Based in Finland

José David Sánchez Hidalgo

Senior Software Engineer·Entrepreneur·Product Builder

I build software professionally and on my own. Most of my time goes into shipping products at scale, growing a few independent businesses on the side, and investing for the long term. I care more about craftsmanship and patience than about hype.

Journey

A short story.

A short story of how I got here and what I keep coming back to.

Early years

Started with the web

Built my first websites and small backend systems out of curiosity. Software quickly became the way I made sense of how things work.

Career start

Moved into professional development

Joined the games and mobile industry, shipping products used by millions of players around the world.

Mid-career

Technical leadership

Grew into roles where engineering decisions, mentoring and long-term architecture mattered as much as the code itself.

Today

Engineering meets entrepreneurship

Combine professional engineering work with building independent products, small businesses and long-term investments.

Career highlights

15+ years
Building software professionally
Engineering leadership
Across product, infra and mobile teams
Games industry
Netflix, Rovio, Next Games
Cloud & mobile
Streaming, gaming and SaaS at scale
Independent products
Shipping my own businesses on the side

Experience

Where I've worked.

2022 — Present
NETFLIX

Programming Lead / SDK Manager · Netflix

2017 — 2022
NEXT GAMES

SDK Manager · Next Games

2016 — 2017
ROVIO

Senior Full Stack Developer · Rovio

2015 — 2016
ROVIO

Full Stack Developer · Rovio

2015 — 2015
ROVIO

Game Programmer · Rovio

2013 — 2014
ROVIO

Platform Specialist · Rovio

2012 — 2013
ROVIO

Junior Platform Specialist · Rovio

2011 — 2012
GRAND CRU

Programmer Trainee · Grand Cru

NETFLIX
2022 — Present
NEXT GAMES
2017 — 2022
ROVIO
2012 — 2017
GRAND CRU
2011 — 2012

Beyond Engineering

Things I think about.

Engineering is only one part of who I am. These are the areas I keep investing time in.

Building

Entrepreneurship

Building products and small companies outside of any employer.

Building

Artificial Intelligence

Creating practical AI-powered tools for real businesses.

Building

Automation

Designing systems that remove repetitive work for good.

Learning

ThePowerMBA

Continuous learning in business, strategy and leadership.

Investing

Real Estate Investing

Long-term financial stability through property.

Life

Living in Finland

Building software, businesses and a life from Helsinki.

BuildingLearningInvestingLife

Philosophy

What I keep returning to.

A few principles I keep returning to.

01

Software should simplify

The best software disappears. People feel the result, not the system underneath.

02

Good engineering is invisible

Clean foundations rarely get applause. They are what makes everything else possible.

03

Long-term beats hype

Consistency over years compounds into things that short bursts can never reach.

04

Technology is a tool

It serves a goal. The goal is people, products and problems worth solving.

05

Curiosity is the engine

I enjoy problems. Building, learning and shipping are how I stay curious.

Writing

Notes, slowly.

Long-form thinking on engineering, product and the long road.

EngineeringAIProduct DevelopmentStartupsArchitectureAutomationUnityMobileCloud

First essays coming soon.

Contact

Interested in building something meaningful?

Always happy to connect with people working on thoughtful products, exploring ideas or thinking long-term. Email is the best way.