Digital Designer
Mural by Kenny Scharf at Wynwood Walls
Mural by Kenny Scharf at Wynwood Walls
For over a decade, I've been devoted to building brands and digital experiences by leveraging tech with design. As a global citizen and digital native who believes in collaboration without borders, I proudly serve creators remotely from Colombia.
My journey started in college while studying computer science. My love for digital products led me to offer custom software development to local companies, ranging from applications in ERP accounting modules to processes for industrial production.
Back then, even without experience, our novel approach to trying new technologies with a strong sense of design got us a spot in the market. Dropping out of college was a no-brainer; learning in the real world is more valuable and less expensive than keeping a student loan.
With an open mind and hunger for innovation, opportunities are plenty, and challenges are always exciting. Controversially, venturing into remote work comes from speculative work, meaning work done without pay.
Crowdsourcing was the first vehicle to get my work in front of international creators. The language barrier was no obstacle to dreaming about more significant ideas and ambitious projects. More than just software, designing digital experiences was more fulfilling and fun!
Entering the remote world helped me meet my first business partner. Together, we created digital products for our startups. I primarily contributed as the technical founder, designing and building digital brands and products from ideation to launch. Most of our startups had little funding from my partner's inner circle; we even bootstrapped one.
Communication is the key to success. Staying remote for my career taught me to be highly productive, obsessively responsive, and strive for meaningful interactions. While exploring new ways to communicate efficiently, we tried video-only messaging before it was an established format. We even got the tech patented. Still today, I'm a fierce advocate of asynchronous communication.
Being always up to challenges and looking for creators who want to disrupt the status quo creates a receptive state and open mindset to keep things fresh. Freelancing promotes that atmosphere, which enables excellent opportunities to arise.
Opportunities are diverse. They come in the form of fractional roles or narrowly scoped projects. Sometimes, they involve leading a team or being an individual contributor. They sit you in front of marketing or spearheading the product at others. No matter what, the source of true motivation comes with the promise of making a significant impact and challenging the status quo.
Going through different stages and areas of digital product creation, the power of quickly validating ideas in the market makes the iterative process more valuable. Specifically, leveraging no-code tools with a full-stack development background supercharges a broader vision and impact of what a digital product can make.
Building digital products faster unlocks the possibility of making higher stakes more frequently. The creation speed allows for exploring more meaningful connections with the audience through branding. In a sea of fierce competition, differentiation could be all it takes.
Curiosity about new ideas is necessary; it fuels me with more exciting work. I am always open to discussing them and making them happen.