Gabo Esquivel - Tech Lead & Startup 0 to 1 Experience

I specialize in taking startups from 0 to 1, building technical foundations that scale. My approach is rooted in lean agile methodologies and continuous delivery, guided by my engineering principles, focusing on user experience first, keeping systems simple, and shipping fast to learn faster.

Leadership Philosophy & Project Management Approach

I'm a big proponent of pair programming, war rooms, and automation to accelerate development and maintain code quality. My project management approach combines lean agile methodologies with continuous delivery, ensuring rapid iteration while maintaining high standards. I believe in the power of continuous delivery to reduce risk and increase deployment confidence.

As a self-confessed workaholic who has learned from burnout, I emphasize sustainable development practices and team well-being. I advocate for "touching grass" and maintaining work-life balance to ensure long-term productivity and team health. Quality over quantity, with regular breaks and outdoor time to maintain mental clarity and prevent burnout.

Costa Rica JS: Community Leadership

I started leading the tech community in 2010 when I founded Costa Rica JS, which grew into Central America's largest JavaScript community with over 2,000 developers. As the community organizer and leader, I was responsible for organizing workshops, meetups, and conferences that fostered a collaborative environment for developers. I also organized NodeSchool Costa Rica, which became a driving force in the region's tech ecosystem as Node.js and modern single-page frameworks gained prominence, establishing my foundation in community building and developer leadership.

AMC Networks: YEAH! TV Streaming Platform

At AMC Networks, I led the frontend team for YEAH! TV, a streaming movie service launched at SXSW 2013. As team lead, I coordinated between creative and backend teams while building an interactive video streaming frontend for Facebook app. I implemented back-office with Brightcove integration and added interactive trivia, interviews, and quizzes to the video player. The platform was optimized for curated films with 400+ interactive elements each, creating a unique viewing experience that enhanced classic genre films with interactive bonus content.

Wink: Costa Rica's First Digital Bank

As Software Architect at Wink, I led the development of Costa Rica's first digital bank from concept to launch. I was responsible for technology selection, project planning, recruiting and training developers, and coordinating with partner banks and vendors. Built biometric KYC with React Native bridge and integrated partner bank APIs, creating a secure, user-friendly banking experience that bypassed traditional branch visits. Successfully built and led a development team from the ground up.

EOS Costa Rica: Blockchain Infrastructure

At EOS Costa Rica, I contributed to the EOS Mainnet launch and managed validator nodes across multiple EOSIO-based networks. As the main architect and tech lead, I recruited and built the entire development team from scratch, then architected Grant Thornton's custom private blockchain using Azure, Terraform, EOSIO, and a React client. This project streamlined intercompany transactions and tax management using stablecoins with immutable records via hashing and IPFS. I also led Web3 meetups that grew to 300+ members and paved the way for the creation of the Costa Rica Blockchain Association, along with workshops, meetups, and community engagement initiatives including TicoBlockchain.cr and CryptoCantina meetups. that grew to 300+ members and paved the way for the creation of the Costa Rica Blockchain Association, along with workshops, meetups, and CryptoCantina meetups. Rica Blockchain Association, along with workshops, meetups, and community engagement initiatives including TicoBlockchain.cr and CryptoCantina meetups.

Bitcash: P2P Exchange Platform

At Bitcash, I architected and implemented a full-stack platform using React, Vite, Node.js, PostgreSQL, Hasura GraphQL, and Google Cloud. Led the technical team in developing a peer-to-peer exchange with real-time chat and built a backend matching engine. Created a real-time EOS indexer that deserializes EOS binary data with Node.js worker threads and implemented WebAuthn-based key management for direct in-browser transaction signing, eliminating the need for external wallet apps. During this time, I also developed ChainGraph, a real-time GraphQL toolkit for EOSIO/Antelope blockchain applications, and participated in GraphQL Texas. Focused on infrastructure design, tech recruitment, and developer training throughout the project lifecycle.

Bitlauncher & Masterbots Leadership

As Tech Lead at Bitlauncher, I designed the full-stack architecture with Viem, Wagmi, Supabase, and Next.js 14. Built a token bridge for swapping USDT, USDC, and BITUSD to USDCred tokens, integrated Gnosis auction contracts with real-time wallet balances, and developed a custom EVM indexer via WebSocket event subscriptions. Trained a team of 5 developers in the tech stack and established AI-driven development workflows using Claude, v0.dev, Cursor, and SourceryAI, significantly enhancing developer productivity.

As part of the Bitlauncher initiative, I also architected and developed Masterbots.ai, a platform with specialized chatbots and AI-driven workflows. Integrated AI SDK for internationalization automation and established an AI-driven development workflow using v0.dev, Anthropic Claude Sonnet, Cursor IDE, and SourceryAI. The platform delivers domain-specific AI chatbots optimized for complex tasks and long-context interactions.

Projects

bitlauncher

BitLauncher is an AI and crypto launchpad platform that provides early access to promising AI unicorn startups through token sales and auctions. It features a batch auction system for token sales, ensuring fair and transparent price discovery. Participants bid during a fixed period, and tokens are distributed at a uniform price, eliminating manipulation and ensuring equal opportunities for all investors.

bitcashBank

Bitcash is an established crypto banking platform with over 50,000 users across Latin America, handling millions in transaction volume through its regulated financial infrastructure. The platform integrates with local banking systems in multiple countries and features BitcashDAO for community governance of its decentralized finance products. At Bitcash, my role from the start focused on infrastructure design, tech recruitment, and developer training. I later transitioned to a consulting role to guide the platform's continuous adaptation and success.

EOS Costa Rica

EOS Costa Rica is a leading block producer and infrastructure provider for EOSIO/Antelope blockchains, maintaining critical network nodes and developing custom blockchain solutions. The company is recognized for its contributions to the EOS mainnet and enterprise blockchain implementations. Joining EOS Costa Rica at its inception, I played a key role in the EOS mainnet launch, managed validators for multiple networks, and helped establish the custom development services division. My major contribution included leading the architecture for a custom private blockchain for Grant Thornton.

Wink

Wink, Costa Rica's first neo-bank, offers a mobile app for online banking, eliminating the need for physical branch visits. I developed the first version of Wink's mobile app and backend services within AWS. My role involved API integration with partner banks and forming a dedicated development team.

AMC Yeah TV Facebook App

An online movie streaming service allows watching movies in chapters with detailed information and interactive games. I was responsible for the frontend architecture design, integrating the game app with Facebook and the backoffice system with Brightcove web services for video streaming and editing.

Costa Rica JS

Costa Rica JS, founded in 2010, grew to become Central America's largest JavaScript community with over 2000 developers. The community played a crucial role in fostering the region's tech ecosystem during the rise of Node.js, organizing major events like NodeSchool International Day and hosting speakers from companies like Mozilla and Netflix. As founder, I organized regular meetups, workshops, and the annual JSConf Costa Rica, helping establish Costa Rica as a growing tech hub in Latin America.

AsoBlockchain

AsoBlockchain, founded in 2017, is Costa Rica's first and leading non-profit blockchain association. The organization has trained over 1000 developers, partnered with major universities like ULACIT and ADEN Business School, and played a key role in shaping national cryptocurrency regulations through collaboration with the Central Bank and other regulatory bodies. Through initiatives like TicoBlockchain conference and CriptoCantina, it has become the primary driver of blockchain adoption in Central America.

CryptoCantinaCR

CryptoCantinaCR, established in September 2018, became Costa Rica's most influential blockchain community with over 500 regular participants and recognition from national media outlets like La Nación and El Financiero. What began as informal Thursday meetups has evolved into a formal educational initiative under CriptoCantina.org, which has trained hundreds of developers and influenced national cryptocurrency policy through engagement with government officials and regulators.