Hugo Monteiro has spent his life around computers. It began with an IBM 386 in 1994, loaded with Prince of Persia, long before he knew what a terminal or framework was.
In high school, he studied computing and built his first homepage with Adobe Dreamweaver. University was where programming finally clicked. Working in teams, using version control systems like CVS, and building small tools gave him his first taste of shipping software collaboratively.
Hugo learned Laravel as it rose to become the most-starred PHP framework on GitHub. What he appreciated was its clarity. Laravel removed indecision, allowing developers to focus on the business rather than on technical architecture decisions. That design philosophy matched how he likes to work.
Building for Real Impact with Laravel
After graduating, Hugo explored several paths. He studied at university, then traveled across Portugal to train telecom technicians while working at the country’s largest telecom company. Later, he joined an international bank as a developer but soon realized the work lacked impact.
A failed startup attempt drove home a critical lesson: writing code is easy compared to solving the right problem. Smaller companies and startups became ideal environments for learning faster and feeling closer to users.
“I found myself enjoying the process much more, especially when I could see direct impact. For example, I once joined a tiny three-person company building a tool for a dialysis clinic. It felt meaningful to help improve how patient data was managed and, of course, how everything was done technically,” he says.
That path eventually led to Spotahome, where Hugo is Co-founder and Senior Developer. The platform helps tenants find mid to long-term furnished rentals.
“The excitement of building something new and seeing it grow over time made me realize that I really enjoy building new tools used by other people,” he notes. Technology feels worthwhile when it improves someone’s life.
Tech Stack and Current Use
Spotahome uses Laravel for internal applications that support customers and account managers. Hugo’s preferred stack combines Laravel Cloud, Filament, Inertia with React, and PostgreSQL. The approach helps the team move quickly while keeping tooling consistent.
Conferences and Community
Hugo is active in the wider PHP world. He spoke at SymfonyWorld Online 2021 Winter Edition and attended SymfonyCon Brussels 2023. He also gave a talk at a PHP meetup in Lisbon covering updates in PHP 8.5. Beyond speaking, he helps people get started with Laravel, even when they have no technical background.
Advice for Developers
Hugo believes the hardest part of tech is not code: tools and AI have lowered the barrier.
“The best opportunities don’t come from perfect code; they come from people. From meeting others, sharing ideas, and building meaningful connections,” he says.
“My advice is to keep learning and experimenting, even if the project is not profitable. You are learning and becoming better at your craft. Don’t stay isolated. Talk to people, go to meetups, and be curious about what others are building.”
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