Technology is one of the fastest-growing sectors in the business environment. Yet, the ever-changing nature of the tech world can make hiring tech talent extremely tough. Speak to any organization about their recruiting model, and they’ll likely say that finding the right talent is hard. Believe it or not, 75% of tech managers experience this problem. Why?
According to 67% of employers, the main reason that makes it difficult to search and attract qualified technology talent is the global shortage of candidates with certain skills and knowledge. Furthermore, the technology hiring sector is broken. Companies do not know where to find suitable candidates or do not receive the necessary information to make the right hiring decisions. Passive technology candidate search by companies can take up to a third of a workweek and, as a consequence, slow down the growth of the company.
UTOPICODE aims to solve this problem. A year ago, a startup was launched with a mission to train software developers and connect companies with qualified technology talents, helping them accelerate their growth and impact.
Every successful company has a unique story behind its triumph. That’s why, today, to celebrate our first anniversary, we spoke to our founders – Nuria Cristo and María Emilia Torres – so you can learn a little about our history and aspirations.
Meet the founders!👋
- Nuria Cristo, Co-Founder and CEO of UTOPIC0DE
With a degree in business and a master’s in technological entrepreneurship from UCL, Nuria is an enthusiastic and curious entrepreneur who has also completed an entrepreneurship program at The Wharton School. With a versatile business experience focused on SMEs and startups, Nuria worked at Victoria147, an accelerator and incubator for female founders, helping over 3,000 founders achieve success. Her main skills are identifying and solving problems, as well as leading and ensuring outstanding execution. She is very curious, analytical, likes good debates, asking why, outdoor activities, exercising, and reading.
- María Emilia Torres, Co-Founder y COO of UTOPIC0DE
After studying a degree in International Relations, María Emilia knew that she would always dedicate her efforts to creating a positive impact on society. She worked at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Mexico, managing projects and seeking funding to achieve perfect project implementation. Later, María Emilia worked as Head of Education at Victoria147, a business incubator and accelerator for women-led startups. A firm believer in inclusion and diversity, she has worked and led multiple international teams to achieve their goals. Before launching UTOPIC0DE with Nuria, she completed a Master’s degree in Technology Entrepreneurship at UCL in London, where she currently resides.
How did they detect the problem for UTOPC0DE?
Nuria: I have a couple of entrepreneur friends in Mexico City who kept asking: “Where can I find software developers?” “Why is it so difficult to find tech talent?”. While working at the business accelerator Victoria147, I met other company founders who were facing the same problem. And finally, during the master’s program, there was a constant conversation about how difficult it was to find your first CTO to open a company. All of these things piqued my curiosity. I wanted to know what the root of the problem was, why people were so concerned about finding qualified tech talent, and why software developers didn’t have the right skills.
María Emilia and I started from the fundamental skills that software developers should have to create our master’s theses. We talked to tech companies and software developers from London, Singapore, New York, and Mexico City, and we realized that the problem was much larger than we thought. It was a global problem. That’s when we decided that we wanted to solve the problem and realized that we could really make an impact.
María Emilia: I started noticing the talent shortage problem while working at the business accelerator with Nuria. We saw that it was a recurring problem, but we didn’t focus on it until we started our MSc in Technology Entrepreneurship. There, we met other founders and started hearing about the talent shortage problem more frequently.
For my thesis, I wanted to focus on the digital skills gap and what would happen if people weren’t sufficiently trained. After talking to many founders, I decided to explore the reasons for the shortage of software developers, focusing on the HR process, challenges, and skill gaps.
How UTOPIC0DE was created?
Nuria: Our thesis showed that there was a real global problem. Companies were very aware of the problem and that’s why they were looking for a solution. That’s the most important thing when you create a company: to generate traction. And that happens when you solve a real problem.
UTOPIC0DE literally started with a landing page. We ran many traction tests and took the first steps into the underground world of software developers. We were happy to see that there was a lot of interest from the developer community. After many brainstorming sessions, interviews, customer development, and traction tests, we launched the company.
María Emilia: The idea for UTOPIC0DE started in the summer of 2019 when Nuria and I were writing our theses. At first, we didn’t know how we were going to solve the problem. We had different approaches in mind, and we had to do many interviews to finally decide on the MVP. We officially started operating in January 2021 when we joined Google for Startups London.
What was the main objective that they aimed to achieve?
Nuria: The main objective has always been and will be to solve the problem of the lack of technological talent. Nowadays, companies are not able to grow their technology team and build their product because there is a shortage of qualified talent. We are committed to connecting companies with capable candidates so they can accelerate their business. But our vision is based on a virtuous circle. Technological talent needs to develop new skills, mainly soft skills, and best practices. We have to make sure that developers are upskilling and that we are creating a pool of prepared talent.
María Emilia: Basically, we wanted to solve the problem of the talent shortage. We were trying to offer hiring managers the best technological talents and give software engineers the best opportunities.
At first, we thought the solution was for the companies. We were thinking about an innovative hiring product for CTOs: a SaaS platform that could help companies find and hire the best tech talent while reducing time and costs. The problem with that idea was how to attract developers. Many of them are passive candidates and are not actively looking for a job.
Of course, we want companies to quickly find talent and reduce costs. But that’s not the real goal. The ultimate goal is to help companies find qualified talent and help talent reach their full potential.
What resources do they need for UTOPIC0DE?
Nuria: We needed a lot of resources and had an endless list of tasks to do, starting with literally creating the company. We needed a bank account, advisors, an MVP, a business model, a prototype, developers, a strong team… basically everything. We were looking for people aligned with our vision, who believed in our project and wanted to be part of the solution to the problem. Qualified people, willing to help us create the product we were envisioning.
Also, we needed to test traction. So we needed customers, a methodology, a lot of customer research and development. We constantly talked with companies, developers, and people with business knowledge because we needed contacts to prove that our solution could work.
María Emilia: We needed multiple intangible and tangible resources: knowing well what product we wanted to build, how to achieve our goals and with what resources. We needed a previous financing round to create our product. That was the first step before evaluating our problem hypothesis. In addition, we were looking for great advisors, a team, and specialized talent to bring value and trigger UTOPIC0DE’s growth.
What goals have they achieved in UTOPIC0DE?
First, we achieved traction. We started with a landing page and organizing events for software developers. With the pandemic, our events became virtual events, and we were able to reach developers from all over LATAM. In two months, 1800 developers joined UTOPIC0DE. It was impressive. Then, we started successfully connecting developers with job opportunities and helped a specific company grow their tech team at a large scale.
Next, we entered the NASDAQ Milestone Makers program, where we created the prototype of our product. We are currently building this product (we are waiting for the deployment) to automate our process and scale the company. We have always thought of UTOPIC0DE as a technology company, and that is the direction we are taking. However, we will never lose our personal touch because we are dealing with people, and they are our main asset.
María Emilia: We started connecting UTOPIC0DE with qualified technological talent to companies immediately, which I think was an incredible milestone, creating successful connections for 18 different roles. We have created a community of over 3000 developers. Our clients come from all over the world: Europe, the US, Latam, especially Mexico and Colombia. We have overcome geographic barriers, something we wanted to do from the beginning. We joined a business accelerator, NASDAQ’s Milestone Makers program, and built the prototype of the product we are going to launch. Our team has grown, and we are now 9 members.
What makes us proud?
Nuria: We are proud to have connected people with relevant job positions in the industry. We feel really good when developers come back to UTOPIC0DE, thankful because we have helped them grow their careers. From the beginning, we have put in place a transparent and honest process. This wouldn’t be possible without our team, a team that believes in us and is as excited as we are.
Also, I feel proud when I think about all the things we built from scratch. I remember when it was just Maem and me in the company. How we created the process, the development profile we sent to companies, and the landing page. The first interviews and connections, but also the funding round and financial issues.
Maria Emilia: Our solution creates value for both companies and software developers. It’s gratifying to know that developers are happy in their new jobs and making the most of it. But also that they are training to become even better. I think this is the best thing about UTOPIC0DE. On the other hand, I am proud that we help companies find the perfect talent. The candidates are not only qualified but also fit perfectly with the company’s culture.
What are your learnings from UTOPIC0DE?
Nuria: You have to act quickly. When you make a decision, you have to put it into practice almost the next day. Advice is fundamental, so it’s important to build a good relationship with advisors. You always have to listen to users. After all, they dictate what, when, and how your product should be. Test before building something. It’s easier and cheaper to undo things while designing than to program.
María Emilia: Compared to execution, ideation is a piece of cake. However, there comes a time when you have to put an end to the ideation phase and start taking action. I know it’s difficult and it’s easy to get stuck with fear, but it’s really worth it. Finally, I understood what people meant when they said, “It’s important to follow your instincts.” There is a lot of instinct in the way of doing business. Working as a team is better than doing it alone. Get a lot of feedback from users and people who work with you. It’s okay not to know everything. People don’t expect you to be 100% expert in technology, but they do expect you to be 100% honest.
What are your future plans for UTOPIC0DE?
Nuria: Our goal is to be the largest software development community in LATAM. We are building a platform where developers can find everything they need: a place to share and receive knowledge, participate in technological events, evaluate their skills, find opportunities for growth, and connect with relevant job opportunities. Ultimately, we are talent generators. Furthermore we want to be the place companies turn to when they need qualified developers.
We are now about to start our next round of funding to take the business to the next level. More over que are excited about the growth of our team and hiring passionate people who want to help us empower developers in LATAM and connect companies with the best talent. We believe that the future of work for developers has no geographical barriers.
María Emilia: The goal is to grow in a good timeframe. We want to create a technology company and a great product that impacts software developers in LATAM and around the world. For this, we need to expand our areas of upskilling, events, and recruitment. Create strong content to attract the best developers and connect companies with qualified talent, eliminating the problem of talent shortage.
We would like to thank our great Utopicoders, clients, advisors, and friends as we celebrate our first year in the business world. Your support has been exceptional. With your support, we can help tech talents improve and build better technologies for impact-driven companies. Here’s to another (and many more!) year of success, and thank you for being part of the journey.
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