Marcos Henrique
Dev com negócios
Hello, I'm Marcos Henrique 👋
I'm 19 years old and, as you may have seen on the homepage, I'm a developer and entrepreneur. I've been studying technology since I was 12, interned at a major software company in my city at 14, and today I run two businesses: COST and Lokify. I also manage all the content for a fast-growing tech school: JStack.
My dream has always been to become a successful developer — maybe even the most experienced in the world. But over time, that dream has taken on new shapes. Today, I can say that programming is just a tool I use to solve real-world problems — and yes, to make money doing it.
I went from being a kid who dreamed of a traditional career (which is totally fine, by the way) to someone who builds their own solutions, deals with uncertainty every day, and still faces challenges left by the pandemic.
The goal of this blog and the content you’ll find here is to document this journey: the lessons, insights, and discoveries. We’ll talk about business, content creation, and technology. So, if those topics interest you — or if you're just curious — welcome to Dev com Negócios!
Before diving deeper into my story, here are my social links and contact info:
- Linkedin - marcoshenrique-developer
- Instagram - marcoshenrique.dev
- Github - marcoshenrique-dev
- Email: marcoshenriqueh393@gmail.com
How It All Started
Let’s rewind a bit (don’t worry, not all the way back to when I was born 😂) to understand where everything began.
A Different Childhood
Since I was very young, even before I turned 12, I loved inventing things. I thought it was amazing. I guess I inherited that from my grandfather. I’d grab tape, paper, cardboard… and build all kinds of "robots." I had a whole bag full of them. In the end, they mostly just wasted my mom’s tape — but that was the spark of what would come later.
At school, I was the “nerd” of the class for a long time. I got good grades, studied a lot, like my life revolved around just that (and technically, it did). My mom never pressured me to get perfect grades — she didn’t have to. I already did that to myself 😅.
When Arduino Showed Up
Everything stayed like that until Arduino crossed my path. At 12, I got my first phone. At the time, all I wanted was to download Clash Royale and play with friends. Good times.
A few weeks later, my dad noticed I was always playing. So, like any good father, he gave me that one piece of advice that flips a switch in your head:
“Son, why don’t you use your phone to learn something new?”
That sentence stuck with me.
I don’t remember who mentioned robotics (maybe it was him), but that’s when I discovered Leandro Felipe’s YouTube channel — the genius of DIY inventions! I spent hours watching his projects and got excited to try them myself. My parents, as always, supported me. They created a YouTube channel for me called Robótica e Desafios, and we built the first project: a cardboard car with a battery-powered motor.
The result? The car barely moved. But it was a great learning experience, and I wasn’t discouraged at all.
From Hobby to First Professional Step
Around 2018–2019, things leveled up. Thanks to advice from Almerindo, a great friend and mentor, my dad got me my first Arduino starter kit. That day, I was the happiest kid in the world.
There were tons of videos, courses, and projects. I got my first certificate, even did a thesis. And then I decided to move away from Arduino and dive into the web world. It was a shock. I had bought parts, studied electronics, and spent money (my parents’ money), and now I was jumping into the unknown.
During that transition, I met amazing people. Because of a summary I wrote about a live with some big tech names, I met Igor Oliveira. A fantastic guy who gave me a lot of opportunities and became a great friend.
It was also around then that, thanks to my aunt, I earned a scholarship to study at a prestigious school in my city — the kind that’s famous for getting students into top universities. I stepped out of my comfort zone and went for it.
The Pandemic
Right after starting at the new school… pandemic. Classes canceled. At first, it seemed great: no school, copying homework from Google — it all looked fine. Strangely enough, that’s when my online presence grew. I hosted live streams with amazing tech people and started projects I thought would be huge (but they never got past the prototype stage).
But the pandemic was a turning point. I lost my grandfather to COVID. I was humiliated by a staff member at school — in a virtual classroom. And that’s when I changed completely: became introverted, developed impostor syndrome, and isolated myself. I lost projects. I lost the desire to build.
A Light at the End of the Tunnel
Even while feeling down, an opportunity appeared: an internship at 3Tecnos, a large tech company in my city. The invitation came from the founder himself, Lindsay Cerqueira. I started in October 2020 — my first official job.
It was two years of great learning. I left the toxic school. I went back to creating content about what I was learning and built a strong network on LinkedIn. I met Ilda Neta, who helped me a lot with studying and is like an older sister to me today :). But toward the end of the contract, personal issues and the lingering effects of the pandemic made it hard to continue. I withdrew again.
I spent a long time not creating, drained, trying to deal with online classes and a worn-out mind. Then came the second light at the end of the tunnel.
COST and the MVP That Worked
COST, my family’s company, founded by my dad and his colleagues (Carlos Henrique and Wendell Oliveira), needed to solve a real problem in the public sector. And came the question:
“Marcos Henrique, can you develop software for this?”
They already had the whole idea mapped out. But after so many failed projects, I had promised myself I’d never do anything solo again. Still, something told me: go for it.
During vacation, I developed the MVP. Woke up early, slept late, super motivated. And it worked. The system went through testing, improvements, and restructuring. Today, I’m a partner in the company, with software rebuilt from scratch and plenty of stories to tell.
Final Year of School and a New Me
Now we’re in 2023, my final year of high school. That year, COST signed the biggest contract in its history at the time. I was no longer just a nerdy student — work was my top priority.
But school didn’t ease up: simulated national exams every three weeks, teachers saying it was the only path to change your life. I’ve always disagreed with that mindset. Not everyone needs to follow that script.
At the end of school, it was time to bring projects to life. I made a slightly immature move and bought a dog — which, surprisingly, led to valuable networking (My amazing Loki, indirectly responsible for an upcoming project).
I focused 100% on COST, expanded the software, grew as a professional, and was already earning more than many junior devs in the market.
JStack and Lokify Enter the Scene
With everything going well, another opportunity came: JStack.
I’d known Mateus for a while, followed his Q&As, and joined the first cohort of his course (before it was even called JStack). Years later, I got a DM from him on Instagram. The conversation moved to Discord, and soon I was hired to review classes and mine content (I’ll explain that in another post).
I didn’t expect it to evolve into what I live today: I’m now in charge of all content for JStack’s platform and social media. I always dreamed of owning a tech school. Today, I work in one.
That same year, I met Veri, my dog’s trainer. She became my partner in a new project you’ll hear about soon.
This was the time I expanded my network the most. Thanks to therapy led by Bruno Leite (a professional I met through networking) and my drive to build, I’ve been overcoming many fears and personal and professional challenges.
Where I Am Today
I can confidently say: this wasn’t the path I had planned for my life. I’m still getting used to the labels: entrepreneur, partner, manager… especially at 19. But I’ve learned that life isn’t a straight line. Every curve, every fall, every comeback has shaped me.
Maybe if things had been easier, I’d be in a more stable job today at some big (or small) company. But that wouldn’t be this story.
Today, alongside all of this, I also ride my bike and run regularly — a habit I picked up thanks to my great friend Seu Messias, who always inspired me with his energy and joy for life.
Thank You ❤️
I want to thank my parents, siblings, and friends for all their support. I can’t name everyone here, but please know: every person who’s crossed my path has helped shape who I am today.
A special thanks to Vinicius Vidal, the guy who convinced me to create a blog and shared the code so I could customize and launch this site — huge thanks, Vini! (Check out his blog, awesome tech content - viniciusvidal.com)
And to you, the reader, thank you for taking the time to read this. I hope my story inspired you in some way — that it shows how, even amid uncertainty, it’s still possible to dream, build, and move forward.
See you in the next posts.
Best,
Marcos Henrique