When Ricardo first stepped into the world of tech, he never imagined his path would lead him from a small town in Portugal to Sweden’s vibrant tech scene. But that’s exactly where life’s twists and turns brought him—and he’s been making magic at Oneflow ever since.

Ricardo grew up in a small Portuguese town and initially dreamed of becoming a journalist. But at 18, when he went to university to study New Communication Technologies, he found himself more drawn to programming. “It was interesting,” he says simply. Before even finishing his degree, he started developing websites, setting the stage for a career he hadn’t originally envisioned.

“A couple of years after my first job out of university, I moved to Sweden for a job,” he recalls. After two years, he returned to Portugal for a time, but Sweden had left its mark. “I actually missed the cold and dark,” he laughs. In 2014, he answered a call to return—and he’s been here ever since.

Discovering Oneflow

“Back in 2018, I have to be honest, I had never heard about Oneflow. I was coming from a completely different industry and knew very little about digital contracts,” Ricardo recalls. At that point in his career, he was ready for something fresh, something that could reignite his passion. “Oneflow felt like a place where I could make a difference and have a real impact on the product.”

Since then, Ricardo has watched Oneflow evolve, growing from a small, homogeneous team into a diverse powerhouse of creativity. “Being surrounded by all this creative, kind and fun people certainly gives me the motivation I need,” he shares, highlighting how the company’s inclusive culture has been a cornerstone of his journey. “The cultural change has had the most impact—I felt supported from the beginning to keep learning while adding value. It’s a completely different company now, and it’s changed for the best.”

Tackling challenges head-on

As a Senior Frontend Developer, Ricardo’s had his fair share of technical adventures. One project stands out: “The migration of our frontend legacy code to a more modern framework.” This wasn’t just a simple update—it was a complete overhaul of the codebase. “We needed to do that while still making sure we kept everything running smoothly—old and new code in parallel—without disrupting any functionality for our users and also while still being able to implement new features at the same time.” The secret to their success? “Really good planning beforehand and making sure new code followed correct standards and was scalable.” But more than that, “It was a joint effort, getting everyone involved some way or the other.”

A culture of continuous growth

What’s kept Ricardo growing at Oneflow? A culture that’s all about learning and sharing. “We nurture a culture of sharing knowledge and continuously challenging each other—not only from our day-to-day work inside the teams, but also through our expertise communities,” he explains. These communities dive deep into different areas of the platform and infrastructure, always pushing the boundaries. “Besides that, we also have access to courses, conferences, books and any other materials we see fit for learning and keeping on track with the latest technologies and methods.”

AI and the future of frontend

Ricardo is also keenly aware of how AI is influencing the tech world—and he sees it as an ally rather than a threat. “AI is a very valuable tool,” he says. “Frontend has more of a human touch, where emotion-based decisions have to be made too, so maybe not replace us anytime soon. But it definitely enhances workflows now—cleaning up code, writing tests, etc. It makes things faster.”

Diversity driving innovation

For Ricardo, diversity isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a catalyst for creativity. “Oneflow is probably the most diverse place I have worked at throughout my career—not only when it comes to gender, nationality, sexuality and religion but also regarding backgrounds, skills and experience,” he notes. This rich blend of perspectives fuels innovative problem-solving and keeps the work environment dynamic and inspiring.

Maintaining this inclusive culture as Oneflow grows is essential to Ricardo. “It can be tricky to manage, but hiring the right people is the best way to make sure it happens,” he explains. For him, it’s about finding people who contribute positively to both the product and the culture.

Living the values

When it comes to Oneflow’s core values, one stands out to Ricardo: “Show love.” He elaborates, “Working in a safe space where people are mostly considerate, respectful and empathic is the base for an open environment prone to constructive feedback, creativity, respect and personal growth.” It’s this foundation of respect and empathy that empowers the team to thrive.

Advice for others considering Oneflow

Thinking about joining Oneflow? Ricardo has some advice: “The key would be to be transparent about what you do and what you want to do, be kind, and make sure you have fun while doing it. How you work and speak should be genuine.” Reflecting on his own journey, he added that he would have told himself to, “Be a bit more open to the chaos of growing a small company. It’s a rollercoaster.” But, that it was worth every moment.

Ricardo’s journey at Oneflow is a testament to the power of growth, learning, and being part of a team that truly values its people. If his story resonates with you, maybe it’s time to start your own Oneflow journey.