In this episode of The Nearshore Cafe Podcast, host Brian Samson (founder of Plugg Technologies) dives deep with Fernando Soto, a senior Business Analyst working remotely from Guadalajara, Mexico. From humble roots in Tijuana to leading global tech projects, Fernando reveals the real story of life as a nearshore tech professional.

📉 Laid off after 16 years at HP.

🚀 Reinvented his career through remote work.

🌐 Now shaping product success for U.S. companies from Mexico.

🎯 What You’ll Learn:

• The surprising truth about growing up in Tijuana

• What a Business Analyst really does (and why it matters)

• How AI is changing BA workflows overnight

• Best practices for managing cross-border tech teams

• Why Guadalajara is a global tech hub on the rise

👥 Who This Is For:

CTOs • Product Managers • Engineering Leaders • Ops Managers • Remote Hiring Teams

If you’re building or managing remote teams—especially in Latin America—this is a must-watch.

💼 Sponsored by Plugg Technologies

Plugg connects U.S. companies with elite Latin American software professionals.

👉 https://www.plugg.tech

📲 Subscribe for Weekly Insights

🧠 Real-world tech career stories

🎙️ Nearshoring playbooks

🌍 Latin America’s top talent perspectives

🎥 youtube.com/@thenearshorecafe

⏱️ Timestamps

0:00 Meet Fernando – From Tijuana to Guadalajara

2:00 Chinese food in Tijuana? Yes, really.

6:00 Why Fernando abandoned veterinary dreams for tech

10:00 16 years at HP—and the shock of getting laid off

13:00 Building cross-border teams that actually work

20:00 The truth about remote culture, recognition & retention

28:00 How AI is transforming the Business Analyst role

31:00 Advice for hiring nearshore talent in 2025

🔗 Listen on All Platforms

🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6KYcgpm…

🎙️ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast…

🌐 Website: https://www.nearshorecafepodcast.com/

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-nearshore-cafe

#TheNearshoreCafePodcast #Nearshoring #RemoteTechTeams

#BusinessAnalyst #PluggTechnologies #GuadalajaraTech

#LATAMTechTalent #RemoteHiring #CrossBorderCollaboration

#AIinTech #Tijuana #GlobalTeams #RemoteWork #CBAP

📢 Don’t forget to LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and TURN ON NOTIFICATIONS for more insights on Latin America’s growing tech scene! 🎧🔥
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🔗 Connect With Us

🔗 Stay Connected:
✅ Host: Brian Samson | LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briansamson/
✅ Sponsor: Plugg Technologies | PLUGG.tech
✅ Follow The Nearshore Cafe Podcast for More Insightful Episodes!
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Our social pages:
🎵 Spotify podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/6KYcgpmN77fJm6B25469B8
🌎 Website: https://www.nearshorecafepodcast.com/
🔥 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-nearshore-cafe
🎙️ Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nearshore-cafe/id1775525954