I've been system-obsessed since I can remember.
In my early teens, my friend Johnny and I would rent videogames from our local Blockbuster store. We would rush home and while Johnny would scramble to insert the game, I would be picking up the game's manual and settling in for a good read. Why? Because I wanted to know everything about how the game worked before even touching the controller.
Johnny would fire up the game, giving me some confused side-eye, and rush headfirst into the opening challenges — but I was in my element… I'd absorb the whole manual in a heartbeat and then wait for Johnny's character to die (obviously, because he didn't know the controls or the mechanics). Then I'd take the controller, play the game like a natural and explain the entire manual to Johnny — receiving yet more confused side-eye and this time, some eye-rolls…
I've always wanted to know how things work, not just that they work.
This curiosity has translated into many vocations for me, from lifelong guitar-playing, to customizing motorbikes, to an 8+ year career in software engineering — working with a range of companies from multi-nationals to my own startups. I've been doing operational architecture, in some capacity, for the last five years, and more as a dedicated profession for the last two. With that experience I've learned the most important lesson — nobody cares about systems, they care about their work. And rightly so.
Systems and business operations should be a background matter, just like the soundtrack to a movie — enhancing the whole experience, smoothing out the transitions and guiding us from one destination to the next — while never demanding too much attention. Systems don't exist in a vacuum and they don't mean anything without the people that use them. That's a core philosophy that guides my work.
I consider myself a hybrid personality, evenly balanced in the left and right brain-hemispheres.
Analytical and logical enough to create robust systems, yet creative enough to find non-obvious, user-focused solutions (…oh, and emotional enough to let out a single tear when I'm struck by some beautiful music).
I highlight this because it's important, and I believe it distinguishes me from your “standard tech bro”. I've had a vibrant and dynamic youth, living in multiple countries, trying 50 jobs (yep, 50) until settling on software engineering at the age of 30, then moving into entrepreneurship. My journey has always centered around experiences and around people — which, again, are at the heart of systems and operations.
So, that's a little snippet about me and my background.
If you want to see me in action, check out my YouTube channel to verify that I'm a real human and can actually build the things I talk about.
…And if you like the sound of working with someone who can speak “systems” but also human languages (English & Spanish, if you're curious), then book me in for a free discovery call. No obligation to buy, no tech jargon, just a chat to discover if I can offer anything to help you generate more success and fulfilment in your business.
Vivan los sistemas ✋,
Toni
