Three years in the making
The article chronicles my professional journey from developer marketing to the music industry. This is a story about transformation, burnout, rediscovery, and the unexpected paths that lead us to where we need to be.
Developer Marketing Career (2009-2017)
I spent nearly a decade in developer marketing, and I genuinely enjoyed it. There's something special about connecting with developers - the community, the innovation, the constant learning. During these years, I:
- Wrote several technical books
- Gave talks at conferences around the world
- Built relationships with amazing developers globally
- Learned from some of the brightest minds in tech
But by the end of 2017, I hit a wall. Professional burnout is real, and it hit me hard. I needed a change, though I didn't know what that would look like yet.
Musical Rediscovery (2018-2019)
Sometimes life takes you back to where you started to show you where you need to go. In 2018, I picked up my guitar again - something I hadn't done seriously in years. What started as a therapeutic outlet quickly became a passion reignited:
- Joined a band in San Francisco
- Started performing again
- Attended Vai Academy (yes, Steve Vai's academy!)
- Published "Hacking Lead Guitar" - combining my tech writing skills with my musical passion
Music wasn't just a hobby anymore; it was becoming central to my life again.
Career Transition (2020-2021)
Then 2020 happened. While the world was shutting down, new connections were forming in unexpected ways. I met my co-founder Beatriz Ayala remotely. What started as a professional connection evolved into a friendship and eventually a business partnership.
During the pandemic, we:
- Developed a concept for revolutionizing the music industry
- Built a remote friendship that turned into a solid business foundation
- Raised our pre-seed round of VC funding
- Hired a remote team
- Prepared to launch our company in the music industry
The Three-Year Journey
Looking back, it took three years to go from burnout in tech to launching a company in music. Three years of:
- Self-discovery
- Skill building
- Network development
- Finding the right partner
- Building the right concept
- Getting the timing right
We raised our pre-seed round of VC money, we remotely hired a team, and we're getting together for the first time...
Sometimes the best things in life take time. Three years might seem like a long time when you're in the middle of it, but looking back, every step was necessary. Every detour taught me something. Every challenge prepared me for the next one.
The journey from developer marketing to the music industry wasn't linear, but it was exactly what needed to happen. And it all started with picking up a guitar again.
What started with picking up the guitar again became a six-month mentorship with Kiko Loureiro.
A few years later, that music pivot turned into building my own composing partner.
Three years feels long when you're inside it — I wrote about treating time exactly that way.
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