TEAM TALK is an ongoing blog series we’ve created to be able to go behind the scenes and talk one-on-one with different members of the TeamSportz team. Here, we sit down with React Native Developer, Goncalo Marques to hear more about his experience, background, and journey into coding.
Before TeamSportz, what did you study or do for work? Basically, how’d you end up here?
Initially, I was going to study sociology in Lisbon, but then decided to move to California with no clear goal in mind, other than simply getting out of my comfort zone. Eventually I went to college to get a degree in business administration, however with work quickly becoming my focus I decided to stop studying, but never stopped learning. I worked at a clothing store, coffee shop, bank and then a startup which was what drove me to the tech side of things, from a customer support specialist to quality assurance analyst and now finally a mobile developer with TeamSportz, after graduating from a web development bootcamp.
What drew you to TeamSportz in the first place?
The challenge and the team! When I first met with Jorge and Ricardo and they were telling me about TeamSportz and all the things tech related, as well as where they see it go, I just got pulled into it. Not only that chat in particular, but also the following chat with Francisco, where I could tell he was really passionate about TeamSportz, which made me believe not only in the project ahead but also that I could grow as a developer and a person in a great and supportive environment.
Where are you from and are there a lot of educational and work opportunities in software development there?
I’m from Portugal and I attended a web development bootcamp in Lisbon. More and more we’re seeing a bigger bet in software development and there’s quite a few opportunities here as well. I believe we have a lot of talented developers already and others in the process.
Is there a sport you’re most passionate about?
Basketball and surfing. Growing up I used to play a lot of basketball and in the past few years I got more and more into surfing, but still love the game of basketball and play whenever I can.
Any advice you’d give someone starting out as a developer?
Don’t shy away from a challenging task just because you think you can’t do it or because it’s something you’ve never done or heard of before, you’ll surprise yourself 100% of the time if you just give it a shot. Oh, and forget about imposter syndrome, we are all learning everyday as we go!
Despite any failures, what motivates you to move forward?
Definitely the learning from the mistake/s and the fact that I want to prove myself I can make it happen the next time around because of that failure. As I like to say, if we don’t fail every so often we don’t learn how to overcome certain obstacles. Just failing in itself is a way to move forward in my eyes.
How do you think you’ll make a difference in your role this year and beyond?
Coming in as a junior developer my mentality was to learn as I go and to not give up or say I couldn’t do a task I thought I couldn’t do at the time, I’m going to continue to carry that with me this year and beyond. Bring on the challenges!!
Is there a single person that has been key to your success?
I wouldn’t say there’s a single person that has been key to my success, I don’t believe success can be attributed to just one person. For me, it has been not only my family and friends but the people I got to meet, work with and learn from along the way.
What is the best advice you received during your journey to becoming a developer?
Don’t try to learn everything, instead focus on one or two things you like and that you think will be relevant in the future and double down on that.
