Jonathan Balin
September 19, 2025
At Acuative, coding is more than just a technical skill, it’s the foundation of innovative solutions we deliver to our clients every day. Behind every seamless network, secure system, and custom-built application is a team of experts who understand how to translate complex problems into working solutions through code. One of those experts is Nuno Pereira, our Principal Systems Architect. With decades of experience and a passion for continuous learning, Nuno plays a key role in designing and implementing systems that keep our clients connected and secure. For National Coding Week, Nuno shared how his journey with technology began and the experiences that shaped him into the architect he is today:
My love for technology started when my dad brought home my first computer, a Compaq Presario 425 running Windows 3.1. A family friend soon introduced me to DOS commands and showed me how to back up my system on 3.5” floppy disks, a process that seemed to take forever at the time.
I was fascinated by how applications were built, and I discovered that MS-DOS had QBasic built in. At 13 years old, motivated by a desire to create my own video games, I began teaching myself to code. My first project was a Breakout/Arkanoid-style game built using QBasic’s drawing functions.
When I later found Visual Basic 3.0, everything changed. Suddenly I could build Windows applications with user interfaces. From there I kept progressing through VB 4.0 → VB 5.0 → VB 6.0 → VB.NET, continually sharpening my skills.
After high school, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, and I initially believed I didn’t need a college degree to succeed. I worked two office jobs for about two years before realizing I needed formal training to get where I wanted to be. That led me to The Chubb Institute, a trade school where I earned a Computer Science .NET diploma.
While at Chubb, the coursework came naturally. In one class I even ended up teaching the teacher, who later landed a new job and personally thanked me for my help. My classmates often asked for tutoring, so I began holding Saturday seminars to answer questions and do code reviews of my projects via projector.
Since then I’ve earned four Microsoft certifications and achieved my goal of becoming a Full Stack Developer. But my learning hasn’t stopped. Even today I set aside a few hours each week to explore new technologies and keep growing.
Nuno’s story is a reminder of the curiosity, persistence, and dedication that drive our team at Acuative. As technology continues to evolve, it’s the passion for learning and problem-solving, values embodied by Nuno and his colleagues, that enables us to deliver the highest level of service and innovation to our clients. Want to join the team? Visit our Careers page below for more info on our open positions.