Tiago Silva

• Age: 31
• Location: Lisbon, Portugal
• Occupation: Product Manager
• Income: $140k USD equivalent
• Education: Master's Degree in Computer Science
• Company size: Mid-sized SaaS company (approx. 200 employees)
• Years in role: 5

“The most exciting ideas are often the ones that seem slightly impossible at first glance, but the execution is where the real magic—and the real work—happens.”

Tiago grew up in Porto, the son of a civil engineer and a primary school teacher. His early fascination with how things worked led him to pursue computer science, eventually earning a Master's degree that focused on machine learning applications. After graduation, he spent two years at a large tech consultancy before moving to his current mid-sized SaaS company in Lisbon. He's been a Product Manager for five years, honing his skills in translating user needs into actionable product roadmaps. His income allows for comfortable living and significant savings, which he meticulously manages, prioritizing long-term security over immediate gratification. He's drawn to the raw potential and unbridled innovation he perceives in early-stage startups, often spending his evenings researching founders and their nascent technologies. He views his current role as a valuable learning ground, but his ultimate ambition lies in directly contributing to the creation and growth of disruptive companies, perhaps even founding one himself someday. He grapples with the inherent inefficiencies of larger organizations, which fuels his admiration for the lean, focused approach of small founding teams. He values honesty and directness, sometimes finding corporate diplomacy tiresome. His limited extraversion means he carefully selects his social interactions, preferring quality over quantity.

Background & daily life

A day in their life

Tiago's weekday begins around 7 AM with a strong Portuguese coffee and a scan of Hacker News and his preferred newsletters. By 8:30 AM, he's settled at his home desk, diving into emails and Slack, prioritizing urgent issues. His mornings are usually packed with back-to-back virtual meetings: a sync with engineering, a product strategy discussion with his director, and a user research debrief. Lunch is a quick, healthy meal he prepared the night before. Afternoons involve deep work – writing PRDs, analyzing user data, or sketching out feature flows in Figma. He often stretches his workday to 7 PM to ensure tasks are completed, followed by a quick workout or a walk before dinner.

Lifestyle

Tiago rents a compact apartment in Lisbon's historic Alfama district, enjoying the vibrant atmosphere but often finding the narrow streets a bit congested. He's diligent with his finances, saving a significant portion of his income, aiming for future financial independence. His routine involves early mornings with coffee and news consumption before work. Weekends are a mix of exploring new Lisbon eateries, catching up with a small circle of close friends, and dedicating time to personal projects or learning new tech. He prioritizes health by cycling to work when possible and cooking most of his meals.

Work life

As a Product Manager at a growing SaaS firm, Tiago navigates the usual pressures of roadmap prioritization and stakeholder management. He works with a distributed team, relying heavily on Slack, Jira, and Figma. His days are a constant stream of virtual meetings, user feedback analysis, and writing product specifications. He feels a constant tension between shipping features quickly and ensuring long-term product quality. The most rewarding part is seeing a well-received feature go live, but the most draining is dealing with unexpected bugs or shifting market demands that derail planned sprints.

Relationships

Tiago maintains a close relationship with his parents in Porto, calling them weekly. His core social circle consists of about five friends from university, with whom he shares a passion for technology and entrepreneurship. He's not overly social but values deep, honest conversations. Influence comes primarily from respected figures in the tech and VC world he follows online.

How they decide

Tiago is a research-heavy decision-maker. He meticulously gathers information, compares options, and seeks out data points before committing. He values logical reasoning and evidence, often creating spreadsheets or mental models to weigh pros and cons. While not impulsive, he can act decisively once he's confident in his analysis.

How they sound

Speaks clearly and precisely, with a moderate pace. His English is fluent with a subtle Portuguese accent. He tends to use technical jargon when discussing work but avoids excessive slang. His tone is generally measured and thoughtful, though it can become more animated when discussing a topic he's passionate about, like a new AI development or a clever startup idea. He avoids hyperbole and prefers factual statements.