Hi, I'm Nuno Cardoso. After my family, my greatest passion is making progress and evolving in every area of life. I aim to live a life I’ll feel proud of when I look back. For me, personal development isn’t just about reading or watching videos—it’s about taking action. I believe in getting my hands dirty: trying, failing, learning, and growing. My journey has been full of failures and lessons, but that’s how I’ve shaped my approach to continuous learning. I’m far from perfect, but I’m committed to evolving—whether it’s in family, friendships, career, investments, exercise, or hobbies. My career in a nutshell: Build & Sell homemade computers > Software Engineering Degree > Backend Engineer > Backend Tech Lead > Software Team Leader > Software Architect > Software & AI Architect I have extensive knowledge across the software engineering landscape, from architecture to team management and in-depth programming. However, as a mentor, my unique value lies in helping you design a career path aligned with your personality and life goals, and crafting a solid plan to achieve them. I have a deep understanding of how companies work and how to position ourselves to deliver the most value. Delivering impactful value is key to achieving our goals and making a difference. Working Principles: - Delivering value to customers is paramount. - Focus on what truly has an impact. - Balance quality and speed effectively. - Build collaborative and healthy team environments. In recent years, I’ve focused on AI from both coding and architectural perspectives, ensuring efficiency and practical application in real-world scenarios. I’m not looking for monetary gain. My goal is to have a positive impact on the people I meet. I believe we can learn from anyone, and I’ll always be both a mentor and a mentee. If you’re seeking clarity in your career path, strategies for delivering high-impact value, or insights into AI and software development, let’s connect!
My Mentoring Topics
- Artificial Intelligence
- Software Engineering
- Software Architecture
- Programming & Cloud Computing
- Leadership
- Career Progression
- Living a life worth living
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The Phoenix Project - A Novel about IT, DevOps, and Helping Your Business Win
Gene Kim, Kevin Behr, George Spafford
Key Facts and Insights from "The Phoenix Project" The Three Ways: The first principle, known as "The flow of work from left to right," emphasizes the need for work to be visualized and flow smoothly from development to operations to the customer. The second principle, "Amplify feedback loops," underscores the importance of creating channels for necessary adjustments. The third principle, "Continual experimentation and learning," promotes a culture of continual experimentation, taking risks, and learning from failure. DevOps: The book emphasizes the critical role of DevOps in modern IT operations and how it can help businesses win. DevOps represents the integration of development and operations teams to deliver better, faster, and more reliable outcomes. IT as a competitive advantage: The book argues that IT is no longer just a support function but a strategic asset that can provide a competitive advantage when managed effectively. Importance of Visibility: The book stresses the importance of visibility in IT operations. It emphasizes the need for clear visibility of work-in-progress, flow, and feedback to reduce wastage and increase efficiency. Work in Progress (WIP): The book highlights the dangers of excessive WIP and how it can lead to burnout and inefficiency. It recommends limiting WIP to improve flow and efficiency. Technical Debt: The book discusses the concept of technical debt and how neglecting it can lead to long-term inefficiencies and increased costs. Value of IT operations: The book underscores the value that IT operations bring to a business, emphasizing the need for organizations to invest in their IT operations. Culture of Learning: The book advocates for a culture of learning where failures are seen as opportunities for learning, not blame. Infrastructure as Code (IaC): The book introduces the concept of Infrastructure as Code, a key DevOps practice that involves managing and provisioning computer data centers through machine-readable definition files, rather than physical hardware configuration or interactive configuration tools. Automation: The Phoenix Project highlights the importance of automation in reducing errors, freeing up human resources, and increasing efficiency and productivity. Managing Bottlenecks: The book discusses the Theory of Constraints and how managing bottlenecks in any process can improve overall performance. In-depth Analysis "The Phoenix Project" presents a compelling case for the integration of development and operations teams through a method known as DevOps. This critical shift in IT operations management can best be understood through the lens of The Three Ways. The first way emphasizes the need for work to flow smoothly from development to operations to the customer, a principle that is at the heart of DevOps. The second way underscores the importance of creating channels for necessary adjustments or feedback. This feedback loop is an integral part of the DevOps culture as it helps teams to identify and rectify issues promptly, thereby improving the quality of outcomes. The third way promotes a culture of continual experimentation, learning, and understanding that failure is a part of this process. The authors, Gene Kim, Kevin Behr, and George Spafford, argue convincingly that IT is no longer just a support function but a strategic asset that can provide a competitive advantage when managed effectively. This is a significant shift from traditional perspectives and places IT at the heart of business strategy. The book also emphasizes the importance of visibility in IT operations. It is essential to have clear visibility of work-in-progress, flow, and feedback to reduce wastage and increase efficiency. In this context, the book introduces the concept of technical debt, which refers to the future cost of correcting shortcuts taken in system development or maintenance today. If neglected, technical debt can lead to long-term inefficiencies and increased costs. One of the key insights from the book is the dangers of excessive Work in Progress (WIP). Too much WIP can lead to burnout and inefficiency. To address this, the authors recommend limiting WIP to improve flow and efficiency. This is a core principle of lean and agile methodologies, which aim to reduce waste and increase the delivery speed. The Phoenix Project also introduces the concept of Infrastructure as Code (IaC), a key practice in DevOps. IaC involves managing and provisioning computer data centers through machine-readable definition files, rather than physical hardware configuration or interactive configuration tools. This is a significant shift from traditional IT operations and provides a more efficient and reliable approach to managing infrastructure. Automation is another key theme in the book. The authors highlight the importance of automation in reducing errors, freeing up human resources, and increasing efficiency and productivity. This is a key practice in DevOps, where the aim is to automate as much of the software delivery pipeline as possible. Finally, the authors discuss the Theory of Constraints and how managing bottlenecks in any process can improve overall performance. This is an essential principle in operations management and is particularly relevant in the context of IT operations, where bottlenecks can significantly hinder the delivery speed. In conclusion, "The Phoenix Project" provides a compelling case for adopting DevOps and rethinking the role of IT in business strategy. The principles and practices discussed in the book have the potential to transform IT operations and help businesses win in a competitive environment.
ViewFundamentals of Software Architecture - An Engineering Approach
Mark Richards, Neal Ford
Key Facts and Insights Software architecture is fundamental to the success of any software project. Understanding the principles, patterns, and practices of architecture can help in creating efficient and adaptive systems. The book emphasizes the importance of architectural characteristics and how they influence the design decisions and trade-offs made during the development process. The authors introduce various architecture styles like microservices, event-driven, and space-based and discuss their strengths and weaknesses. Component-based architecture is discussed extensively, highlighting the role and interplay of services, microservices, and service-based architecture in modern software development. It provides a comprehensive guide to architectural patterns and how they can be used to solve common architectural problems. The book addresses the soft skills needed by architects, including communication, negotiation, and leadership, which are often overlooked but crucial in the real-world scenario. The authors advocate for evolutionary architecture, emphasizing the importance of developing systems that can adapt to changing requirements and technologies. The book also provides practical advice on how to document architecture, use diagrams, and communicate architectural decisions effectively. There is an underlying thread of architectural fitness function, a method to ensure the architecture remains in line with the business goals and system requirements. The authors bring their wealth of experience in the field, providing real-world examples and case studies throughout the book. In-Depth Summary and Analysis "Fundamentals of Software Architecture" is a comprehensive resource that provides a deep understanding of the principles, patterns, and practices of software architecture. It delves into the wide range of architectural styles and discusses how to choose the right one based on the problem at hand. In the book, Richards and Ford emphasize the importance of architectural characteristics, which are non-functional requirements like performance, scalability, and security, that influence the design decisions. They explain how these characteristics must be considered and balanced against each other during the architecture design process. This is an important insight as it directs the architects to not only focus on delivering functional requirements but also to ensure the system meets the desired level of non-functional requirements. The authors discuss various architectural styles, including microservices, event-driven, and space-based. They provide a thorough breakdown of each, discussing their strengths and weaknesses, and when each style should be used. This gives the reader a broad view of the available architectural styles and a deeper understanding of how different styles can cater to different kinds of problems. One of the key takeaways from the book is the importance of component-based architecture in modern software development. The authors delve into the role and interplay of services, microservices, and service-based architecture, explaining how they can be used to create modular, scalable, and maintainable systems. The book also provides a comprehensive guide to architectural patterns, offering solutions to common architectural problems. These patterns can serve as a toolset for architects, helping them to design effective and efficient systems. "Fundamentals of Software Architecture" also touches upon the soft skills required by architects. These include communication, negotiation, and leadership skills, which are often overlooked in technical discussions but are crucial when dealing with stakeholders or leading a team. One of the distinctive aspects of the book is its focus on evolutionary architecture. The authors stress the importance of designing systems that can adapt and evolve with changing requirements and technologies. This is crucial in today's fast-paced technological landscape where the ability to adapt is key to maintaining a competitive edge. The book provides practical advice on how to document architecture effectively, use diagrams, and communicate architectural decisions. This is a valuable resource for architects as it can help them communicate their ideas and decisions more efficiently, and ensure that everyone on the team understands the architecture. Throughout the book, the authors weave in the concept of the architectural fitness function. This method, which measures how closely the architecture aligns with the business goals and system requirements, can be used to ensure the architecture remains fit for purpose as it evolves. Finally, the authors draw from their extensive experience in the field, providing real-world examples and case studies. This not only makes the concepts more relatable but also provides valuable insights into how these principles are applied in practice. In conclusion, "Fundamentals of Software Architecture" is a comprehensive and insightful resource that provides a deep understanding of the principles, patterns, and practices of software architecture. It serves as an invaluable guide for aspiring and experienced architects alike.
ViewOutliers - The Story of Success
Malcolm Gladwell
Key Facts or Insights from "Outliers - The Story of Success" The Matthew Effect: Success breeds more success, often due to initial advantages in resources or opportunities. The 10,000 Hour Rule: Mastery in any field requires a minimum of 10,000 hours of practice. Importance of Cultural Legacy: Our cultural heritage significantly impacts our behavior and attitudes towards success. Power of Opportunity: Access to unique opportunities plays a crucial role in achieving success. The Role of Timing: The era and circumstances of one's birth can greatly influence life trajectories. Practical Intelligence: Practical knowledge, not just IQ, is essential for success. Community Impact: The community and environment in which one grows up can shape their chances of success. Importance of Hard Work: Diligence and dedication are key to achieving outstanding success. Pattern Recognition: Identifying patterns and opportunities can lead to success. Success Is Not Individual: It is influenced by a complex web of factors beyond personal control. In-depth Summary and Analysis "Outliers - The Story of Success" by Malcolm Gladwell is a compelling exploration of what makes high-achievers different. It dismantles the notion of the self-made success story and presents a new perspective on what truly drives achievement. The Matthew Effect, named after a verse in the Bible, describes how initial advantages in resources or opportunities can lead to further success. For example, Gladwell discusses how children born earlier in the year often excel in school and sports due to their relative maturity. This relative age effect gives them a head start, which accumulates over time. The 10,000 Hour Rule is another fundamental concept presented by Gladwell. This principle asserts that it takes at least 10,000 hours of practice to master any field, be it music, sports, or technology. Gladwell supports this claim with examples like The Beatles, who performed over 1,200 concerts in Hamburg, Germany before breaking out globally, and Bill Gates, who had unique access to computers at a young age, allowing him to accumulate 10,000 hours of programming practice before co-founding Microsoft. Gladwell's emphasis on the Importance of Cultural Legacy highlights how our cultural heritage shapes our behavior and attitudes towards success. He uses examples from Asian cultures, where hard work in agriculture has translated into a strong work ethic and superior mathematical skills, demonstrating how deeply ingrained cultural legacies can significantly influence success. The Power of Opportunity and The Role of Timing are closely intertwined. Gladwell argues that individuals who have succeeded extraordinarily often had access to unique opportunities and were born at the right time. For instance, the birth years of most successful tech entrepreneurs cluster around 1955, making them the right age to capitalize on the personal computer revolution. Gladwell also challenges the traditional view of intelligence, arguing that Practical Intelligence – skills like negotiation and problem-solving – is as important as an analytical mind. He points out that high IQ individuals do not necessarily achieve more than their less-IQ-gifted peers, but those with practical intelligence often do. The Community Impact underscores how the environment shapes success. Gladwell exemplifies this with the Roseto community in Pennsylvania, whose inhabitants showed remarkably low rates of heart disease, arguably due to the close-knit, supportive nature of their community. The Importance of Hard Work is a recurring theme in Gladwell's narrative. The dedication and diligence of successful individuals, combined with the opportunity to work hard, is crucial in achieving outstanding success. Pattern Recognition is another key to success. Gladwell argues that successful people often have the ability to identify patterns and opportunities that others may miss. This skill, combined with the others mentioned, can lead to significant success. Finally, Gladwell contends that Success Is Not Individual but rather influenced by a complex web of factors beyond personal control. This perspective challenges the individualistic notion of success prevalent in Western cultures and encourages a more holistic view of achievement. In conclusion, "Outliers - The Story of Success" forces us to rethink our perspectives on success, focusing less on individual traits and more on external factors like timing, opportunity, cultural legacies, and community impact. By understanding these insights, we can better comprehend the intricacies of success and perhaps even apply some of these principles in our own pursuits.
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