From Text-Based Checkers to APEX Mastery: The Dev Who Codes with Cats

He codes like he fights—focused, fluid, and quietly precise. In this episode of Inside VNA, meet Emanuel Cifuentes: Solution Architect at Viscosity, Oracle APEX developer, martial artist, and multilingual problem-solver. From building text-based games in his teens to running enterprise projects with calm authority, Emanuel’s path is anything but typical. Add in a startup bunk bed, a kitten in a parking lot, and a love of clean architecture—and you’ve got a story where discipline meets design, in and out of the code. 

What was your first computer? Were you that kid who built games, broke things, and accidentally crashed the family desktop? 

I didn’t grow up with a computer—my dad got us one when I was around 12 or 13. No internet yet, just digital encyclopedias like Encarta for homework. 

Back then, I wanted to study marine biology. But then I met a classmate whose dad ran an internet café and taught him some basic coding. He showed me how you could make the computer do things. That moment changed everything—I was hooked. 

Fast forward a few years, and here I am—still coding, just with better tools. 

Very cool. So, what was the first thing you actually built? Maybe something small or silly—but that first project where you felt like a real future developer. 

Right, so in school we had some programming classes. Around 9th grade, you had to choose—either the humanities route or the tech path. I picked tech, obviously. That’s where it all really started. 

We began with some basic stuff—like making calculators, to-do lists… just simple, text-based things. But our final project was a text-based checkers game. You had to build the board, and one of the pieces was just a star symbol—an asterisk. 

It sounds simple now, but back then it was tough. It took us months to get it working properly. And when it finally ran the way we wanted, that felt incredible. Like—wow, I actually built something that works. 

 

You’ve been with Viscosity for over 11 years now. What did your journey look like before that?  

I finished high school when I was 16, and part of the program included a short internship. My uncle worked in the IT department at a bank, so he helped me get in. After a couple of months, they offered me a job—so I pretty much went straight from school into work. We were building transactional systems—credit cards, savings accounts, stuff like that. I kept that job part-time while I went through university. 

After graduating, I joined a startup and got into mobile development. We built a geolocation app for delivery fleets—tracking distance, fuel usage, things like that. At one point, even the police used it—we had to install the app on officers’ phones to track their movements. 

I stayed there for a few years, then made the move to Viscosity. And yeah… I’ve been here ever since. 

 
If you compare yourself now to the young developer who started out like 15 years ago—what’s changed? What have you learned or grown into? 

I started when I was 16—by far the youngest on the team. But honestly, they treated me like everyone else, which pushed me to grow up fast and figure out how to navigate a professional environment. Back then, I wasn’t thinking long-term. I’d show up, do the work, and go home. No real strategy, no big-picture stuff. Now it’s different. I think in systems, in teams, of how all the pieces fit together. It’s not just about getting things done—it’s about how we do it, who’s doing what, and where we’re going. I’ve got more freedom now, but with that comes a lot more responsibility—and I take that seriously. 

You’ve worked with both startups and big corporate clients. How do those worlds compare when it comes to projects, expectations, and how you actually get things done? 

Startups are a lot more flexible. You’re usually starting from scratch, things move fast, and if you’ve got a solid idea, chances are you’ll get the time or budget to explore it. It’s really about shaping a product and building something that stands out. Working with larger companies is a different experience. There are tighter deadlines, stricter budgets, and more people involved in every decision. It’s less about experimenting and more about proving something works—reliably, at scale. There’s definitely more pressure, but that pressure teaches you to come prepared and ready to deliver. 

So... strict structure or startup chaos—what’s your pick? 

Startups were exciting—but also kind of a mess. We literally had a bunk bed in the office. Not for naps—for working through the night, weekends too. Everything was last-minute, always under pressure. It burned us out. 

Now, things are different. We plan better, deliver without running ourselves into the ground, and there’s room for life outside of work. 

Startups might look cool from the outside—but that pace? It’s not sustainable. Structure wins. Every time. 
 

You’re presenting at Kscope this year, “Mastering APEX AJAX Callbacks and the Art of No Submissions.” What made you choose that topic? 

It’s something a lot of people tend to overlook. Most APEX devs come from DBA or business backgrounds, not traditional coding—so when they hear ‘AJAX callbacks,’ it sounds intimidating. But it’s not that hard. It just takes some trial and error. I’m not trying to turn anyone into a full-time developer—I just want to make it approachable, give people shortcuts, and show what’s possible. These tools can make a big difference in user experience and project outcomes. My goal is to open that door. 

Your development team always gives off fun vibes. Do you all hang out outside work, or is it just strictly code and commits? 

It’s definitely not all code and silence—we hang out. We actually had a soccer team at one point and even won a few tournaments. The trophies are still in the office. 

We’ve done movie nights, bowling, paintball… fun stuff that helps build trust beyond work. We’re not all best friends, but there’s real respect. If someone needs time for something personal, they know they can speak up. 

It’s not a stiff environment—we work hard, but we make sure to enjoy the ride, too. 

And your cats… how many are there again? Five? Do they behave during work hours—or are they officially part of the dev team now? 

Yep, five cats—and no, they definitely don’t behave. One is on my lap, another is walking across the keyboard... They’re sweet, but not exactly helpful when I’m trying to code. 

I even set up a little bed near my desk to keep them off me. Sometimes it works. 

It’s mostly a work-from-home issue—when I’m at the office, I get a break. But at home? They’re on the team, whether I like it or not. 
 

Five cats are a lot of cats! How did that happen—was it planned, or did they just… show up? 

Oh, no one plans to have five cats—it just kind of happened. 

The first was from a shelter, but she turned out to be pregnant. By the time we went back, her kittens were up for adoption, too. We brought her home—and one of the babies. That made two. 

The third came from a friend who needed help finding homes. We said yes. 

Number four found us—a tiny kitten meowing in a parking lot on the way to a kid’s birthday party. She came to the party… then came home with us. 

And the fifth? My wife wanted a black cat. A friend had one. We adopted her. That’s five. We’ve had more opportunities—but, yeah, I think we’re officially at capacity. 

You live in Guatemala City—do you have a place that grounds you? Somewhere you go to recharge or just enjoy being? 

Weekdays get pretty packed, so after work I usually head to the gym. I train in kickboxing and Muay Thai—it helps me disconnect and clear my head. 

I also live near a forested area—not exactly a park, but full of trees and fresh air. That quiet space was a big reason we chose this neighborhood. 

Even in the middle of the city, there are peaceful spots. The zoo, for example, is actually really well-kept—lots of nature, even a petting area. 

Growing up surrounded by concrete, I’ve come to really appreciate green spaces. Between the gym and the trees, that’s where I recharge. 

Last one before we wrap—what kind of music do you listen to? Any unexpected favorites hiding in your playlists? 

I grew up on heavy metal—black metal, hard rock, all of it. But over time, I shifted into electronic music. It’s super technical and creative, and I love how much thought goes into the layers and sound design. 

Lately, though, I’ve been really into languages. I speak French now and recently started learning Arabic—and that opened up a whole new world of music. Especially the French-Arabic fusion you hear from North Africa and the Middle East. 

The funny thing is, part of my family actually comes from that region. I didn’t grow up knowing much about it, but learning the language and listening to the music makes me feel connected to something deeper. 

Arabic’s tough—but I’m taking it slow, like I did with French. I used to just listen without understanding a word. Now I follow full conversations. I’ll get there. 

Emanuel Cifuentes is a Solutions Architect at Viscosity. With over a decade of experience across banking, startups, and enterprise solutions, he brings technical leadership, a calm mindset, and a passion for clean code—and languages—to every project. 

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