About Me

Welcome!

From a curious marketing student to a technical leader who bridges business and tech

I grew up in a small Portuguese village, but I never was capable of sitting still. I've always strived to reach new heights, to prove to myself what I'm capable of. I've discovered that one of my greatest satisfactions comes from helping teams grow and succeed together. I'm someone who loves meeting new people, and somehow can get even the shyest person to open up. My mom says it's my eyes. My friends say it's my Golden Retriever energy. You decide. I'm currently looking for new challenges, and new horizons, and I'm open to new opportunities in the areas of product management, data engineering, and team leadership. Understanding the 'WHY' behind everything, whether it's people, technology, or anything in between, together with my constant drive for self-improvement serves as a basis for all I do and am.

The Journey

From Marketing to Data

When I studied Marketing Management, I was always curious about how things worked, especially where the data that informed most marketing decisions came from and how it could be gathered. This curiosity led me down an unconventional path of teaching myself Python, diving into data engineering, and eventually building a career in data, even when close people like my parents questioned whether I was straying from what I studied for.

The Beginning: Self-taught Python programmer and data engineer
Stayed close to code: Despite not coding daily recently, I remained deeply involved in architecture discussions and decisions for tech-intensive backend systems
Ready to return: My strong technical foundation might be a bit rusty, but I'm ready to put my hands back to work when needed
Natural evolution: Even as an engineer, I was always close to the business and product development side of things, which led to my promotion to a Product Owner role

Curiosity & Deep Dives

Tech Enthusiast

When it comes to technology applied to things I love, I easily get into deep rabbit holes, trying to understand the technical details as much as I can. For example, Quantum Computing. Its counter-intuitive properties like entanglement and superposition have sent me down countless learning paths that I genuinely enjoy exploring. Despite how confusing it can get.

Lifelong learner: I love learning new things, especially when technology applies to my personal interests
Natural ability: I have a natural ability to understand and explain complex, counter-intuitive concepts
Cross-domain learning: My interests span from data engineering to biological applications, and everything in between
Making complexity simple: I enjoy translating difficult technical concepts for any audience. It's a skill that was second nature to me, due to my past experience in marketing and my curiosity to understand how things work.

Seeking New Horizons

Thriving in New Environments

I'm actively seeking opportunities in new industries because I genuinely thrive in unfamiliar challenges. After working in established big companies, I had a taste for building products from the ground up, but I couldn't shake the feeling that I wasn't having a direct impact on improving people's lives.

New industries: I'm actively seeking opportunities in new industries
Meaningful impact: I have a strong desire to work on products that directly improve people's lives and solve real challenges, inspired by my girlfriend's work in pharma.
Fast-pace appeal: I'm drawn to faster-moving and fast-changing environments. I really love to 'move fast and break things', while loving to understand the why behind the what.
Adaptability proof: I consistently receive positive feedback from all stakeholders about my adaptability
High impact focus: I want my contributions to directly shape company trajectory

Leadership & Mentorship

Discovering Team Development

My transition to Product Owner revealed a genuine passion for developing people that I didn't know I had. I completed months-long programs to become what we called a 'Facilitator,' helping colleagues across the company create well-structured career plans aligned with their life goals. This experience taught me deep active listening and how to uncover underlying motivations in a way that truly helps people grow.

Formal training: I completed 'Facilitator' program for career planning and 'Brave Conversations' for difficult team dynamics
Conflict resolution: I use a structured, transparent approach to team disagreements
Feedback culture: I proactively cultivate impactful feedback within teams
Psychological safety: I focus on creating environments where people can be their best selves, emphasizing team well-being and psychological safety

Read more about my leadership development journey (blog post coming soon)

Communication as a Superpower

Bridging Technical & Business

Like I mentioned before, I'm naturally good at translating and simplifying complex technical concepts into the key aspects that business-focused stakeholders actually care about and can understand. In past projects, over time, I would become the main point of contact between the development side and the business side of things, which I found both challenging and rewarding.

Natural talent: Even as a developer, I became the go-to person for stakeholder communication
Structured methodology: I use a clear approach of Problem to Capability to Benefit to Proof Point
Audience adaptation: I can switch hats seamlessly between technical and business discussions
Presentation excellence: I became the go-to person for demos, C-level presentations, and product launches
Career catalyst: This skill directly contributed to my promotion from engineer to Product Owner

Values & Impact

What Drives Me

My core value is 'Self-Improvement.' I think that neither me, nor anyone for that matter, is complete. For that reason, I'm always seeking to improve and growing, both as a person and as a professional. I take this very seriously and I work very hard to improve myself and the people around me.

Team mentality: Trust is my primary focus. I work very hard to maintain high quality in everything I do to ensure other's trust in me and always working towards building trust in each other
Transparency: I believe it's essential for project success and stakeholder trust
Continuous learning: I have a growth mindset and am always seeking to improve
Meaningful work: I have a strong desire to work on products that improve people's lives
Values-driven: I'm not just doing a job, but working on mission-oriented projects

There's more to life than work

Adventures, Music & Questionable Life Choices

I'm a firm believer that, especially nowadays, being away from social media and away from the screen is the type of detox needed to keep some sanity. For me, that means getting outdoors, making music, or occasionally making questionable decisions like signing up for a half marathon when you've always hated running. Great, I know.

Outdoor Adventures: Trail hiking and climbing/bouldering are usually my go-to activities. Always love to measure if the view is worth the effort, and there's nothing like the adrenaline rush of the mental question 'I tied the knots correctly, right?' at the worst possible moment.
The Running Saga: Started as a challenge because apparently hating something is a great reason to commit to 21 kilometers. December's half marathon will either be my proudest moment or my most elaborate self-trolling. Stay tuned. Depending on how it goes, a triathlon might be next.
Music Creation: I can play guitar, bass, piano, and Portuguese concertina (very known by all Portuguese grandmas). None of them particularly well, but I can play them all. It's something. Currently diving into music production, which I'm starting to realise also includes a bit too much time in front of the computer.