Guille fulfills- almost all- the requirements to be a typical pure Uruguayan. He likes soccer, mate, beer and “choripan” What is missing, then? The nationality. What most people don’t know is that Guille was born in Madrid, Spain. But that doesn’t make him “less”of a charrúa, just the opposite. He grew up in the capital of Cerro Largo, Melo, where he would spend the afternoons playing soccer outside with his neighbors, taking tennis lessons in between, among other activities. Then, when he turned 18, he moved to Montevideo to start college in 2004.
Guille always arrives at the office in a happy mood, sometimes whistling, other times singing- a bit out of tune- a soccer hymn. Other times he gets there with Pombo, his 12 year old dog, who everyone at Cavepot adores. Pombo doesn’t distract the team at all: most of the times he just snores while everyone else is busy coding. Guille laughs, prepares mate and asks, once again, what’s for lunch.
If we ask him why he chose engineering we don’t get the typical answer that his dream was to become a developer. It’s way simpler than that: he was always good at maths so, without even planning it, it just led to where he is now. What is sure, though, is that he loves challenges. In fact, what he loves the most about technology is how fast everything changes. “You don’t have time to get bored”, he tells us. “On the other hand, since our job is based on helping other areas, you are always learning, not only about engineering”.
He is enthusiastic, joyful, and committed. When he’s not at work he is planning a meeting, playing tennis, or “messing around” (in a cute, adorable way) with his sister Xime, the designer of the team, who he calls “chow chow”. This family bond does not only add more love to the office environment but also transforms it into what we so often call our “second home”.
If we ask Guille about the beginnings of Cavepot, he sees it as a dream, something that started as a simple idea between two friends is now a settled company with 10 years of experience in the software field.
It all started with Santiago, another big piece of this puzzle, who we all refer to as “Cuevas”. Guille talks about the time they met with a bit of a melancholic tone, filled with good memories. “We were working on a project together and easily became friends”, tells and drinks mate. “We were very alike and had a lot of things in common, besides the love for technology, clearly”, he says, laughing.
The idea of having his own company was always present in his thoughts, even before meeting Santiago. “I had tried before but hadn’t succeeded”, he recalls.“We started working on small projects for a friend until one day we realized it was possible and, without even knowing, we were already doing it!”. And that is precisely how things start, right? doing them. Guille and Santi are the best example.
Cavepot is a house, and not in a metaphorical way. Located in the heart of Cordón, Montevideo, it has everything you associate with the term “home”: it’s a renovated 3-floor house where the team reunites not only for working purposes but also for movie nights, watching soccer or just hanging out. In winter, all the attention goes to the beautiful fireplace in the living room. Regarding this, we can talk about the importance of finding the right place to set up your offices, but Guille is crystal clear about something: the physical place is the least important thing. “What was clear for us was that we just wanted to be a group of friends working together”, oh and they did made it! In fact, what Guille loves the most about going to the office is not the fireplace or the beautiful big white classic windows, but “connecting with the people that make your life easier”.
We could keep talking about Guille for hours, and share all the things that make him the way he is. We can talk about Cavepot’s achievements, projects, and awards. But none of those are what makes Guille feel proud of the company he founded. What he is most proud of is “the family we came to be”.
Yes, so maybe Guille lacks the Uruguayan nationality, but the leader essence is written in his eyes, he doesn’t even have to ask for it.
