I'm David Dias
A builder at heart, a front-end engineer by trade, and someone who's constantly questioning how technology can remove friction instead of adding it.
I speak French, Portuguese, and English. I've learned that clarity is never guaranteed—whether in language, interfaces, or organizations. You earn it by being deliberate.
A Builder First, a Developer Second
I don't see myself as "just" a front-end developer. Development is a medium for me—the way writing is for some people or woodworking is for others.
What really drives me is the act of building something useful, iterating on it, and watching it reduce effort, confusion, or wasted time for someone else.
Living in different environments reinforced that instinct. When you're constantly navigating new systems—social, bureaucratic, technical—you develop a sensitivity to friction. You notice what slows people down, what feels unintuitive, and what silently excludes.
That's the mindset I bring to building products.
UX Is Not a Step, It's a Responsibility
Because I work in front-end and product-facing roles, UX is inseparable from how I think. To me, UX isn't a checklist or a phase—it's an ethical stance.
Every interface makes a promise:
It won't waste your time
It won't make you feel stupid
It respects your attention
Cultural context matters. What's "obvious" in one place isn't in another. Good UX acknowledges that users come from different backgrounds, mental models, and levels of familiarity—and meets them where they are without being patronizing.
My Occupations (So Far)
Different labels, same core drive. These aren't scattered roles—they form a single arc.
Front-End Software Engineer
Built user-facing applications at scale. Specialized in modern front-end ecosystems.
UX-Minded Product Engineer
Acted as a bridge between design, product, and engineering. Shaped what should be built.
Staff-Level Contributor
Influenced architecture and raised the quality bar. Shifted from output to leverage.
Mentor & Educator
Helped developers grow. Explained complex concepts clearly and patiently.
Book a session →Indie App Creator
Shipped real products. Used AI as a serious production collaborator.
View Goshuin Atlas →Creative Technologist
Photography and video as storytelling. Balanced aesthetics with constraints.
View gallery →The throughline: Builder → Product Thinker → Systems Designer → Independent Creator
Learning as a Default State
I'm deeply curious by nature. Not in a shallow, trend-chasing way, but in a systems-level way: How does this work? Why does it break? What happens if I remove this assumption?
That curiosity has been sharpened by change—new countries, new jobs, new tools, new constraints. I've learned to be comfortable not knowing, and to treat uncertainty as a starting point rather than a blocker.
It pushes me into:
Different disciplines, same core instinct: understand the system, then make it better.
AI as a Force Multiplier
Not a replacement. Leverage—especially for individuals.
Having built products in different contexts, I've seen how access, time, and resources vary wildly. AI, when used intentionally, can lower those barriers. It can help one person do the work of many—not to hustle harder, but to focus on judgment, creativity, and intent.
I actively experiment with AI to:
- Accelerate idea validation
- Remove repetitive work
- Expand what one person can realistically build
- Turn vague thoughts into concrete artifacts
I've launched an iOS app built entirely with AI as a collaborator—not as a stunt, but as proof that the bottleneck has shifted. Today, the real constraint is clarity of thought.
From Career to Craft
At this stage of my life, I'm less interested in chasing titles and more interested in developing a craft.
Working across countries and companies gave me perspective: prestige fades, but good work lasts. I want to build things that feel thoughtful, durable, and useful—whether they live inside a company or stand on their own.
I'm actively exploring what it means to move from working primarily for companies to building projects directly for users. That transition isn't rushed or idealistic; it's intentional, grounded, and iterative.
How I Think About Work
A few principles I operate by. They come from experience—not theory—and continue to evolve.
Clarity beats cleverness
Simple, understandable solutions over complex, impressive ones.
Automation should give time back, not steal control
Tools that empower, not enslave.
Small systems, well understood, scale better than complex ones
Mastery over sprawl.
The best tools feel boring—in a good way
Invisible when working, reliable always.
Reflection is not laziness; it's maintenance
Thinking time is productive time.
Mentorship, Leverage, and Leaving Something Behind
One of the most meaningful parts of my work is helping others think more clearly—about code, design, careers, or ideas they haven't quite articulated yet.
Mentorship matters to me because I've benefited from it at every stage, often informally, across different environments. Sharing knowledge across borders, languages, and experience levels reinforces a simple truth: good ideas don't belong to any one place.
What I want to leave behind isn't just a portfolio, but useful artifacts:
- Tools
- Ideas
- Frameworks
- Examples of thoughtful, human-centered work
If something I build helps someone move faster, feel less frustrated, or gain confidence to create something of their own, that's enough.
Want to chat? Book a mentoring session:
Where I'm Going
I don't have a single fixed destination, and that's intentional.
I'm exploring:
- Independent product ideas
- Deeper, more responsible uses of AI
- Ways to turn personal curiosity into user value
- How to design a life with more autonomy, focus, and reflection
Different countries taught me that there are many ways to live well.
I'm building toward one that prioritizes usefulness, leverage, and thoughtful creation.