Hi, I'm Hugo

After leading cross-functional teams at Pinterest, three patterns consistently drove success:

1. API Contracts First — Mobile and backend teams align on contracts before implementation. This eliminates late-stage integration surprises and enables parallel development.

2. Feature Flags Are Non-Negotiable — With 500M+ users, every release needs a kill switch. Gradual rollouts (1% → 10% → 100%) catch issues before they become incidents.

3. Cross-Platform Parity Matters — iOS and Android users expect identical experiences. We maintained feature parity checklists and shared test cases between platforms.

After mentoring 50+ engineers, I've refined my 1:1 structure to maximize impact:

The 30-Minute Framework: - First 10 min: Their Agenda — They lead with what's on their mind. Blockers, frustrations, wins. - Next 10 min: Career Focus — One specific skill or goal we're tracking. Progress check, adjust plans. - Last 10 min: Strategic Context — Share context they might not have. Upcoming changes, cross-team dynamics.

Key Rules: - Never cancel. Reschedule if needed, but these are sacred. - Take notes and follow up. Nothing kills trust faster than forgotten action items. - Ask "What can I unblock for you?" every single time.

After building my SecondBrain system, I've learned what separates useful AI tools from tech demos:

Start With the Workflow, Not the Tech — I didn't build AI because it's cool. I built it because I was spending 3 hours/day on content creation. Now it's 30 minutes.

Automate the Boring Parts — AI shouldn't replace creativity. It should handle: formatting, platform adaptation, scheduling, and metadata. The human adds: insights, opinions, voice.

Measure Ruthlessly — My system tracks time-to-publish, engagement rates, and content consistency. If a feature doesn't improve metrics, it gets cut.

The goal isn't "using AI"—it's getting your time back.