Something not many people know about me is that I used to spend a lot of time climbing volcanoes.

What started as curiosity slowly turned into a personal challenge. Over the years, I climbed several of Guatemala’s volcanoes, including Acatenango 10 times (yes, ten), along with Agua, Atitlán, San Pedro, Tolimán, Tacaná, Tajumulco, Santo Tomás, Ipala, and Pacaya.

Each volcano has its own personality. Some are longer, some are steeper, and some push you mentally more than physically. But after climbing many of them, I started noticing something interesting: climbing volcanoes has a lot in common with building things in life.

A lot of the work I do today involves creativity, technology, and experimenting with new ideas — whether it’s immersive experiences, 3D environments, or augmented reality projects. And just like climbing a volcano, most interesting things start with curiosity… and then turn into a long climb.

The climb always feels endless

When you’re climbing something like Acatenango or Atitlán, there’s always a moment where it feels like you’re barely making progress. The trail gets steeper, your legs get heavier, and the top still feels far away.

But mountains teach you something simple:

you don’t need to rush — you just need to keep moving.

Step by step, eventually you get there.

The descent can be harder than the climb

One thing I learned after several climbs is that the descent is often where people get hurt.

By then your legs are tired, the excitement of reaching the top has passed, and it’s easy to relax too much. That’s when people slip.

In business and in life, something similar can happen. Sometimes the most dangerous moment isn’t when things are difficult — it’s when things are going well and you start getting comfortable.

The mountain doesn’t negotiate

Another clear lesson from volcanoes:

the mountain doesn’t negotiate.

It doesn’t matter if you’re tired or if you thought it would be easier. The mountain is the mountain.

And many things in life work the same way. Results, skills, and progress come from consistency.

There are no shortcuts.

I haven’t climbed as much since the pandemic — but it stayed with me

Since the pandemic, I haven’t climbed volcanoes as often as I used to.

But the experience stayed with me.

Every time I travel and see mountains or volcanoes in the distance, I feel that curiosity again — the urge to explore, climb, and see what the world looks like from the top.

Because in the mountains — and in life — the best views usually come after the hardest part of the climb.