
Hi, I’m Roberto Rodes.
Welcome to my online home. I’m an entrepreneur, designer, and software engineer.
Ex-CTO at Facephi. Founded Deebbler and Wakeando.
These days, I build software and run Freegrowth, a modest design studio to help tech creators grow more sustainable lives, businesses, and products. I also write articles and Playing the Long Game, a periodic newsletter, to share everything I learn along my journey.
Do you want to know more about me?
Articles.
My articles are about business and startups, innovation, design, software development, marketing, philosophy, ethics, or any other thing that might prove relevant at any given time.
They are a means for me to absorb and share everything I learn along the way.
The Latest.
- Why Blindly Creating a SaaS May Not Be a Smart Move to Begin Your Entrepreneurial Career.Have you been trying to grow your SaaS-based startup but still find yourself at the starting point, but worse? I know how that feels. […]
- How to Shape a Base Software Architecture for Your SaaS as a Beginner Founder to Adapt to Changes Fast (And Without Going Crazy).Coming up with a highly adaptive base structure for your SaaS is vital. As an early-stage founder, your resources are scarce. And I’m not […]
- How to Engineer Your SaaS Architecture as a Beginner Founder to Move Fast Today (Without Paying the Price in the Future).“What if we cannot easily change the system later? What if it can’t scale? What if it goes down? What if…? I’ve been building […]
Raw Reflections.
Here is where I share rough ideas and reflections that still lack one doneness. These are the seeds that will often grow into full-blown essays.
The Latest.
- Sustainability Is Your Unfair Advantage for Hiring.A few weeks ago, I stumbled upon a reply by Justin Jackson to this other tweet by Ben Tossell. I’ve been in that situation […]
- Prototype Before Building the Real Thing.When creating a new product, we usually do research, write specs, draw sketches and diagrams, and a long etcetera of activities for finding the […]
- Prescriptive Solutions Sell (And Break) More Easily.The more prescriptive a solution, the easier it is to sell. Thinking is exhausting, so simpler, pre-cooked solutions are usually easier to digest. The […]
Gems I Found.
These are some of the most interesting things I find along my journey, from articles to podcasts to video talks or books. No processing involved. Just brief introductions with references to the original sources.
The Latest.
- Wild Bill’s and The Jobs of Premium Soda.This week I stumbled upon this piece by Andrew Glaser. I didn’t know Andrew before, but, I just found out, he co-founded Laser Ventures, a hybrid consulting […]
- Stop Going in Circles and Ship Work that Matters.Ryan Singer and Chris Spiek have greatly influenced my understanding and approach to product and innovation in the last few years. In this talk […]
- Why We’re Leaving the Cloud.Basecamp’s leaving the cloud. In this article, DHH, co-founder and CTO at Basecamp, gives the reasons behind their choice. The first reason is cost. From […]
Let’s work together.
Consulting.
If you need aid with growing your business, maybe I can help.
I’m available for consulting through Freegrowth Studio. At Freegrowth Studio, we provide strategic guidance, training, and design services around growth, product design, engineering, and marketing.
Do you want to learn more?
Do you have any kind of proposal or simply want to chat about…?
I’m always interested in learning about new opportunities. If you think there is something I can do for you or any other way we can work together, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Also, as time permits, I enjoy discussing anything related to entrepreneurship, innovation, software development, ethics, and anything in between with anyone interested.