J. Ramon

Software Engineer

From building my first robot at 17 to deploying AI agents professionally, my journey has been driven by one constant: the desire to solve everyday problems through code.

Kid & Teen (1990s-2010)

The Spark of Curiosity

When I was a kid, I always wanted to build a robot. Growing up in Panama, I was fascinated by how things worked — taking apart electronics, building small circuits, and imagining what was possible.

Every remote control, every toy, every electronic device was a mystery waiting to be unraveled. I would spend hours dismantling them, understanding each component, and trying to put them back together (sometimes successfully, sometimes not so much).

The First Robot

At 17, I built my first robot. That moment crystallized my decision to study mechatronics engineering. It wasn’t just about making something move — it was about bringing an idea to life through the integration of mechanics, electronics, and programming.

Musical Interlude

My passion for music also blossomed during these years. I studied electric bass at the Academia de Música de Panamá, learning that creativity and technical precision aren’t opposing forces — they complement each other.

Music taught me rhythm, patterns, and the importance of practice. These lessons would later translate beautifully into programming, where patterns and repetition are fundamental.

Young Adult (2011-2019)

Building Foundations

This period was about building foundations and exploring intersections. I pursued my Bachelor’s in Mechatronics Engineering while simultaneously developing my programming skills.

The university taught me the theory, but it was the practical projects that taught me how to build things that actually work in the real world.

The Python Awakening

The pivotal moment came when I discovered online courses from Rice University on Python programming — these games were what really got me into software development.

Suddenly, programming wasn’t just about syntax and algorithms. It was about creating interactive experiences, solving puzzles, and building things that were fun and useful.

Business Meets Technology

I completed my MBA while working at Scarlet Bytes, learning to balance technical excellence with business acumen. This period taught me that great technology isn’t enough — you need to understand the market, the users, and the business model.

At Scarlet Bytes, I helped scale the company to $65K in annual revenue within 2 years. I learned about client management, project scoping, deadlines, and the importance of delivering value.

42 Silicon Valley: A Transformation

The move to 42 Silicon Valley in 2016 transformed my approach to software engineering. The peer-to-peer learning model taught me that the best code comes from deep understanding, collaboration, and relentless problem-solving.

No teachers. No books. Just projects, peers, and determination.

I built dorm management systems, cafeteria platforms, and contributed to open-source projects. I learned C at a deep level, understanding memory management, pointers, and system programming.

Gaming the System (2016-2022)

Leveling Up

Not just video games (though I do love Zelda), but understanding systems, patterns, and how to optimize them. This era was about becoming a master of my craft.

The Certification Marathon

I completed 30+ certifications across multiple domains:

  • Computer Science: Python, Machine Learning, Android Development, Embedded Systems
  • Entrepreneurship: Innovation, Venture Finance, Startup Strategies
  • Music: Songwriting, Music Production, Musicianship
  • Electronics: Digital Systems, Solar Cells, Mobile Robotics

Each certification was a new skill tree to explore, a new domain to understand.

Contributing to Open Source

I built OpenLibft, an open-source C library with binary trees, linked lists, stacks, and array utilities. It has bugs, but it also has love. The community feedback taught me more than any textbook could.

Building for Thousands

I created web applications that served thousands of users:

  • Telemedicine apps connecting patients with doctors
  • Identity management systems processing millions of logins
  • Video consultation systems saving hundreds of thousands in costs

Each project was a puzzle to solve, each technology a new game to master.

Quantum Leap

I explored quantum engineering at Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya in Barcelona, diving into quantum computing, quantum information theory, and the future of computation.

While I didn’t become a quantum physicist, this experience taught me to think at different scales and to appreciate the complexity of emerging technologies.

Career Evolution (2018-Present)

Mobile & Web Development Era

The transition from hardware to software to AI represents the culmination of everything I’ve learned.

VeMiDoc (2018-2020)

Leading telemedicine app development during the pandemic. We helped 5k+ patients access healthcare remotely, increasing virtual consultation bookings by 60%. I mentored a team of 3 developers and learned what it takes to lead.

Axiad (2020-2021)

Optimizing cloud infrastructure for millions of users. Built identity management solutions supporting 1 million monthly secure logins with 99.80% uptime. I learned about scale, reliability, and security.

Allurion (2021-2023)

Engineering video consultation systems saving hundreds of thousands in budget. Optimized React applications, reducing page load times by 45% and improving user retention by 30%. I learned that performance matters.

The AI Revolution

RAISGA (2023-Present)

Pioneering Agentic AI architectures with LLM, MCP, and RAG technologies.

This is where everything comes together:

  • The hardware knowledge from mechatronics
  • The software engineering from 42 and years of practice
  • The business acumen from my MBA
  • The creativity from music
  • The problem-solving from a lifetime of curiosity

I’m building AI systems that are:

  • Interpretable: You can understand why they make decisions
  • Controllable: You can guide their behavior
  • Beneficial: They solve real problems at scale

Projects like Pasiero (personal AI agents with persistent memory) represent the future I want to build — technology that empowers individuals while respecting their privacy and autonomy.

Key Milestones & Achievements

Awards & Recognition

2018 — Baidu Facemoji Keyboard Challenge

  • Best Foodie Design Winner at design jam/hackathon held at Covo, San Francisco
  • Designed innovative mobile keyboard layout optimized for emoji input and food-related content

2016 — NASA Space Apps Challenge

  • 1st Place National Level (Panama)
  • Selected to represent Panama at the International level
  • Built Marstronics - a Mars exploration and rover navigation project
  • Featured on national television (TVN Noticias) for the achievement
  • Recognized for asteroid discovery work during the competition

2014 — STEM Week Engineering Project Competition

  • 1st Place out of 20 participants (Latin University of Panama)
  • Showcased mechatronics engineering project integrating robotics and automation

2008 — Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Tournament

  • Regional Winner at Panama Expo 2008 (Atlapa Convention Center)
  • Early competitive gaming achievement demonstrating strategic thinking and teamwork

Media Appearances

Technical Achievements

  • 30+ technical certifications from prestigious institutions including Stanford, MIT, Rice, Maryland, Berklee
  • Open-source contributor with projects like OpenLibft (C library with binary trees, linked lists, data structures)
  • Built systems serving millions of users with 99.99% uptime
  • $750K+ cost savings through optimized engineering solutions (Twilio-Video system at Allurion)
  • $40K annual infrastructure savings through AWS optimization at Axiad
  • Reduced tech debt by 30% in production applications
  • Performance optimizations leading to 45% faster load times and 30% retention improvements

Leadership & Mentorship

  • Mentored multiple teams of developers with measurable impact:
    • 4 junior developers at Opus1.io: 40% code quality improvement, 35% bug reduction
    • 3 engineers at VeMiDoc: 50% bug reduction, 30% faster release cycles
  • Led mobile app development serving 5,000+ patients with 60% booking increase
  • Scaled consulting company (Scarlet Bytes) to $65K annual revenue
  • Co-founded marketplace startup (EasyWorking): 1K+ users, $15K first-year revenue
  • Architected systems processing 2M+ monthly secure logins
  • Taught 150+ students as Teaching Assistant with 10% performance improvement

Entrepreneurship

  • Ubicate (2015-2016): Co-founded tourism platform for Panama
  • Scarlet Bytes (2015-2018): Scaled to $65K revenue serving 15+ clients across industries
  • EasyWorking (2019-2021): Co-founded marketplace connecting coders and clients
  • RAISGA (2023-Present): Business owner role in AI/LLM consulting

What’s Next?

The journey continues. I’m focused on:

  • Building AI systems that are safe, interpretable, and beneficial
  • Contributing to open source and sharing knowledge
  • Mentoring the next generation of engineers
  • Exploring the intersection of AI, ethics, and human potential

The kid who wanted to build a robot is now building intelligent agents. The teenager learning bass is now composing software symphonies. The student at 42 is now architecting the future.

And there’s still so much to learn, so much to build, so many problems to solve.

“The best thing about a boolean is even if you are wrong, you are only off by a bit.”

Want to be part of my journey? Let’s connect.