About Me

Hey! My name is Alex Otano. I know, I know, it’s right there in the URL, but hey, some people don’t read URLs... I’ve been in tech for the past 14 years, either programming, leading, or designing entire solutions. I’ve worked with a wide range of technologies, from the old and trusty PHP to the new and shiny ViteJs , spanning from the days when the recommended resolution was 1024×768 to the 4K retina era, back when deployments were made using FTP or even sending a CD with the files to the user! (I know, right?).

I really love learning new things and trying out new technologies. Right now, I’m diving deep into AI and figuring out how to use it to genuinely improve products and user experience. Even though I was born in Argentina, I’ve spent most of my life in Mexico and the USA, so I like to mix it up; I run a YouTube channel where I talk about tech (in Spanish) and maintain this blog (in English). Check them out!

One of the coolest things about working with startups and small companies is the broad impact you can have, compared to being in a big company where you might only handle a single feature. In small teams (<50) you can move fast, you get to create solutions that are both practical and innovative without having to struggle with bureaucracy.

On the side, I’ve also built my own SaaS ERP, which has a few customers paying monthly. It’s more of a passion project than a full-time gig, but it’s been an amazing learning experience to build something from scratch and see it used by real businesses. It gave me the opportunity to dive deep into the worlds of marketing, sales, and customer support, which has been incredibly rewarding.

My philosophy? It’s all about trying things out. "Fail fast, fail often" — that’s my motto (from Ryan Babineaux and John Krumboltz's book Fail Fast, Fail Often: How Losing Can Help You Win ). If something doesn’t work, no big deal! We learn, we adapt, and we move on. This mindset keeps things fun and exciting, and it’s how I approach both my work and my personal projects, but hey, always calculating risks!.

Beyond tech, I have a few other passions: grilling, making pizza, and woodworking. I’ve built all my furniture and even some for friends. I’m that guy who has all the tools — and now that I think about it, that kind of reflects my tech life too. I have all the tools I need to make things happen, and I’m always on the lookout for new ones to add to my collection.