At the intersection of tech, life, and humor
A builder and big tech PM in the thick of the midlife squeeze, with a wife, two kids, a dog, and aging parents.
I'm still striving to build, learn, and create where and when I can, while being present for the things I care about.
I'm Nicu. I grew up in a small town in the Philippines. Until I was 15, the nearest Jollibee was a seven hour trip by land or sea.
Then I came to the US and found myself in a recruiting station shortly after. A decade in the Army as an infantryman, between active duty and the National Guard. I left active duty at 22 with no degree and no idea how to break into tech.
Twelve years later: operations analyst → software engineer → SRE → product manager at Salesforce, with stops at Microsoft and Expedia.
Somewhere in there I F.I.R.E.'d so hard I burned out. Hit the number in 2023. The spreadsheet was thrilled. I wasn't. Still learning from that one, and sharing it as I go.
Outside the day job I've built all kinds of things. Backpacks I designed and manufactured. A Duolingo for your career (Career Fin). Right now I'm building Rooster, software for one, an AI system with exactly one user: me.
And building never stopped at products. I lead the Seattle chapter of Vets in Tech, volunteer with FourBlock, and build actual trails with the Washington Trails Association. Earned my green hat last summer. This site is the same instinct: build in public, find the people doing the same.
Here's what that looks like
- Build
- Products, side projects, and communities. The ones that fail get written up too.
- Learn
- Books, courses, and certs. 32 books last year, lately nearly all AI.
- Create
- Sketches about whatever idea I'm chewing on. They live in the gallery, and they travel further than anything else I make.
I write about careers in the AI era, money after the number, the midlife squeeze, and whatever I'm learning at the moment. If you want a sample, start with Work Day After AI, the C-suite discovering AI agents, saying no to the things you love, or 11 things I'd tell a 22-year-old with no degree.
I love connecting with people and finding my tribe
If you're a veteran figuring out tech, pivoting careers in midlife, or building something in the margins of a full life, would love to hear from you. Subscribe and you'll get what I'm building, what I'm reading, and the things I got wrong along the way.