176 - A Founder's Unconventional Voyage - Arturo Alvarez

Speaker A: If you don't really like what you're doing, if you don't like your day job, if you don't feel inspired by whatever you're doing, if you don't feel you're doing a difference, then keep looking and hopefully you will find something that you really like, you really enjoy, and rings strongly with your interests.

Speaker B: Arturo, uh, is going to lead off our discussion, giving a presentation on his journey. But as you do have questions and comments of your own for him, please feel free to type in the questions and discussion text channel and we'll be sure to make sure that he has an opportunity to address them. Our featured speaker today is a Honduras based full stack software developer with a solid entrepreneurial background who likes to build things that people and businesses find helpful. When he's not coding or learning something new, Arturo enjoys exercising, eating out, salsa dancing, Netflix binging, and annoying his cat with incessant hugs, which is my new favorite way to introduce something. So, Arturo, it's a great pleasure to have you as our featured guest today. Thank you so much for being willing to share your journey with us.

Speaker C: Thank you so much for having me.

Speaker B: So if you want to lead off and tell, um, us a little bit about, um, whatever part of your journey you'd like to, go ahead and then, uh, we'll start our little interview part.

Speaker C: All right, so first I'd like to ask how, how much time do I have so I can go this.

Speaker B: We're not going to hold your, you to the clock, but, but I would say, you know, just whatever feels kind of natural within like 10 minutes or so, go for it.

Speaker C: First of all, I was raised in a conservative religious home. My upbringing was within a, uh, religious organization, church. So one major event is the fact that I left this place when I was like 21. I realized that they weren't leading people in, in the right way. From my, in my opinion, right. When I left this church, it was a major event because like my whole life revolved around this place. I felt like ostracized in a way. This led me to apply to a seminary, to a religious seminary. And this was in, in London. So I lived in London for two years. I studied theology. Basically I wanted to become a religious teacher, leader. Uh, after that was when I was like 24, 25. I finished my studies. I came back to honor at the end. I didn't work in that area or field. I realized that was not really my calling. So when I came back to my country, I decided to continue my professional studies. So before I left for this seminary I had started a business degree. So when I came back to my country I finished that degree. Eventually I saw this opportunity in the coffee market. So coffee is a big thing in Honduras in terms of exports. I realized that there were like a lot of small coffee producers, like smallholder coffee producers that were trying to get into the market. And that led me to think that hey, maybe there's an opportunity here, I could help this producers get to the final customer through my platform. At the end I felt I wasn't really solving the problem that I started out, set. Set out to solve with my service. And um, it's a really complex industry and uh, I, I just didn't feel that passionate about the industry.

Speaker A: So yeah, in my case that's what happened. And so after I did this, finished this project, I still wanted to do an uh, entrepreneurship, you know. So I joined a uh, project from a friend from a former MIT alumni, He was from another cohort. And uh, yeah, so I joined him. We worked together. This was like a, like it's, it was based on a geoposition tracking device for cattle. Again, I learned a lot. I think we, we were like on two projects that we tried to start dating. They didn't work out the way we planned. I left that partnership and that's when I decided, okay, what am I going to do now? But this is uh, something really interesting that happened at this point in my life. So I kept talking with two former teammates from MIT boot camps that I met at the MIT boot camp. And it was interesting that one of them suggested I should study software development in a school, uh, called Lambda School. So I thought, okay, um, maybe I can consider doing this. What happened then? There was an opportunity because Covid happened. It's an unfortunate event for the world, but it opened an opportunity for me in a way.

Speaker B: I've been under the impression that the software development job market can be pretty competitive and, and feel free to correct me if any of these assumptions are wrong, but that there's, there's also a group of individuals who, you know, basically been doing these jobs since they came out of diapers and are self taught. So anyway, this is, this question is coming from someone who switched careers in their 30s. I was wondering how you found entering this job market. Do you feel like there are any barriers finding it, you know, at this stage in your life versus if you had found it, you know, at like age 21?

Speaker A: Oh yeah, definitely. Uh, the earlier you start, the better. Um, so I guess it's not, it's not something that it's openly, openly said. But I think that most employers prefer young talent over older talent, let's say people who are in their 30s or even 40s. So that makes it harder in uh, a way. In my case do I feel that it was really an obstacle? I don't feel it was in my personally I don't feel it was really an obstacle. I try to emphasize whenever I apply to the job I try to emphasize my skills, my um, experience so far and I think that helped me a lot.

Speaker D: I'd love to hear your perspective on this. I also think that a lot of people that have experience in other areas or other industries, there's actually a lot of value that can be brought over from those other industries that maybe you don't learn purely from software. What are your thoughts on that?

Speaker A: That's something important in whenever you are trying to enter this market. It's try to highlight your strength and don't ignore your previous non technical experience because some people may value that a lot and in like in my case I, I had a lot of entrepreneurial experience before entering this market. So I try to build on that uh, in like in my profile and highlight that I had this experience working with customers with, with business owners and I and learn to understand their needs and try to translate those skills into my role as a software development. So not only, so yeah like you said, not only in software development but any. Anytime someone is like changing careers I think you should play in your strengths. Not like someone career uh, coach told me once, turn your, your weaknesses into your strength. So instead of saying oh I don't have experience in software development or I don't have experience in this area, I have experience in this other area. So actually turn it into an advantage, advantage for you by emphasizing how that can add value to your employer. So not everyone that this is something that um, that's important to bear in mind. Not everyone will really care about this or it won't ring a bell with every employer but when it does, um, it's important.

Speaker E: I just wanted to give this Insight. I was 23, I had founded my company when I was 21 and I have an intern. He was 32. So he was much older than me. He had switched careers and he was doing an internship in my company. So as an employer it doesn't matter if you're like 60, it's, it's just what matters is uh, your abilities and if you're good enough to work for the company. Uh, of course that I really like to hire young Talent like even people that are still in school, like technical school because they grow inside the company and we get like uh, teenagers that they're just finishing uh technical school and they are going to join college. So they start an internship with us, they stay for another internship in college and then they're hired by us. And it is, it is uh, a good thing. Young people, but they are very limited. And I, as a uh, entrepreneur myself and a software developer, uh, I don't know how I helped you in any way to taking this decision because I always told you to try this path of development because I myself am a person that was um, I studied advertising. It has nothing to do with programming, it has nothing to do with engineering. Still that's a very big competitive advantage. I would say that this is a unfair um, advantage. So you have skills in audit areas, you know design, you know, uh, communication, you know marketing, you know business. That's a very huge advantage. It's not a weakness. It will never be. If you're knowledgeable about something else that is good for you, never bad. If the employer see that as bad, don't go there. It's uh, a bad company, it's a terrible company. People don't value knowledge, they just want to know their abilities and the skills in a narrow minded way. You know, just leave it, ah there. Don't even bother wasting your time in this kinds of companies because there are many companies that will value you with a different set, set of skills and won't even ask your age. We don't ask in my company. We uh, don't. It's not relevant for us if you're young or older. Ah. And so I think that it's my, the insight I can give as an employer and as someone that did it myself. I graduated in something and uh, work it with something else and have a consulting business in programming. So I wanted to ask you, how do you feel? You said that you finally found something that you like. And I had the same perspective when I started uh, developing uh, websites and developing uh, apps, software. And nowadays after so much time doing this I don't find it as enjoyable anymore because uh, as an entrepreneur there's other activities that caught uh, my attention. Planning, working with consultant and stuff. So how do you see as an entrepreneur, as a person that goes there and you know closing um, deals. I remember we went to the beach, at the beach in Mexico and it was a very amazing uh, experience. We were there doing business. You know, that's very energizing. You're going some Somewhere you talking to people, presenting your business. For me personally, that's much more interesting than sitting in front of the computer looking at letters in the black screen. You know, I love programming. It's. It's something that I'm passionate about, but it's not something that it. It feels kind of boring for me after, you know, so much time. How do you see that? You say that you want to be an entrepreneur again, so how do you see that? Like, uh, you want to pursue a technical career or you're gonna use that as a leap to get to a management level or to start your own company? What do you think about it?

Speaker A: Yeah, that's a very good question. So I'm not sure I have a really definitive answer for your question, Daniel, but my plan, my idea is to grow in this area and build a career. I want to build a career maybe for 10 years. I think that, uh, something like that, maybe it shouldn't take 10 years. But basically I want to get to a point where I feel I have uh, I'm financially stable and, and I have the freedom. Soft financial freedom.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: And I have enough to provide for my family and loved ones and not having to worry about money. Basically.

Speaker C: I don't.

Speaker A: That's one of the things that. That's one of my goals. But at the same time I want to use this career as a stepping stone to do some entrepreneurship because I think it will. Those skills will be. Will give me an edge in any venture I want to start. So one of the things that kind of bothered me before when I was starting a company or starting a venture is that I felt I didn't have like a strong skill to add to the team. So yeah, I did, I did. I did know some business and all that, but I personally, I felt I didn't have something strong to offer to the team. So now I feel I have a, like a technical background gives me as an as helps uh, me to add more value to a team and uh, yeah, so hopefully I will be able to start a company related to software in, in a way and this, I believe this skills will be very helpful in that area. Regarding your question about pass being passionate about this, I, uh, definitely it's not like my only. I wouldn't say it's my only passion, uh, like, or the only interest I have professionally. Uh, like I said, I still want to do some entrepreneurship. Um, but it's more like I enjoy building something and using uh, creativity to solve problems. That's something that I enjoy. So I think that's what I like about development, I guess just having the opportunity to build something from scratch. You don't always get that chance. Uh, not in every project, but,

Speaker C: uh,

Speaker A: that's something that I really like about it. And I didn't find that that's cape in other areas or other positions I had in the past.

Speaker E: This is such a great answer, Carlos. I'm so happy to see you, my friend. And I'm so happy to see that you're doing well and that you choose this path. And I relate so much to. To your history and, uh. And you told us a lot more that I knew about your. Your history and, you know, what you've been through, and it's really inspiring. And I wish you the best, my friend. And anything you need, you just can have my number. You can call me. And I'm so happy for you and for your career path. And, you know, uh, hearing you tell that, I feel so related, because that's exactly what I did. I used. I used coding, uh, programming as a ledge to start my own company to have the freedom, you know, I have to have the time to, you know, uh, invest in my projects and stuff. And it's really nice to see that you're choosing this path of developing yourself, of having a career and, you know, but it's still being a, uh, dreamer, an entrepreneur. And that's what I like the most of you, because you're a very positive person, and you're really inspiring for me, um, on everything that you. You have been through, and it's been really inspiring. Congratulations.

Speaker A: Thank you, man. Thank you, Dino. I appreciate that.

Speaker E: You're welcome, bro.

Speaker D: You mentioned that during your initial attempt with entrepreneurship, you realized that you were not as passionate about that project. How did it feel at the time? I had a somewhat similar experience a few years ago, and in that moment, it felt like a crushing blow. Took me a few months before I found myself getting out of the slump. How did you cope?

Speaker A: I can relate a lot with that. So, yeah, when I was working in this, uh, like, my coffee venture, I really wanted that project to work out, and I dedicated a lot of energy, time, resources. I sacrificed a lot of things, you know, to make that project work. And I. But in, uh, most of the time, I felt like I was, like, I felt I was dragging. I don't know if that's the word, but I feel like it was a drag more or less, because, you know, to do entrepreneurship, there's a lot of things that you have to do, right, to make it work. You have to Talk with customers. You have to, uh, find that market that fits into your product. You have to do a lot of, A lot of things that you might not want to do but are necessary. And I just, I didn't feel inspired. Inspired most of the time. And I felt like if you're gonna do something for a long time, for a long, extended period of time, it should, might and it will be hard. It might as well be something that you really like and you're really passionate about. So it was a hard decision to leave that project because I had, um, invested so much time on it. But I realized that I had to be honest with myself and just say, hey, that's. This is not really where your heart is.

Speaker C: That.

Speaker A: This is not where my heart is, and I can go on with this. And uh, yeah, that's when I, I decided to put it aside. And that also, that taught me something. And it's like, if you're ever going to start another venture, make sure that you really, there's a, A, um, strong reason for you to do it, like a strong motivation. Otherwise, why do it? Um, maybe you need some. You're doing it for financial reasons or that's fair enough. But personally, I, um, feel that it, that there must be something else besides financial motivations.

Speaker C: There's.

Speaker A: There needs to be an interest in the problem. Like you're really passionate about solving that problem. And uh, yeah, that's something that I really, I took from that experience. The, uh. Suryan, I hope that answers your question.

Speaker B: I'd like to ask you what words of wisdom you'd like to leave us with today. So this can be a takeaway from an actual experience you've had or a life lesson, or it could just be some words of wisdom someone else gave you that have helped you in your journey.

Speaker C: Right.

Speaker A: Um, I would say that something that really struck with me is. It might sound overly sad, but it's this quote from Steve Jobs, and it's like, you know, find, um, something that you're really passionate about and never give up until you do it, until you find that passion. And when you find it, you will know it. So in a way, I feel like for, uh. It took me a long time to find something that I was really passionate about, which is development and that I was really. I feel I'm good at. And at times I felt like I was not going to find that one thing that I was really passionate about. But I think I did find it. And I would encourage everyone to, you know, to keep looking, to never give up. To. If you don't really like what you're doing, if you don't like your day job, if you don't feel inspired by whatever you're doing, if you don't feel you're doing a difference, then keep looking and hopefully you will find something that you really like, you really enjoy and, and, and rings strongly with your, you know, with your interests. So, yeah, that's, that's what I, I would. I would say absolutely.

Speaker D: I think being able to find what you're passionate about is just so very important. I just want to say, as we have got to the hour, thank you so much, Arturo, uh, for coming on and sharing your time with us and sharing your energy with us. Founders Voyage is what it is because we have people like you who are willing to come on and go through their stories with us. Have an amazing day and evening ahead of you.

Speaker A: You too. Thank you.

Speaker B: Yeah. Thank you so much, Arturo. Thank you, everyone. Have a great weekend.

Speaker C: Have a great wine.

Speaker D: Thank you, Arturo M.

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