Innovate Spain: The IT Chronicles

I loved that our conversation was about the human side of the IT and Tech market. It seems that behind the numbers, graphs, and statistics, we often forget that there are ordinary human lives. And what is important in our lives? It's where and how we live, the culture, the language, the context. It might seem that once you get your dream job offer, that's it — the main desire is fulfilled, and everything else will fall into place. But in reality, it's complex work, starting from purely formal things like visa processing to how you will actually spend your days far from home. What will your family do? Where will you live? Who will you socialize with?

We discussed all of this with Ira Elisa. As a bonus at the end — a real case study of how a failed onboarding process for a rare specialist concluded.
I'd be curious to hear your own short onboarding stories. How did they go, and what did you like or dislike?

🔍 Key Takeaways:

1️⃣ From Rockstar to Cyber Defender: Javier shared his unconventional journey from sound engineer (even recording platinum-selling artists!) to cybersecurity entrepreneur — proving it’s never too late to pivot.

2️⃣ Spain’s Cyber Hotspot Status:

Critical infrastructure (energy, agriculture) makes Spain a target for state-sponsored attacks.

Public sector defenses are strong, but 98% of SMBs remain unprotected - despite facing €35K average attack costs.

3️⃣ Why Cybercrime Pays:

Phishing/SMS scams (like fake DGT fines) exploit cheap, automated tactics.

Recent 16 billion password leak? Mostly stolen via malware on individual devices — not corporate breaches.

4️⃣ Grey Hats’ Mission:

Tailored cybersecurity for SMBs (rare in a market dominated by enterprise solutions).

Their platform bundles endpoint, email, and web protection with managed services.

5️⃣ Urgent Advice for Everyone:

Enable MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication) everywhere.

Change passwords quarterly and avoid “Remember Me” browser options.

Treat cybersecurity like insurance — before an attack happens.

💡 Javier’s Warning:

“We’re in a pre-war cyber landscape. States and criminals are funding operations through attacks — no one is ‘too small’ to target.”

Technical difficulties turned into an opportunity for us to rethink how we bring fresh ideas to the podcast. So, we decided to focus even more on our guest and keep things dynamic. It'll be something like a traditional Q&A.

Ready? Here’s what this episode is all about:

In this episode, we are talking with Gabriel Velasco, Investor Relations specialist at Bcombinator, a dynamic startup hub in Spain. Gabriel shares his fascinating journey from Venezuela and Model United Nations to becoming a startup mentor in Spain’s venture capital scene.

✴️ Why Spain? Discover why Spain is the perfect "sweet spot" for startups - combining lower operational costs, a thriving talent pool, and a gateway to global markets, especially Latin America.

✴️ The Power of Mindset: Learn why Gabriel believes the key to startup success isn’t just solving problems, but building global leaders from day one - and how Bcombinator’s "tailor-made" acceleration programs make it happen.

✴️ Venture Capital Insights: From early-stage investing to why unicorns shouldn’t be the focus, Gabriel breaks down what makes Spain’s ecosystem unique and how it’s catching up to tech hubs like the US and Israel.

✴️ The Future of Tech in Europe: How policy changes, public support, and a focus on DeepTech and AI are positioning Spain — and Europe — as the next big players in innovation.

✴️ Book Recommendations: Gabriel shares his top reads for founders, including Essentialism and Poor Charlie’s Almanack, and why they’re game-changers for entrepreneurs.  

True confession time: Your host might have battled heroically with words like "agroalimentaria" (we lost count after attempt #15), and let's just say the microphone developed a sudden fascination with gravity during recording. But every stumble just fueled our passion to keep learning and growing in this beautiful language and culture.

Special gratitude to our incredible guest, Antonio Manuel Adrián (CEO of Tupl AgriFood), whose superhuman patience and deep industry knowledge made this conversation unforgettable. His agri-tech expertise didn't just impress us – it completely redefined our perspective on the field.

 Can't-Miss Insights:

▸ AI's agricultural revolution – transforming farms into tech hubs

▸ No-code magic – democratizing tech for every farmer

▸ From seed to harvest – how smart tech optimizes every step

▸ The communication edge – why it's the secret sauce in food production

Listen now and discover why agri-tech is the most exciting frontier today!

P.S. As Antonio wisely said: "Why choose between tomatoes and peppers when you can have gazpacho?"

Which ingredient would YOU bring to the agri-tech table? Drop your thoughts below!

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¡Hola amigos! Estamos emocionadísimos de presentar el Episodio 15 de Innovate Spain: The IT Chronicles – ¡y marcamos un hito con nuestro primer episodio completamente en español!

Confesión sincera: Vuestro anfitrión libro una batalla épica con palabras como "agroalimentaria" (perdimos la cuenta después del intento #15), y el micrófono desarrolló un repentino interés por la ley de gravedad durante la grabación. Pero cada tropiezo solo avivó nuestra pasión por seguir aprendiendo este hermoso idioma y cultura.

Agradecimiento especial a nuestro increíble invitado, Antonio Manuel Adrián (CEO de Tupl AgriFood), cuya paciencia sobrehumana y conocimiento experto hicieron de esta conversación algo inolvidable. Su maestría en agrotecnología no solo nos impresionó – nos hizo replantearnos todo el sector.

 Lo Más Destacado:

▸ La revolución agrícola de la IA – transformando campos en hubs tecnológicos

▸ Magia sin código – democratizando la tecnología para agricultores

▸ De semilla a cosecha – cómo la tecnología optimiza cada paso

▸ El poder de la comunicación – el ingrediente secreto en producción alimentaria

 Escúchalo ahora y descubre por qué la agrotecnología es la frontera más emocionante del momento.

P.D. Como dijo sabiamente Antonio: "¿Tomates o pimientos? ¡Mejor gazpacho!" ¿Qué ingrediente aportarías tú al futuro agrotecnológico? ¡Comenta abajo! 

Por qué las habilidades interdisciplinarias son esenciales en un mundo tecnológico.

Cómo Madrid impulsa la innovación a través de su red académica e ingenieril.

Consejos prácticos para estudiantes: equilibrar presión y curiosidad.

Ideal Para: Estudiantes, educadores y apasionados por la evolución tecnológica y educativa de España.

En este episodio del podcast Innovative Spain IT Chronicles, el presentador Jenya Goncharov entrevista a Fernando Pérez de León, director de W Executive en España, explorando su trayectoria profesional, el mercado de reclutamiento español y el impacto de la IA en la selección de talento.

Fernando comparte perspectivas clave sobre:

• El auge del sector tecnológico en Málaga y su ecosistema emergente.

¿Por qué escuchar este episodio?

✔ Ideal para profesionales IT que buscan entender las tendencias del mercado laboral español.

✔ Claves para líderes y reclutadores sobre cómo integrar tecnología y habilidades humanas.

✔ Visión exclusiva del potencial de Málaga como hub tecnológico.

1. Thinking in Systems by Donella H. Meadows 
2. Measure What Matters: How Google, Bono, and the Gates Foundation Rock the World with OKRs by John Doerr 
3. Goals Gone Wild!: 101 Inspiring, Motivating, and Moderately Entertaining Stories of A Boy and His Goals by  Matt Poepsel