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  • Kombina.me

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    Once I had a VW Bus Kombi (my last “car”), a slightly magical, slightly cursed thing that carried me everywhere. I drove friends to lunch, traveled, slept inside it, and probably did a few other improper things I won’t mention here because my mom might find this blog one day.

    In 2014, when I decided to travel the world for a while (not by car, for once) I knew I didn’t want to just sell the Kombi like a normal human. I wanted it to keep living, doing something meaningful, something fun, something bigger than my questionable road-trip decisions.

    So I created Kombina.me, a platform (a WordPress adaptation) where anyone can “bid an offer” on the bus by proposing a price + an idea.

    Basically Craigslist with a dash of idealism.

    Wayback Machine screencast of the project

    I received so many wild proposals that I had to invent an actual decision matrix (a spreadsheet that tried to judge the “soul” of each idea, which is as ridiculous as it sounds).

    In the end, the Kombi went to Instituto Ambiente em Movimento (IAM), an organization that teaches kids about sustainability through theatrical performances. Perfect match. They turned the bus into a rolling stage, a colorful classroom, a creature of chaos and joy, exactly what it always wanted to be.

    The movement occupies schools and streets so that we can occupy ourselves. IAM bring surreal-pedagogy with the Kombi that once carried me to them.

    The bus kept doing what it did best, moving people. Sometimes letting go is just another way of keeping something alive.

    Well, it helped me with my goal, I met amazing people, and had so much fun. But I didn’t do a good job sticking with it to find more people interest in selling their stuff besides myself.

    More about the organization that won the kombi (English subtitles).

    More (in Portuguese):

  • We also love you Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Netherlands, and Finland!

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    Let’s appreciate some art with Artupia, make some art with SokEdit, and understand the art of our emotions with Youper

  • Diversity in Tech: Who’s Missing From the Table?

    Here’s a question: if tech is all about building the future, why does it still look like a reunion of the same dudes from your high school coding club?

    Let’s be real, diversity isn’t just about being nice or ticking a box. It’s about making better stuff. When the same types of people build everything, we end up with products that don’t work for everyone, like AI that can’t recognize darker skin tones.

    I came across some stories that really made me think about who’s not at the table and why that’s a problem:

    These stories aren’t just inspiring; they’re a wake-up call. The more voices we bring into the room, the better we all do. So why are we still moving at the pace of molasses?

    Let’s ask ourselves: who’s not here, and what are we losing because of it?

  • Youper was featured again on Apple Store. My favorite gift for the weekend.

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  • My resumé in a user’s review! 

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