In 2003, together with my friend Fausto Cárdenas, I started a Java community in Lima, Peru. At first, it was just the two of us, and we didn’t have a fixed meeting place. We started gathering in my small office, which I had rented as part of my own entrepreneurial journey. Later, community members began offering us spaces in their companies for our meetings.
Even though we worked hard, companies rarely showed interest in supporting or sponsoring our initiatives. However, being part of the community had an incredible impact on our lives: it helped us land better jobs, expand our networks, and, in my case, it boosted my venture, Joedayz.pe, as people began to know me, and some even attended my courses.
Despite the successes, we also faced challenges. Some individuals and other communities, who saw themselves as more "technical," criticized us harshly. That deeply affected me. I stopped giving talks in Peru because I was afraid of making mistakes and being judged. That fear kept me away from something I was truly passionate about.
Everything changed when I attended my first JavaOne in São Paulo, Brazil. It was a life-changing experience: companies were involved, the rooms were full of excited participants, and the speakers were outstanding. I felt like a kid in an ice cream shop, surrounded by everything I loved. That experience showed me what our community could aspire to become.
Even though my English wasn’t great, I managed to make a few connections, and a couple of those relationships have lasted to this day. Looking back, I feel proud of what we built, despite the difficulties, because it truly made a difference in so many lives.
After that, I had the chance to attend JavaOne in San Francisco, USA. There, I made many Latino friends because I didn’t speak any English. It was a risky experience, but in the end, I managed to stay with a Peruvian friend, Jens Alejos, who helped me get by. I didn’t understand the talks, but I found a way to gather information by following tweets, slides, and QR codes shared at the event, which I later shared with our community.
This effort brought quality content to our JUG and raised expectations. As I made more connections, I invited many of them to give talks in Lima, Peru. Eventually, we hosted up to eight Java Champions, Oracle Directors, and JUG leaders. People in Peru got to experience a bit of what we had seen in the US.
Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to repeat something like that. The pandemic changed a lot, and for reasons I still don’t understand, we continue to lack support from local companies. In 2024, it seemed we would have an excellent event at a venue at PUCP in San Miguel, but they canceled on us three weeks before the date. We had no choice but to rent a small venue, which upset our only sponsor, and they withdrew their support.
I want to share this story so people know that despite the hate and lack of sponsors, we’ve always aimed to bring the community the experience and knowledge of talented people, both national and international. Personally, this journey has helped me grow my personal brand, secure remote jobs, and even become part of Oracle Peru.
Will I continue in the community? Absolutely, as long as my health allows it. I can see myself giving a tech talk at 70 or 80 years old. Java will be alive for a long time.
I’d like to apologize to Java Champions and international JUG leaders if I’ve ever come across as distant or unapproachable. That’s not my intention. My problem is that my spoken English isn’t great, and sometimes I struggle to understand accents. I’m working on it, and I hope by 2025, I’ll be easier to understand. If you have any tips to help me improve, I’d love to hear them. And if you want to include me remotely, even better, haha!
Your friend, JoeDayz, sharing a bit of PerúJUG’s story.
Today, I’m very happy to see more young people participating, more speakers, and more collaborators. At 50, I believe it was worth not giving up or getting frustrated. These are challenges I’ve always overcome to get where I am today. I feel rich because I have a great family and friends who care for me.
Thank God for the parents I had, and I hope to finish my master’s degree this year at San Marcos.
José Amadeo Martin Díaz Díaz
P.D. See you in the next Java 2025 in San Francisco!!
