Hi, I'm Juan David Lopera. I'm a senior full-stack developer and technical leader based in Colombia, with over 15 years of professional experience building, scaling, and maintaining real-world products.
I've been coding since 2008 and have worked extensively across both backend and frontend systems. Over the years, I've designed and delivered complex web platforms, APIs, CMS-driven products, search systems, and high-performance user interfaces, always with a strong focus on scalability, maintainability, and business impact. I'm comfortable moving between architecture decisions, hands-on coding, and product-level discussions.
My background is intentionally multidisciplinary. I hold a bachelor's degree in music and sound engineering from Javeriana University, where I first discovered programming and applied it deeply to audio and signal processing. My thesis focused on Java and audio programming and received an honorable mention. That foundation shaped the way I think today: engineering as both a technical and creative discipline.
Beyond engineering, I have strong experience leading teams and managing projects end-to-end. I've worked closely with product, design, marketing, analytics, and business stakeholders, improving internal processes, aligning teams, and delivering products to production successfully. I've led distributed teams, mentored developers, and acted as a bridge between technical and non-technical roles to ensure execution stays aligned with real business goals.
In recent years, my focus has expanded into artificial intelligence and machine learning. I studied deep learning and neural networks at La Sabana University and have been working intensively on AI training using Python, PyTorch, and cloud platforms such as Google Cloud Vertex AI. My interest goes far beyond using AI tools, I'm deeply motivated by understanding how models work under the hood, training them myself, validating results, and turning research into practical, production-ready solutions.
I'm driven by building things that last: systems that scale, teams that grow, and products that solve real problems. I value clarity, ownership, and honest collaboration, and I take pride in delivering high-quality work while maintaining a pragmatic, business-oriented mindset.
Outside of work, my priorities are simple. I share my life with my partner Adriana, a doctor, our daughter Manu, and our dog Tomate. They keep me grounded, focused, and constantly reminded of what truly matters.