Hey 👋 — I'm Ricardo. Born and raised in a small city in the Aveiro district, and honestly? That's exactly where I'm back living now. A full circle kind of thing. But between then and now, a whole lot happened.

I spent about 12 years in London — a city I love more than anywhere else in the world. Those years were some of the most formative of my life. Living away from home, from the comfort and the familiar, pushed me to grow in ways I simply couldn't have anticipated. The experiences, the friendships, the city itself — they shaped a huge part of who I am today.

When I'm not in work mode, I'm most likely chasing my kids around (proud dad, lucky husband 😄), planning the next trip somewhere, or hosting a dinner at home for friends. Travel is a big deal for me — the crown jewel being a 4-month trip around the world across ten countries. The kind of thing you talk about for the rest of your life, and I still do 🤩.

I'm also a photo person, a game night person, and honestly — a screen person, in the best way. My first computer experience was on a Commodore Amiga (yes, I know… but trust me, I'm young at heart 🕶️). These days it's less Amiga, more Nintendo Switch.

Sport has always been part of my life too. Football, basketball, volleyball, handball, taekwondo, swimming and surfing — I've had a go at most things. And I've even done the running thing more seriously than I probably should admit: a 10K in Porto (São Silvestre), a half marathon in Ealing, and a full marathon in the absolutely stunning Edinburgh.

Now I'm back home, close to family, a few steps from the beach, and leaning hard into quality time with the people who matter most. More sun, fewer commutes, and a much better work-life ratio. No complaints at all.

Honestly? I never sat down and decided “I want to be a Product Owner.” It kind of just… happened. And I'm really glad it did.

I started out as a developer, still in Portugal. It wasn't my happiest role, but it gave me something incredibly valuable — a real, hands-on understanding of how software actually gets built. That foundation has been useful ever since. Pretty quickly though, I realised coding wasn't where I was meant to be. I was way more interested in the “why” behind what was being built, and that curiosity gradually pulled me into the world of Business Intelligence, data platforms, and systems that help people make better decisions.

Around 2013, I made the move to London. Leaving behind everyone I knew and every comfort I had wasn't easy at all — but it pushed me to grow in ways I couldn't have imagined. I threw myself into it completely.

Working at Apple was — without question — the highest career highlight I've had so far. Not because of the brand, but because of the people. I've never been surrounded by so many sharp, driven, detail-obsessed individuals. The bar was incredibly high. Every decision, every detail, every single word on the screen meant something. And so it stretched me, challenged me, and permanently raised my standards for what good actually looks like.

When our second child arrived, we made the tough call to move back to Portugal to be closer to family. A genuinely hard decision — one that took real adjustment. But one I truly believe was the right one.

Back home, I reached out cold to the team at Pixelmatters, and I'm so glad I did. Working with that group of talented, smart, and passionate people was exactly what I needed — a tighter, startup-adjacent setup with real exposure to multiple clients across different industries, cultures, and contexts. It's where I really grew into my product ownership skin: navigating ambiguity, leading discovery, managing relationships, and delivering work I'm genuinely proud of. Easily one of the best places I've ever worked.

All in all, it's been an organic journey — driven more by curiosity, opportunity, and a deep love for good design and simple, elegant solutions than by any master plan. And honestly? I wouldn't change a single thing.