About

Hey, I’m Ricardo Martins — welcome to my memory dump.
This blog is where I offload the stuff I don’t want to forget. I’ve lost count of how many times I spent hours learning something cool, only to forget it three months later. Writing helps me remember — and if it helps someone else along the way, even better.

Inspired by the article “Do things, write about it,” this has been my quiet little corner of the web since 2007 — mostly in Brazilian Portuguese in this blog, though I’m branching out more into English.

Who is Ricardo?

Born in Niterói, Brazil, on December 31, 1984.
I’m a family-first kind of guy — lucky husband, proud father of three. Reserved, a little conventional, definitely organized. I like things that make sense and people who keep it real.
I work best with purpose, structure, and persistence — but I’m also curious, calm under pressure, and never afraid to admit what I don’t know. Challenges fuel me more than money ever could. If something doesn’t spark emotion, I won’t last long doing it.

What do I do?

I’m an IT professional with 20+ years of experience, working across infrastructure, DevOps, and cloud computing. My focus areas include:

  • Customer onboarding & content development
  • Cloud Architecture & Operations
  • Kubernetes and AKS
  • Infrastructure as Code
  • DevOps culture & automation

I made the leap from traditional sysadmin work to cloud and DevOps in 2012, and it completely changed how I think. I didn’t come from a coding background — so learning IaC, pipelines, and reliability engineering was a major shift. But I fell in love with the culture behind it: collaboration, feedback loops, autonomy.

Over time, I realized that the real magic happens when you bridge the gap between infrastructure and development. It’s not about writing more code — it’s about understanding developer needs and building systems that are simple, autonomous, and just work.

My north star: Make life easier for developers, operators, and customers alike. Build systems that are simple, efficient, and don’t break at 2AM.

Career overview (Highlights)

  • Principal Cloud Solution Architect, Microsoft (Apr 2024 – Present)
  • Senior OpenShift Black Belt, Red Hat (2023–2024)
  • Azure FastTrack Engineer, Microsoft (2019–2023)
  • Azure Technical Trainer, Microsoft US (2019)
  • Cloud Solution Architect, Microsoft Brazil (2015–2019)
  • Systems Engineer & Consultant (2003–2015)

From Brazil to Redmond to Florida. Lots of moves, lots of growth, and tons of stories in between.

Education

I don’t have a traditional academic path. I started and stopped college more times than I can count and finally crossed the finish line years later — but I’ve never stopped learning. Here’s the summary:

  • Incomplete Master’s degree in Electronic Engineering/Computer Networks and Distributed Systems (Universidade Estadual do Rio de Janeiro)
  • Associate Degree in Computer Networking (Senac/RJ)
  • Technical Degree in Electronics from (Escola Técnica Estadual Henrique Lage)

Active certifications

  • Microsoft Azure Network Engineer Associate
  • Microsoft AI Fundamentals
  • Red Hat Certified OpenShift Administrator
  • Red Hat Certified Specialist in Containers
  • AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner
  • Kubernetes and Cloud Native Associate
  • Linux Foundation Certified Systems Administrator
  • Azure Solutions Architect Expert
  • Azure DevOps Engineer Expert
  • Azure Security Engineer Associate
  • Azure Administrator Associate
  • Azure Fundamentals
  • List of other certifications on Credly

Fun facts & Turning points

2002 — At 17, I took my first course on computer repair. That was my first real step into the world of IT.

2003 — Landed my first job as a technical intern at a small wireless ISP. It wasn’t glamorous, but it was where I learned how real-world tech works.

2004 — Took an official Conectiva Linux course and earned my first professional certification. I was hooked.

2005 — Enrolled in Computer Science (Universidade Plínio Leite). Dropped out before the semester ended. Life moved fast, and college didn’t always keep up.

2005–2011 — Spent this period working shifts — weekends, holidays, nights — and juggling multiple jobs. I was also bouncing between college degrees and real-world experience.

2007 — Got married at 22. That same year, enrolled in an Associate Degree in Computer Networking (Universidade Estácio de Sá)… and dropped out again. Timing wasn’t right.

2009–2011 — Juggled up to three jobs: a full-time contract role, part-time IT consulting, and technical training for Microsoft on Saturdays. Hustle mode.

2010 — Tried again with a Computer Engineering (Universidade Veiga de Almeida). Gave it my best, but had to leave that one behind too.

2011 — Became a father for the first time. That changed everything. I made a promise to finish at least one degree — and finally did, earning a BTech in Computer Networking (Senac/RJ).

2012 — Got into Cloud Computing at a startup. Also experienced my first layoff — painful, but necessary growth.

2013 — Became a dad again and finally graduated from college after eight years of starts and stops. That same year, picked up a remote weekend gig for a hosting company in New Zealand.

2015 — Landed my first role at a multinational company. Felt like a milestone moment.

2016 — Took my first international trip for a tech training event. My English was rough, my nerves worse — but I showed up.

2018 — Third child, third big perspective shift.

2019 — Moved to Redmond, WA with my family via internal transfer. Became a technical trainer in the US — still improving my English on the fly.

2020 — After 11 months in Washington, we moved to Florida. We’ve called Winter Garden home ever since.

The thread through it all?
I’ve failed, pivoted, stretched, and kept going. I’ve worn many hats — trainer, engineer, consultant, mentor. I’ve juggled too much, spoken broken English in big rooms, and learned most things by messing up first.

I’m not here because it was easy. I’m here because I didn’t stop. I didn’t have a straight path — but I never stopped moving.

The human side

I’m not just what I do. I’m someone who…

  • sings badly but sings anyway,
  • doesn’t like soccer, but loves silence and thunderstorms,
  • gets nostalgic about old cartoons and handwritten notes,
  • still sends “I love you” messages out of nowhere,
  • is clumsy enough to spill juice but careful enough to keep learning,
  • believes in God and the power of kindness,
  • dreams big but appreciates the small stuff.
  • calm down watching sunsets.
  • overthink.
  • forget things.
  • stay up too late reading or writing.
  • believe we’re all here to make something better — even if it’s just someone’s day.

I don’t always know where I’m going — but I show up, stay curious, and keep trying to do the next right thing.

Final Thought

At the end of this life, no one will care how many titles we had or what car we drove.
We’ll be remembered for how we loved. How we showed up. How we made others feel.
One day, I believe we’ll be asked not what we achieved, but who we became.
Were we kind? Were we honest? Did we bring out the best in those around us?
Did we make life a little better?

That’s the life I’m building — one project, one day, one memory at a time.