Hi, I'm Nico.

This manual is intended to help others understand what it might be like to work with me, especially people who haven’t worked with me before. It's also a well-intentioned effort at building some trust by being intentionally vulnerable, and to share my ideas of a good working relationship to reduce the anxiety of people who might be on my team.

About me

  1. I have completed 3 world tours, a Europe tour, explored 55 countries and lived in 5 of them.
  2. I am a martial artist and have been practicing for over 34 years. I also teach.
  3. I am married to a Hong Konger.
  4. I maintain a Zettelkasten repository about everything I learn.
  5. Security and privacy are my top priorities. I am also a strong advocate for these values.
  6. I wrote a book on my travels and how I used them to absorb different cultures.
  7. Remote work and time differences made me prioritize asynchronous work and communication.
  8. There is no SIM card in my smartphone and I have no phone number.

How can you help me

  • Once I understand and agree with a vision, I like looking for every possible way to make it happen. I am particularly effective in high-stakes environments requiring system stabilization.
  • I like transparency both in professional and personal life. Addressing things properly requires me to know what's really going on.
  • An email is the best way to communicate with me. I prioritize "mission-critical" coordination.
  • I listen to your ideas, suggestions, feedback and explicit needs. Please be explicit about your needs and expectations. I prefer not to make assumptions.
  • I believe that work is not the most important thing in your life, and that everyone is fighting a battle I know nothing about.

My working style

  • I like to have a clear vision of what I need to achieve.
  • I am facts oriented. I make decisions based on data and evidence. Although I value experience and intuition, for exploration purposes, I don't make decisions based on them.
  • I am a problem solver and high-level architect. I look for the root cause of a problem and I try to find a solution that scales and remains sovereign. I don't like to blame people first.

Communicating with me

  • I am more comfortable with written communication. Whether it is emails or documentation. I prioritize ways to make one autonomous. I consider documentation to be a good way to structure ideas, iterate, share and translate.
  • Unless specifically mentioned, I don’t expect immediate responses from anyone.
  • Please do not be offended if I limit my communication channels. I find it more efficient and less distracting. It helps me to focus.
  • Being booked at 100% is a risk, so I work to avoid it and to allow myself time to think.
  • I am mostly positive. This is genuine. But I am also more realistic than optimistic.