Product Manager for Locaweb
Brazil
- Current
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- Project Manager at LocaWeb
- Owner at Prodigus Consulting
- Past
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- Brazil Rails Practice Manager at Surgeworks
- Systems Engineer at Balance Consulting
- Writer at Brasport
- Education
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- Dinsmore Associates
- SAP Training
- Universidade de São Paulo
- Recommended
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11 people have recommended Fabio - Connections
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352
connections
- Industry
- Information Technology and Services
- Websites
Fabio Akita, (a.k.a. AkitaOnRails)’s Summary
I've been through a very organic growth in the IT business. I've been in the more publicity driven web development, heavy corporate development, startup-like web development. I've been a programmer, technical leader, project manager. I've studied methodologies, philosophy. I consider myself an apprentice in the software development craft, still in search of masters of whom to learn from.
In the more recent year I am completely geared toward Ruby and Ruby on Rails. I've been contributing a lot for the growth of the Brazilian Ruby community. Before that, I've worked many years in the jungle of the SAP enterprise environment as a systems integrator. I've dealt with all kinds of integration technologies and programmed mainly in Java. But before the corporate world I've been briefly in the middle of the first internet bubble, working for startups and publicity companies. Before the web I did desktop application development since the end of the 80's. So, I've been around for a long time.
I've been through all kinds of software development thoughts. I've been in the Unified Process (RUP) bandwagon, CMMI, PMI, and so on. I dismissed them all as useless and I finally found my place in the Agile Philosophy. Even though I am a PMP certified manager, I no longer apply any of what I've learned there.
The thing I like that I do for free is evangelization. I like to coach, teach and make it easier for coders to understand what it takes to become a developer. Software development is non-predictable, it is far detached from traditional engineering and resembles a form of art. That's why it has to be taught as a craft.
Fabio Akita, (a.k.a. AkitaOnRails)’s Specialties:
Some fields requires 'specialists', but I consider myself a "generalist". In time, one cannot be a reasonable Systems Architect without mastering a wide range of knowledge. Bottom line: I can learn really fast. I'm also very strong in realizing solutions, breaking down big problems into manageable small sets of activities. And, of course, couching and coordinating teams to better optimize usage of all resources available within all the limitations projects usually push on us.
Fabio Akita, (a.k.a. AkitaOnRails)’s Experience
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Project Manager
LocaWeb
(Privately Held; Internet industry)
June 2008 — Present (1 year 6 months)
I joined Locaweb, at first, as Linux Product Manager and Ruby on Rails evangelist. We joined forces to create Rails Summit, the biggest Latin American Ruby on Rails event which gathered 21 internationally recognized speakers and more than 550 attendees. I am now responsible for the project management of the Web Hosting platform and applications (Windows and Linux) and I've helped out in the the Cloud Computing efforts for a little while as well as still helping to push Ruby on Rails into the Brazilian market.
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Owner
Prodigus Consulting
(Privately Held; Myself Only; Information Technology and Services industry)
May 2002 — Present (7 years 7 months)
That's the company I registered in order to provide my services to Balance Consulting. Since 2002, all Prodigus accounts are held through Balance and starting up in May 2007, it will primarily serve Surgeworks as an offshore outsourcing shop.
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Brazil Rails Practice Manager
Surgeworks
(Privately Held; 11-50 employees; Computer Software industry)
May 2007 — June 2008 (1 year 2 months)
Surgeworks is a development company from Salt Lake City, Utah. I was the first Brazilian offshore consultant hired to work on Ruby on Rails projects for North American companies. I've helped to assemble a Brazilian team of Rails experts that are now leveraging high quality offshore Rails development.
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Systems Engineer
Balance Consulting
(Privately Held; Information Technology and Services industry)
December 2001 — May 2007 (5 years 6 months)
Leading many cutting edge researches in SAP related technologies, currently leading the third SAP Portal project at Suzano Papel e Celulose. Recently assisted integration of Java/SAP systems and telecom billing systems at Claro. Coordinated one of the first SAP Portal implementations on early 2004 at Suzano. I've been dealing with lots of EAI based services, SAP integration, some Mobile development and using many different technologies and approaches, from small VB6 and big Java stuff until mobile .NET and ABAP/4. Worked along several renowned companies as Suzano, Copersucar, ESAB, C&A, Ultrafértil, Vivo, Claro.
All these years in the SAP business only taught me that it's a great place to make money, but a terrible place to have quality of life. So I am out of this field. -
Writer
Brasport
(Privately Held; 1-10 employees; Publishing industry)
April 2006 — June 2006 (3 months)
This was my first attempt into publishing a book. I always enjoyed communicating. I've tried to launch several personal homepages before. By the end of 2005 a subject called my attention: the japanese programming language Ruby and the breakthrough web framework Rails. Together, Ruby on Rails caught the attention of the world. I thought it would be a good idea to not let Brazil behind yet another turn of the tide. That's when I wrote "Repensando a Web com Rails", a near 500 pages book, written in around 2 months for the Brasport Publishing. And based on this book, I still maintain the "Balance on Rails" weblog and monthly articles at the RubyOnbr community.
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Systems Engineer
PSN
(Privately Held; 201-500 employees; Broadcast Media industry)
August 2000 — December 2001 (1 year 5 months)
Framework development using Microsoft DNA platform for the creation of content publishing websites. I worked together with teams in Sao Paulo/BR, Miami/USA and Buenos Ayres/AR. HMTF controlled Corinthians and Cruzeiro soccer teams and other Latin-American sports teams by that time. Experience on dealing with outsourced teams with different cultures.
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Web Developer
HPG
(Information Technology and Services industry)
2000 — 2000 (less than a year)
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Developer and Technology Coordinator
F/Nazca
(Privately Held; 201-500 employees; Publishing industry)
May 2000 — August 2000 (4 months)
Development of websites and exposition works (Cannes 2000). First contact with content publishing concepts and software as the Zope platform. Interesting experiences on dealing with varied types of skilled art professionals (designers, creators) and customers.
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Systems Engineer
Protocolo Web
(Privately Held; 11-50 employees; Online Media industry)
January 2000 — May 2000 (5 months)
Development of the hpg.com.br (free websites) and ieg.com.br (free e-mails) products, later bought by iG ISP, which became number 1 ISP in Brazil because of the acquisition. Extensive use of open source technologies as Linux, MySQL, PHP. It was my first and important contact with the open source and free software platforms used commercially.
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Web Developer
hpG (www.hpg.com.br)
(Information Technology and Services industry)
2000 — 2000 (less than a year)
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Systems Engineer
PSINet
(Public Company; 51-200 employees; Consumer Services industry)
June 1999 — January 2000 (8 months)
Development of the ISP management system, using Microsoft DNA, which was responsible for the tools of several departments including sales, call center, financials and user account management. It was my first experience dealing with a large management changing requirements and varying degrees of expectations from several departments, directors, managers, employees. It was an important foundation on the management and quality disciplines I am still very fond of.
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Web Developer
Kropki
(Privately Held; 1-10 employees; Writing and Editing industry)
September 1997 — June 1999 (1 year 10 months)
Participation on the development of several multimedia pieces as interactive CDs, websites, content intranets for customers as Antarctica, Fiat and Volkswagen. First contact with the multimedia world, not only a technical-only environment but the mixture of dealing and integrating technology and creational art. I've accumulated a large experience dealing with demanding customers.
Fabio Akita, (a.k.a. AkitaOnRails)’s Education
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Dinsmore Associates
PMP , Project Management , 2005 — 2005
Attended classes at Dinsmore Associates and got certified as a PMP (Project Management Professional) from PMI at september, 2005.
But as I've said, I no longer consider myself a PMP manager because I don't believe it is effective for software development. -
SAP Training
Certified , SAP Enterprise Portal Certification , May 2002 — May 2002
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Universidade de São Paulo
Bachelor , Computer Science , 1995 — 1997
Additional Information
Fabio Akita, (a.k.a. AkitaOnRails)’s Websites:
Fabio Akita, (a.k.a. AkitaOnRails)’s Interests:
At the Technology side, Ruby on Rails and Apple, definitively. They both share the same outstanding sense of aesthetics and beauty that inspires you. At the general culture side, I am dedicating myself into self improvement by following the lead of very smart people as dr. Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Daniel Dennet, Bjorn Lombord and of course, shallow entertainment is a bitch. I'd rather see James Randi and Penn & Teller Bullshit! TV Show.
Fabio Akita, (a.k.a. AkitaOnRails)’s Contact Settings
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