The Epicenter of Greatness

I've been dreaming tech for more years than I'm probably on Earth. If you're a Buddhist (I'm not), you will catch a glimpse of this story making sense without further explanations. For those who are still lost, I'll be delighted to answer your questions. This story begins in my hometown Laren in the Netherlands (My hometown is actually Rio, but that's a long story), where I've grown up. Back then, I was lucky enough to live in a place that had a computer - and internet since my mom was a journalist whose role was to report Brazilian news.

I remember since it was yesterday how my eyes shined through the vision of a computer when I was only three years old. As I grew older, my fascination drove me to study this machine's history as well. And I started asking questions... When did this thing call the computer came into existence? Who made the first one? How did they do it? Who's Steve Jobs? Why is he back? Where was he? And why the hell is Bill Gates the richest? And soon after, I'd realize what my ambition and goal in life were: working in the tech industry in the '80s, the period I'd like to call: Epicenter of Greatness. If nothing pops up in your mind, I'm referring to Xerox PARC, Apple, HP and maybe, Microsoft.

I never gave up on this dream, even though I was a couple of decades late for the party. I wanted to taste the feeling of working in this renowned tech Era. I've wondered how it felt to be part of something that could reshape and write the next chapters of tech history. In this unceasing search for my dream, I didn't realize I would find it quickly. I'm not going to use the word 'destiny' since I'm totally against its usage for no reason at all.

Geraldo Thomaz may not realize that I didn't know I was being interviewed for a job when I first talked to him. Breno Calazans, my great friend, mastermind and, the architect of the first lines of this chapter in my life, was the one who arranged the meeting. I owe you a beer. After the meeting, Geraldo shook my hand and said, "Welcome to VTEX," Only then I understood what happened in that room. That one handshake changed my life entirely.

Today, I'm celebrating four years of hard work. Four years of trust. Four years of tirelessly pursuing to achieve my life goals. Four years that I finally tasted the feeling of working in the Epicenter of Greatness.

Thanks, Guilherme Rodrigues. Thanks for all the late nights brainstorming and sushi. Those days gave me fuel to write the next four years' stories.

Marty McFly, history is being written.

And, there's no better feeling than playing an active role in it. I am looking forward to seeing this transformational wave push the world's boundaries.

Now, looking back to the future, I know where the dots have lead and will lead me to—the Epicenter of Greatness.