SEBASTIAN TRZCINSKI-CLEMENT: Good afternoon, Roman.
Am I pronouncing your name correctly, Roman?
ROMAN JAQUEZ: Yes, you are.
Nice meeting you, Sebastian.
SEBASTIAN TRZCINSKI-CLEMENT: All right.
Thanks for making the time to meet with me.
You're one of our contributors to Google Dev Library.
And my first question to you is how would you
introduce yourself in three words or three numbers
or both, whatever you prefer?
ROMAN JAQUEZ: I'll do the three words.
So I can describe myself as--
again, as some of you have already done so as well--
passionate, creative, and helpful.
And I can combine those three words, because one, in order
to be a programmer or software engineer in this field,
you've got to be creative.
Of course, you need to be driven by passion
and helpful, because in order to excel in this industry
and to even make it in this industry,
you need to help others.
Because that's how you kind of grow as a professional.
And also, you can lift other people up, as well.
SEBASTIAN TRZCINSKI-CLEMENT: I like
how you did your homework by checking out the other videos.
ROMAN JAQUEZ: That's right.
Exactly.
SEBASTIAN TRZCINSKI-CLEMENT: And picking the best--
and picking the best answers, then make them your own.
That's great.
There'll be a link in the description or in the playlist,
if you want to check out the other videos--
YouTube visitor, obviously.
I'm not talking to Roman now, who has done his homework.
Roman, you are a fan of Flutter, if I'm not mistaken,
and you've written a bunch of blog posts.
Do you want to talk a little bit about them?
There were two of those who were selected in the Google Dev
Library, but you've shared with me privately
just before that you've done a number of blog posts,
a number of things, even on GitHub,
and in different languages.
Do you want to talk more about this?
All these aspects.
ROMAN JAQUEZ: Definitely.
Yeah.
So again, first of all, thank you
so much for this opportunity.
Sebastian, you've been such a great influence
in the community, as far as making our voices be heard
and also promoting this kind of content.
Great content that we've been putting for the community.
So kudos to you.
So again, I am truly passionate about technology in general,
but I've been very cultivated by Flutter.
Flutter is this technology that allows
you to develop applications with one single code base and then
you can target multiple platforms.
I've been able to create a couple of blog posts
because I wanted to share the experiences that I've
had developing applications in Flutter.
And the reason why I love Flutter so much
is that it allows you to paint every--
allows you to paint every pixel on the screen,
and then it allows you to develop applications
in record time.
With one single code base, I'm able to target
multiple frameworks.
And then the reason why I created those blog posts is
to actually help people to also excel in that field,
also develop applications in record time,
and so that they can become productive developers as well.
And they can put their applications
and develop their mobile applications, web, desktop,
target every framework, with ease of use
and put them out there for people to enjoy.
SEBASTIAN TRZCINSKI-CLEMENT: So one of your blog posts
is about authentication, right?
You're using Firebase authentication
into a Flutter app.
You want to talk about this a little bit?
ROMAN JAQUEZ: That is correct.
So in some of the applications that I've
developed, ever since I started working in Flutter,
I noticed how productive tapping into the Google technologies
has been for me.
Because in the past, I used to even
create all these things myself.
When I realized that I could--
like, all these-- the portfolio of Google products,
I was able to combine them all and create very
great experiences for users.
For example, adding authentication
to my applications, so I would make
them more secure and robust, with very minimal amount
of code and very little effort.
That's why I said, you know, people need to know about this.
So let me create a blog post detailing specifically
how they do it step by step, so that they could also implement
that in their applications with very minimal effort
and using, of course, the Google technology.
So that was a lot of fun that I had doing that one.
And I've even gotten messages from people, like privately,
saying thank you for this post.
I was able to--
you know, you saved me tons of time.
I was able to incorporate it in my application the same way
that you did it.
And that was really rewarding.
SEBASTIAN TRZCINSKI-CLEMENT: That's very nice to hear.
Is there anything that surprised you
of when you started using Flutter or even Firebase
authentication or Google Maps, which is a topic of another
of your blog posts which has been selected on Google Dev
Library.
Anything that surprised you in one way or another?
Something that proved harder or easier,
maybe, than you initially thought,
or more exciting or more disappointing?
We're here for feedback, as well.
ROMAN JAQUEZ: I'm going to be honest.
I was surprised at how affordable
it was, that it was free.
I couldn't believe it.
I was telling people--
I was telling people, like, there's no catch.
This is free.
You can use Firebase, and let's say you stand up--
like, you know, you can apply Firebase authentication
for free.
You can have, let's say, a Google Maps API,
and you can even tap into the Directions API, the Routes API,
and all those great Google products
completely for free, without even spending a dime.
And people were like, no.
And that's one of the misconceptions.
That's one of the misconceptions that people have.
Like, if you want to implement these robust features
in your applications, you actually
have to break the bank.
In this case, all the applications
that I've been able to develop where I've integrated Google
Maps, Firebase authentication, Cloud Firestore, Google Cloud
Functions, all of those, I have not paid a cent.
And that has made me a very productive developer, has
allowed me to develop applications to put them,
let's say, in front of people in a fraction of the time,
you know, using other cloud solutions or even
other products.
And that's what truly amazed me.
And I think I'm still going to wait for a bill to come,
but still hasn't come.
And I know that it's not going to come,
because that's the reason why I picked this platform.
Because it allows me to create applications completely free,
I would say.
So that was one of the things that truly surprised me.
The challenges that I've had is actually
in trying to develop those things myself.
For example, I tried to roll out my own authentication
mechanism.
I was even standing up my own, let's say, infrastructure,
like standing up a Restful API or creating my own database
and creating the own backend and then managing
all those solutions myself.
Instead, I relied on the Google Cloud platform,
so I can, let's say, stand up a quick Restful API
using Google Cloud functions.
Like you mentioned, doing Firebase
authentication for authenticating my users,
using Google Cloud Firestore to do
real-time communication in my applications
in a fraction of the time.
And I was able to put great quality applications
combining all these great features into one
single application.
Of course, even using Flutter.
And the result was amazing.
And again, still haven't paid anything.
So that's why I'm so amazed by that.
SEBASTIAN TRZCINSKI-CLEMENT: I want
to go into two different directions,
but before that, I'm glad that you are trying
to dispel the misconception.
If I'm not mistaken, though, most of the APIs
are free, up to a certain limit.
ROMAN JAQUEZ: A limit, of course, yes.
SEBASTIAN TRZCINSKI-CLEMENT: So there is a quota,
but it's true.
I mean, I'm also--
you've heard me say it before.
And I told you also just before this recording,
I also code on the side.
I'm not a great coder, but I love to try new things.
And it's indeed plenty enough to try for free.
So by all means, anyone should give it a shot.
ROMAN JAQUEZ: Oh, definitely.
Yes.
Of course.
And let me rectify that aspect.
Example, let's say if your application goes viral,
of course, you're going to reach,
let's say, the free limit or the free quota.
And you're still not going to pay that much,
but at least it allows you to, let's say,
put something in front of users.
It allows you to create a minimum viable product that
would allow you to then, for example,
let's say if your application continues growing,
then you're the system.
You don't even have to do anything,
because it will scale automatically.
Then that's when you would incur it into a charge.
But still, like I said, for the majority of the cases,
the base cases for small applications,
it's a very minimal investment that you
would have to do that it's almost free, like I would say.
But again, initially, yeah.
So that's a great thing to mention.
Thank you very much for that clarification.
SEBASTIAN TRZCINSKI-CLEMENT: If your application goes viral--
your applications, Roman, or anyone
who's listening and watching this YouTube video--
by all means, reach out to me.
I'm willing to invest privately if it's going viral.
We'll pay the bills.
ROMAN JAQUEZ: Me, too.
Me, too.
SEBASTIAN TRZCINSKI-CLEMENT: You, too?
OK.
50-50.
Or 60-40.
One way or another.
We'll see.
ROMAN JAQUEZ: I'll support you.
SEBASTIAN TRZCINSKI-CLEMENT: I said I
wanted to go to two directions.
One is you mentioned this misconception
that people think, you know, they have
to pay even to get started.
Is there any other maybe worst piece
of advice you've heard in the tech industry
or as you started coding or that you've heard recently?
The worst piece of advice.
And if you don't find anything, what
is the best piece of advice you've heard recently?
ROMAN JAQUEZ: One worst piece of advice that I've received
is that you could do everything yourself with no help.
You know the saying goes, if you want to go fast, you go alone,
but if you want to go far, you go together.
So you always rely on the community.
You rely on your peers.
So yes, you could do something, let's say, yourself,
but you know that you're going to be
constrained by either knowledge, time, efforts.
And that's great.
That's why it's great to bring the community
or bring people that you shared the same, let's say,
common goals and even a passion about the same technology.
And you can find people that you can collaborate and grow
together and learn together at the same time.
So a misconception is yeah, you can do it by yourself.
You don't need any help.
That's bad.
You need help.
And there's no harm in in reaching out and looking
for help and also being that constant,
let's say, learning path and journey.
Because it makes you grow not only as a developer,
but as a person as well.
One of the best pieces of advice that I've received
is actually to build in order to learn.
The way that I portray myself is a person who loves to share.
And you know that when you teach,
you actually learn twice.
So that's the best advice that I give people is to share.
And also to build, so that you can continue learning.
And another thing that I wanted to add
is something very important that I don't want people to forget,
is to have fun along the way.
If you're not having fun while you're doing what you're doing,
there's no-- there's not much farther that you can go.
So I love to have fun, even in the projects
that I get involved in, because I feel like I'm invested
and then I have that motivation that
allows me to either complete a project and to go further.
And that's why I love to--
again, I'm really passionate about technology as a whole.
And that's why every project that I'm involved in
is something that I have a stake in, that I have fun doing,
and that I don't mind spending endless hours working on that.
So that's why I definitely like to have a lot of fun
when I'm working on projects and stuff.
SEBASTIAN TRZCINSKI-CLEMENT: You do
sound like you were having a lot of fun playing with technology,
the way you come across and the way you talk about it.
The second thing I wanted to ask,
based on what you said earlier, is
is there anything about Google's technologies
that excites you to play with that you haven't played
with yet, but you're looking forward
to maybe in the next few weeks or months,
or something you've heard about?
Is there anything like that that is making you excited
or that you want to explore more in depth?
ROMAN JAQUEZ: One thing that I wanted to mention
was that, again, I was very focused on--
like my core competencies are mobile development and web
development.
But then I was fascinated by, again,
how Google implemented Cloud.
And Sebastian, to be honest with you, I was really intrigued.
And then I said, OK, so in order to complement
the current skills that I have on mobile and web,
I would need to get some knowledge,
let's say, on cloud technology, so that I can also
complement those those things.
You know, developing applications
so that they can have a proper infrastructure in the back end.
So just by pursuing that, I recently became a profession--
I got the certification, of the Google Cloud certification,
as a Cloud Architect.
So I did that just because I wanted
to learn about more about Kubernetes
or more about cloud in general.
And then I got their certification.
Now I feel like I am more competent, as far
as Cloud technologies, so I can complement my existing
knowledge in web and Flutter.
And then I can develop better applications and more
better architected.
Also gave me a more--
like a holistic picture on when I'm developing solutions.
But also some of the things that I'm really excited about
are, of course, machine learning,
artificial intelligence.
I'm also dabbling into that.
And then the fact is that everything is there
within Google and so at your reach that you're able to--
again, so many resources, just like
the Dev Library and other resources
within Google, that I can just immediately reach for
and grab it and immediately get knowledge without,
again, like I said, breaking the bank
or spending too much effort.
And that's what I love.
I'm also-- I've even pursued other things outside
of, let's say, the realm of coding and programming.
I also like, for example, like augmented reality.
Game development.
I also see some of the platforms in Google
as far as like game development and whatnot and game platforms.
So those are things that I also, like, look into,
but I'm really excited about that I could also explore.
But you know, we also have so much time during the day
that you want to do so many things.
But again, what I have right now and what I've learned so far,
I'm so grateful for.
And again, I'm in that constant hunger to learn more
and to gain more knowledge.
But the best thing, once I acquire that knowledge,
I feel that need and that sense of duty
to share it with the community.
So that's exactly why we're here.
SEBASTIAN TRZCINSKI-CLEMENT: Well
done on your certification, and thanks
for sharing with the community.
ROMAN JAQUEZ: Thank you.
SEBASTIAN TRZCINSKI-CLEMENT: You mentioned game development.
Are you a gamer yourself, also in the consumer?
Yeah?
ROMAN JAQUEZ: I'm a gamer.
Not, like, too avid.
I'm more like, I've already developed
a couple of applications, like augmented reality games.
I have them on the Google app store and the Google Play.
And I love to develop those small casual games.
But I would love to maybe even push the boundary
and do something more advanced.
So I'm more of--
instead of the consumer, I'm more of the producer.
So I like to, again, develop games
so that other people can play and stuff.
And that also, again, not only pushes
the boundaries of what I can do, because it takes me out
of my comfort zone.
But still, I can combine creativity.
I can combine again my coding skills, my engineering skills,
so that I can bring some of those aspects
together, and then create great experiences for people.
SEBASTIAN TRZCINSKI-CLEMENT: Roman, time flies.
We're reaching the end of our interview.
Any final words you would have for developers
out there in North America or anywhere else
that you would have for them?
ROMAN JAQUEZ: Definitely.
So my advice to you, for those of you who are,
let's say, starting in your career, your developer journey,
I would say build.
I have, actually, three words.
Build, build, build.
The best way for you to learn is to actually exercise
your muscle, like the coding muscle.
So you can build your portfolio.
You could just build projects.
That's the best way to learn.
Of course, you can watch videos.
You can read blog posts.
But the best way to learn is to put those things into practice.
Because that way, not only you exercise
and you put into practice the things that you've learned,
but also you, in the same process,
you actually build a portfolio.
You put things out there that people are delighted.
You also make even human connections.
I have this mantra that I say, technology
is a means to an end, but at the end,
it's actually making human connections.
I love interacting with people.
I love engaging with people.
And even if I can build stuff together with them,
not only brings us together as a community,
but also makes us better professionals,
better developers, and better people as a whole.
So for you who is starting or who
are in your current journey, just continue building.
That's the best way to not only build up your portfolio,
but also increase your--
elevate yourself, elevate others, and gain more knowledge
along the process.
SEBASTIAN TRZCINSKI-CLEMENT: Excellent.
Thank you for your words of wisdom, Roman,
and thank you for this interview.
ROMAN JAQUEZ: Great.
No problem.
Thank you so much.
[MUSIC PLAYING]