¡Hey, TEkis! 👋
At some point in your life have you ever felt that little thorn... the one that flares up when you take apart your first remote control just out of curiosity? That thrill when at the end of the year you check and fix the family Christmas lights on your own? Or when you watch a sci-fi movie and think: ‘Wow, I want to build that’? Or have you thought ‘I'd like to be the next Iron Man or invent like Steve Jobs’?
If you're reading this, chances are you are. And I want you to know that you are not alone. And as the greatest thinker (in my opinion) in technology said:
Why join the army when you can be a pirate? - Steve Jobs
My name is Andrés and this is my "hello, world". I am not a Silicon Valley guru or a tech millionaire. I am from Guatemala and I am passionate about the universe in which telecommunications, cybersecurity, biomedical engineering, electronics and, of course, physics intersect and unite.
This is my manifesto, my story, and the invitation to build something incredible together, just as I would have liked to have when I started this wonderful dream and path.
The Origin of a Dream: Wires, Code and a Touch of Madness
It all started for me with a simple question: how did I come to invent that?
Likewise, I remember when I was about 10 years old my parents gave me a book about Steve Jobs, at that time I did not know who he was, and at the beginning although the reading was a little heavy, the more I got into it the more fascinated I was with every invention he managed to establish and patent in the universe, every battle he defeated and faced, every time he was rejected and he never gave up, it awoke in me that spark to be the next inventor of technology with purpose for my country and the whole world.
At the time I didn't know in what or how I would achieve it.... But I did know that I wanted (and want) to become someone bright and shining on a global level.
I also remember spending hours fascinated, not so much by video games (yes I was, mostly COD and FIFA), but also by how it was possible that two people, thousands of miles apart, could talk through a network. How Iron Man had so much technology and was the most impressive of the Avengers because of it and his technical and academic knowledge... Magic? No. Electronics and Telecommunications!
Then, that curiosity transformed over the years, because after I saw the movie ‘Blackhat’ starring Chris Hemsworth, it unlocked that curiosity and that energy to say ‘I know how to do that’, so... I not only wanted to know how things work, but also how to protect them.
That's how I came to discover the world of cybersecurity, that field that feels like being a detective and a guardian at the same time. And recently I discovered that it is possible to use that same technology to repair and improve the human body in conjunction with biomedical engineering.... my head, my core chip exploded! 🤯
I envision a future in which technology connects us, protects us and heals us and does not ‘replace’ or ‘displace’ us. And I decided that I want to be part of the people who build such a future that I dream of and wish for.
The Challenges: Our ‘Tanning Level’ in Latin America
But let's be honest. While many can already live the reality of a more technological city, with high-speed, electromagnetic levitation-powered trains, a city full of 5G, big labs and R&D budgets. Dreaming of technology from this side of the world sometimes feels like playing in tanning mode or a ‘that's something you won't live in’.
The ‘Impostor Syndrome’ with a taste of tamales: Has it happened to you? You feel you never know enough. You read about incredible breakthroughs and think: "What could I possibly contribute? It's real, and it hits us all. I've experienced it myself several times.... But I'll tell you something, a secret... We can all discover and grow in new things.
The language barrier: A lot of the best documentation is in English, and even though we struggle with it, sometimes it feels like a wall. But believe me when I say that learning a second or third language is the most wonderful thing in the world.
‘And where are the mentors?’: Finding someone who has already been down the road to guide you can be like looking for a needle in a haystack.
These challenges are real, but you know what? They also make us stronger, more creative and much more resilient. In Latin America we don't give up, we give it more and we find a way! I myself have found the way... And no, I haven't spent almost any $ on it (I mean additional to my university).
My Why: The conductivity of this sensor
I could say that I am driven by technology, but that would be a half-truth.
What really drives me is people.
I am driven by the idea of creating more secure communication networks for a rural hospital. I am inspired by the thought of developing a low-cost biomedical device that can change the life of someone in my community.
I am passionate about protecting the information of small Latino businesses struggling to grow. I am passionate about helping the little ones and underprivileged grow with my knowledge so that we can all grow together.
To be able to see the smiles of underprivileged children whose lives change when they see a bionic prosthesis.
My ‘why’ is not the code or the circuits, but goes beyond that.
> It is the impact we can generate with them in our language, for our people. The barriers we can break down, the bridges we can interconnect and work towards that more united world through technology.
My Mission: To create the Tech Dream Team in LATAM!
That is why I am here. That is why this blog was born.
My mission is simple: to create a meeting point. A space for tech-dreamers in Latin America. A place where we can:
- Learn without fear: Explain complex topics in a simple way and in a language that is easy to understand.
- Share our stories: Celebrate our victories, no matter how small, and support each other in our defeats.
- Collaborate and create: Imagine what we could build if we connect talent from across the region?
I don't want to be an ‘influencer’ who speaks from a pedestal. I don't want to be another ‘guru’ who sells by saying that he already knows everything, because it is not true, we are not able to know everything in this world.
I want to be a teammate. The one who passes you the information about a course, the one who encourages you when you doubt about your code and the one who celebrates with you when your project finally works.
Your turn! Join the Conversation 🌀
This community is not complete without you. If you made it this far, it's because that same spark I felt lives in you too.
So I'll leave you curious with these three questions:
- What is that one area of technology that keeps you up at night (AI, IoT, blockchain, electronics...)?
- What is the biggest dream you would like to achieve with technology? What is the engine that activates your display?
- From which amazing corner of Latin America are you reading this?
Leave your answer in the comments! Let's start to weave this network, to create the map of tech talent in our region.
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