30 AM – After a light breakfast, Arif sits at his desk and logs into the project management tool used by Jace Foods SG. He checks the tasks for the day: a feature request for an improved payment integration and debugging a minor issue with the mobile ordering app. The team in Singapore appreciates how he ensures that their platform runs smoothly, enabling event planners and clients to place bulk orders seamlessly.
8:00 AM – With his workstation set up, Arif checks into the daily stand-up meeting via video call. He greets his fellow developers in Singapore and project managers, all working from their own locations across Southeast Asia. The team discusses the progress of current tasks, blockers, and upcoming features. Arif explains his plan for the payment integration, and the project manager gives him the green light to proceed. Even though he’s far away, Arif feels connected to his colleagues.
9:00 AM – Arif starts coding. His focus is on integrating a new payment gateway that will allow international clients of Jace Foods SG to pay in their preferred currencies. Singapore’s event industry has a significant international clientele, and this feature is critical to enhancing the user experience. He reviews the technical documentation provided by the payment provider and begins writing the necessary code to make the integration seamless.
12:00 PM – It’s time for a short break. Arif takes a walk through his local market, enjoying the sights and sounds of Yogyakarta. Working remotely allows him to blend the tranquility of life in Indonesia with the high-paced work environment of Singapore’s business world. After a quick bite of gado-gado, he returns home, feeling refreshed and ready for the afternoon’s tasks.
1:00 PM – Back at his desk, Arif switches gears to fix the bug in the mobile ordering app. The client had reported an issue with the menu options not updating correctly during peak times. Using the error logs, Arif identifies the problem—an API response delay during high traffic. He adjusts the system to improve the load-balancing and conducts tests to ensure the menu updates in real-time without crashes, particularly during the rush of large event orders.
3:00 PM – Arif submits his bug fix for review and pushes the updated code to the test environment. Before the Singapore team finishes their workday, he sends an update in the project management tool and records a quick video demo of the new payment integration for the team to review.
4:00 PM – It’s time for a final call with the operations team. They provide feedback on the ordering system’s performance during the latest events they catered for. Thanks to Arif’s bug fixes and code improvements, the app ran smoothly without any downtime. The team is thrilled, and they provide Arif with new insights on how they’d like to improve the user interface next month.
5:00 PM – As the day winds down, Arif writes a short report on his progress and logs off. He reflects on how remote work has allowed him to balance his professional aspirations with the life he loves in Indonesia. Despite the distance, he feels deeply connected to Jace Foods SG, contributing to their success in Singapore’s bustling events industry.
6:00 PM – Arif unwinds by spending time with his family and practicing his hobby—photography. Remote work has not only enabled him to contribute to an international company but also provided the flexibility to pursue personal passions.
The following story is an illustration of the advantages of working remotely in Indonesia. The name and company used have been redacted, but the accounts are true from the developer’s sharing with our community. We live in a global economy now that takes advantage of economies of scale while balancing lifestyle with the abundance of global work. The future of work continues to evolve, and we should evolve together with it. Be a part of the Coding Collective as we embark on a new way of working for companies.
