At Java Maple Leafs, I recently had the pleasure of speaking with my friend Jean, a brilliant software engineer, on the latest episode of the Java Maple Leafs podcast. His story is a fantastic blend of early passion, hard choices, and the surprising ways seemingly unrelated parts of our lives—like competitive sports—shape our professional success.
Jean’s journey is a powerful reminder that sometimes the most unexpected opportunities change your life’s path. Here are the key takeaways from our conversation:
1. Starting Young: The Accidental Developer
Jean’s career path began in a rather unique way. At 16, he became a junior developer through a program in his Brazilian hometown, a local hub for software companies. These companies were so hungry for talent that they actually paid to train new developers. This leap happened despite an early love for animals—he had initially considered becoming a vet! He’s been in the world of code ever since 2011.
2. The Influence of Sports
If we don’t do things together, we won’t go anywhere
Perhaps the most impactful part of Jean’s story is how sports informed his work ethic. Having practiced everything from soccer to surfing and sprint triathlons, he dedicated years to rowing, reaching a near-professional level with national competitions.
Jean credits competitive sports with defining 100% of the way he approaches his career. Rowing, in particular, instilled the concept of teamwork as a non-negotiable principle: “If we don’t do things together, we won’t go anywhere” he notes. This mindset is fundamental to his role as a software engineer and even helped him build his social network after moving to a new country.
3. The Leap to Canada (and That Difficult Call)
The dream of moving abroad, specifically to Canada, started for Jean around 2015. However, the actual move came in 2022, after a recruiter from a Canadian company approached him on LinkedIn.
The decision was incredibly tough. Jean had recently started a role at Nubank—a “dream job”—and had just moved into a fully furnished apartment he and his wife had spent two years planning. Walking away from stability and a long-term goal for an international leap was a major risk, but ultimately, the opportunity (which included visa sponsorship and expenses) was too compelling to ignore. It was a “couple decision,” and he’s glad they took the plunge.
Jean’s story is an inspiring mix of seizing opportunities, maintaining a strong team ethic learned from sports, and responsibly adapting to the rapid evolution of technology.
What part of Jean’s journey resonated most with you?
