Uma lição leccionada pelo meu antigo patrão // A lecture given by my old boss

PT - Confesso antes de mais que, não foi de ânimo leve que iniciei esta campanha de Crowdfunding. Alguns complexos, vergonha, o facto de ter que "dar a cara" e expor a minha vida privada foram sem duvida o principal travão. Não foi algo imediato, pelo contrário, foi algo que ponderei bastante. Foi esse tempo de reflexão que trouxe até mim vários motivos pelos quais deveria seguir em frente.  

Entre alguma pesquisa, tomei consciência que não era a única pessoa a recorrer ao Crowdfunding para os mesmos fins. Essa noção esbateu uma das minhas principais duvidas, se seria legitimo recorrer ao Crowdfunding a fim de cobrir os custos de um mestrado. Resolvi contactar algumas dessas pessoas, sobretudo, a fim de tentar saber os motivos que os levaram a recorrer ao Crowdfunding para suprir as despesas com os seus estudos e qual a experiencia. Obtive apenas duas respostas que todavia, tiveram um efeito quase terapêutico. Compreendi que do outro lado estavam pessoas como eu. Pessoas com dificuldades mas, por outro lado, sem qualquer vontade de desistir dos seus objectivos. Reflectindo neste ultimo aspecto recordo-me do meu primeiro trabalho, um estagio numa empresa chamada StarEnergy. Acabado de sair da faculdade, foi nesta empresa que encontrei a minha primeira experiencia de trabalho, mesmo que em forma de estagio, contudo, remunerado. O objectivo era claro. Com os recursos existente, desenvolver uma estação autónoma capaz de carregar telemóveis, distribuir rede WiFi e servir de suporte a publicidade. Sendo a StarEnergy uma pequena startup questionei o porquê de tal aventura tendo perfeita consciência que nao seria um projecto barato. A frase que ouvi ainda ecoa hoje em dia na minha cabeça: "O dinheiro é o menor dos nossos problemas! Havendo ideias e empenho, ele aparece. O importante é correr atrás do que tu queres!". Depois de alguns meses de trabalho e apesar dos parcos recursos disponíveis, surgiu o INTI, uma estação de carregamento de dispositivos móveis funcionando totalmente com energia solar cujos links vos deixo abaixo. A persistência venceu as dificuldades.  

O estágio não terminou sem que a mesma frase me tivesse sido repetida uma vez mais.

O INTI foi o meu primeiro trabalho significativo tendo direito a vários destaques nos média e é, sobretudo, o símbolo de que é necessário correr atrás dos nossos objectivos.  

Assim sendo, se desse lado há um objectivo a ser comprido, se há alguma dificuldade a ser ultrapassada, fica a saber que não és o único, pelo que, independentemente de tudo, terás que ser tu a correr atrás dos teus objectivos sem vergonha ou complexos, porque afinal de contas, vergonha é ser infeliz!

Link 1: Behance, Link 2: Inhabitat

EN (via google translate) - I must confess that it was not easy for me to start a Crowdfunding campaign. Some feelings of shame, the need of exposing myself and my private life represented the biggest barriers. It was not a quick decision and I had to think a lot about it. It was the time I took to reflect about, that brought to me several reasons to go ahead with it.
Among some research, I became aware that I was not the only person thinking about to make a Crowdfunding campaign for the same purposes. This notion pulled away one of my main doubts, if it was right to Crowdfund my master's degree costs. I've decided to contact some of those people, specifically trying to know the reasons that led them to make a Crowdfunding campaign with the purpose of cover their tuition fees. I've obtained only two answers, however, they almost had a therapeutic effect on me. I understood that, on the other side, there were people like me facing the same problems. People struggling with their own difficulties but, on the other hand, not giving up on their goals. Thinking about it, I remember my first job, an internship at a company called StarEnergy.
At that time, I had recently completed my degree, it was in that company that I found my first work experience opportunity, even in an internship form, however, a paid job. The goal was clear. With the existing resources, develop an autonomous charging station able to recharge mobile phones, spread WiFi signal and, at the same time, to be an advertising support.
Having a perfect notion that StarEnergy was a small startup company, I questioned about the reason for such adventure being myself perfectly aware that it would not be a cheap project. The answer I've received keep echoing in my head till these days: "Money is the least of our problems! If you have ideas and commitment, it just appears, what is important is to run after what you really want". After a few months of work and despite the lack resources available, INTI, a charging station for mobile devices running totally with solar energy has emerged (see links below). Persistence had overcome difficulties.
The internship did not come to an end without the same sentence being repeated to me again.
INTI was my first significant work having the right to several highlights in the media. Above all, it is the symbol that it is necessary to follow our goals.

So if you are reading this text and there is a barrier to be overcome, if there is a goal to be reached, if there is any difficulty to be defeated, know that you are not the only one, so, regardless of everything, you will have to go ahead with your goals without any kind of shame feeling, because after all, shame is to be and feel unhappy.

Link 1: Behance, Link 2: Inhabitat

Ending this post just saying that the links for any of my shops are on the right side of this page (the big black dots). Feel free to visit share and buy something, it is also a nice way of supporting this campaign. "The Pudding Sticker", officially but not so much the symbol of this campaign, are just €2.52 / $2.66.
Also, do not forget to visit my Crowdfunding campaign on YouCaring and support it making a small donation or sharing it!