My months at ALS Innovation

These months at ALS Innovation have been some of the most interesting of my career so far.

ALS is a law firm in Barcelona that is going through a very real transformation: moving from a more traditional structure to a way of working that is increasingly closer to the tech world. For me, it has mattered not only to be part of that change, but also to contribute to concrete features that are actually used inside the company.

It is not the usual setting people imagine when they think about a technical environment, and that is exactly why it has been so valuable. I have learned to build within real constraints, understand very different needs, and think beyond implementation. What made this experience even more meaningful was the fact that I was not doing it alone: I was surrounded by people who supported me, challenged me, and helped me grow.

What this time has taught me

The first thing I take away is that impact does not always come from building something huge. Sometimes it comes from improving an internal flow, automating a repetitive task, or making a tool a little clearer for the person who uses it every day.

I have learned a lot about:

• listening before proposing solutions,
• translating business needs into technical decisions,
• prioritizing well when time is limited,
• and staying practical without losing quality.

I have also understood more clearly that a good feature is not just one that works. It is one that fits the context, reduces friction, and genuinely helps the person on the other side. And beyond the technical side, I learned that growth is also deeply human: it is shaped by colleagues who help you navigate uncertainty, share knowledge, and make you feel capable when the path is not yet clear.

Building in a changing environment

One of the most interesting parts of working at ALS has been seeing how a traditional company can gradually adopt tools and processes that feel more like a product or engineering team.

That requires patience, judgment, and communication. In a company still finding its way, that support from colleagues becomes essential.

Writing code is not enough. You have to understand how the team works, which problems should be solved first, and how to make technology support the business instead of making it harder.

In that process, I have come to value much more:

• clear requirements,
• useful documentation,
• simple decisions that can be maintained over time,
• and coordinated work with non-technical people.

The kind of impact that matters to me

What I especially value is feeling that what I built had a real use.

I am not using “impact” as a nice word for a CV, but to describe seeing a feature you helped build become part of an internal system, solve a concrete need, and save time or effort for other people.

That changes how you understand the work.

It also made me realize that the best work is rarely done alone. It is built through conversation, trust, shared effort, and the quiet support of people who believe in your ability to keep going.

You stop thinking only about isolated tasks and start thinking about product, process, and people.

What I am taking from this stage

If I had to summarize these months in one idea, it would be this: I have learned to be more useful.

More useful technically, because I now think better about architecture, maintainability, and delivery.

More useful within the team, because I better understand when to ask, when to propose, and when to simply keep moving.

And more useful for the business, because I have seen firsthand how technology can create real value when it is applied with intent.

The people who made this process better

One of the most important parts of this experience has been the people around me.

Haopen Lin Ye has been a key technical companion and mentor throughout this process. What made him especially important was not only his technical skill, but the fact that, together with me and Joel, he became one of the few people inside the whole tech side of the company carrying real responsibility for the work. In a context where the tech area was still growing, we were the three people who ended up carrying a big part of the weight and helping move the work forward.

Joel Guevara has also had a big impact on me as both a boss and a coworker. He taught me not to be afraid, to move forward with a firm step inside the company, and to always do it while respecting my teammates, myself, and my own needs. He was not only someone I learned from professionally, but also someone who helped me build confidence and find my place in a company where I had to grow quickly and steadily.

That balance matters. It is easy to think professional growth means pushing harder all the time, but I have learned that it also means knowing how to move with confidence, with respect, and with a clear sense of what you need to do your best work.

One last thought

Working at ALS Innovation has reminded me that digital transformation is not only about new tools.

It is about people who genuinely want to change things, teams that learn to work differently, and small improvements that end up carrying a lot of weight together. And for me, that has meant something very important: the growth I experienced was not only technical, but also deeply shaped by the companionship and support of the people around me.

And if I keep just one feeling from these months, it is this: I have grown because I have been close to real problems, surrounded by people who helped me along the way, and able to build things that matter.