Back to the Water

Somewhere along the way the adventure shifted. The boat started feeling more like a project than freedom as we found land. We found a house in the hills above the coast, with a name I'll always remember: Fonte do Palheiro. We found a community started growing it.

But now we're getting ready to sail again and I want to share why.

After the pandemic, the Algarve's startup and tech scene was quiet. I started showing up everywhere, figuring out what was still active, encouraging people to re-start dormant things, offering to speak at events, starting meetups. I wanted to get the energy back into a community that was tired from lockdowns, a community that was now used to stay at home.

For over three years, I worked on building something. I organized meetups. I introduced strangers to mentors. I wrote code, I talked to investors, I helped shape this little corner of Portugal's tech ecosystem. And it worked. There are now more people in the Algarve knowing each other, working together, starting things. I also learned something important: change takes time. The startup scene here still has major work ahead. There is a lot of mind-shift that has to happen, some will take only a few years, some maybe a generation. I am sure it will happen.

I enjoyed my time here. Really enjoyed it. But I also learned that my nomad heart still belongs on a boat, moving from place to place, watching how different communities respond when you show up curious and ready to connect. This isn't goodbye. I'll still be around for a few months and when we move i will continue building remotely, still interested in what's happening here.

The house is for sale for anyone who wants to take over this crazy experiment we've started up here, in the hills above the coast. If you're interested in taking this over check out the sales page we made and get in touch.