My name is Marcelo. I'm a Computer Engineer from ITA and a former Google engineer with 15+ years of experience. I am now an entrepreneur building developer tools, micro-SaaS, and AI-native applications.
I spent 4.5 years at Google1 before leaving to explore new ventures. Today, I work with an "Engineer in the Loop"2 approach: leveraging AI agents like Roo Code, GitHub Copilot, and Claude as force multipliers. This allows me to ship high-quality code at the speed of a startup while maintaining the rigorous architectural standards I mastered at Google.
| Project | Description | Tech Stack / Links |
|---|---|---|
| Futurin (Founder) | My software lab where I build and deploy micro-SaaS products. | Next.js, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS, shadcn/ui |
| Adapta AI Challenge | Top 3 Finalist (out of 2,000+) in Brazil's largest AI Hackathon. Built an OOH analytics tool in ~24h and presented to ~7,000 people. | AI, Hackathon |
| Fair Pricing Works | Open Source. A website focused on Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) to help people in countries with depreciated currencies access AI tools. | Community Contribution |
| Quick prototypes | Most ideas start as quick prototypes using generative UI tools and prompt engineering. | GitHub Spark, v0.app, bolt.new |
✨ AI-Powered Stuff:
| Project | Description | Tech Stack / Links |
|---|---|---|
| Chronos Task Manager | Event-driven task management system with AI-powered natural language parsing. | Architecture & Tech Stack |
| Acerto AI | Personal assistant for debt collection via WhatsApp. | Next.js, Tailwind CSS, Evolution API |
| concept-compass | Infinite mind-map generator using OpenAI's OSS models. Built to test AI-driven coding. | Hackathon, OpenAI |
| Solo Founder AI Engine | Integrated system orchestrating multiple AI tools to help solo founders ship like a team. | VS Code, Roo Code, n8n, Dify |
🧑🏽💻 Developer Tools:
| Project | Description | Tech Stack / Links |
|---|---|---|
| devmagic | A devcontainer setup that "just works", helping developers avoid repetitive configuration. | DevContainers, Docker |
| ghostkeys | A keyboard remapper in Rust. Validating spec-driven AI workflows. | Rust, Roo Code |
| vscode-improved | VS Code extension bundling quality-of-life improvements. | VS Code API |
🆕 Up Next:
| Project | Description | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Do I Need a License | The fastest way to choose the right license. Opinionated and simple. | Community Contribution |
| Touchpad Navigation Pro | Navigate back/forward with swipe gestures in Chromium browsers. | Chrome Extension |
| Project | Description | Tech Stack / Links |
|---|---|---|
| YourLinx | Local-only, private personal golinks Chrome Extension. | React, Tailwind CSS |
| Viralei | Turns legislative bills into engaging videos using AI. MVP in 4 days. | Next.js, AI |
| brave-byom-compat | Compatibility layer between AI models and Brave's Leo AI. | AI, Brave |
I wrote my first line of code in 2010, in C. Then I learned Java, Python, JavaScript, and more. These days I work mostly with TypeScript, JavaScript, React, Next.js, Node.js, and Tailwind CSS, along with plenty of other tech when they are called for.
At Google I worked with C++, Python, Java, and Bazel (build systems). I also have experience with VS Code Extensions API, Chrome Extensions API, Docker/Podman, and GitHub Actions.
For AI work, I recently adopted Roo Code and it seems like it's going to be central to how I build: I'm using it for custom modes now and will try soon for spec-driven development. I also use GitHub Copilot (in VS Code and github.com), the Codex extension, Jules (jules.google.com), and Kiro. I've also used Claude Code, Gemini CLI, and Zed (zed.dev). I use Anthropic API and OpenRouter as model providers. Lots of prompt engineering.
From Google:
- The value of code reviews, testing, documentation, and treating maintainability as a feature
- How to work with strict 6-week release cycles on a massive C++ codebase (Chromium)
- How to build globally scalable data pipelines (Java/Flume)
- That good practices are fundamental when creating great software
What I believe now:
- Solid foundations matter: Algorithms, system design, and architecture knowledge are essential to use AI tools effectively. How will I know the AI gave me a good solution if I don't understand the bounds?
- AI as a teammate: LLMs are powerful productivity multipliers, but human judgment on design and architecture is still essential.
- Ship fast, maintain well: High velocity with strong architectural oversight, not one or the other
- Build in public: I share my work openly, contributions welcome on all my repos. Developer tools improve fastest when shaped by the community using them.
My path back to building: After Google, I spent time in digital marketing, learning user psychology, sales copy, and how to take products to market. That experience sharpened how I think about user-facing products. Now I'm back to what I do best: building. AI gives me the leverage to ship like a team, without leaving the keyboard.
Feel free to:
- Check some projects and tech that I like
- Read about learnings I had so far
- Read about me (includes the full story of why I quit Google)
- Read some of my content: English | Brazilian Portuguese
- Contact me at: reachme [at] marcelo [dot] land
- Visit my portfolio or LinkedIn
See my pinned repos below—they're full of useful stuff!
Education: B.S. Computer Engineering, ITA (Brazil's top engineering school) | Exchange year at University of Twente & TU/e (Netherlands)
Code is Apache-2.0 (LICENSE). Text & images are CC BY-NC 4.0 (LICENSE-CONTENT). Third-party assets belong to their owners.