Name: Érica Azzellini
Age: 20
Sign: Taurus
Hometown: São Paulo
Preference: Boys
Status: Single
Hobbies: Reading, series, writing positive thoughts, dancing
Erica, we know that you have recently entered the world of technology. How do you feel working with that?Working with technology has opened me to new things all the time and is fascinating. Technology evolves faster and faster and I am an analog person who looks a lot to the past, so dealing with technological innovation everyday has opened my eyes to the future. I must admit that it’s extremely interesting. Sometimes I deal with news that seem like something out of a Terminator, Metropolis or Blade Runner movie, so it’s super cool to be aware of what is happening. Today I work at the API World, a startup that works almost exclusively with APIs.
What is API?API is the acronym for Application Programming Interface, which is a communication interface between systems. When it comes to APIs is all about integration between services and businesses, so the focus of our startup is to promote partnerships for the use of APIs. Well, APIs are the darlings of the information technology guys and are beginning to be part of marketing strategies of several companies because, with them, you can create amazing things! Netflix, for example, exists only because of its strong API strategy. So next time you watch that epic episode of House of Cards, remember to thank the APIs!
Have you ever been to any technology event? How is the environment?I’ve had the opportunity to cover several events of technology and hackathons. What caught my attention was the Gartner Symposium / ITxpo 2015, a giant event for CIOs, directed to an audience that has more decision power within companies, so it was something more formal. I have also had the opportunity to attend a lecture with Fernando Henrique Cardoso, former president of Brazil. But the events that I like the most are the hackathons, programming marathons. The hackathons gather developers willing to turn nights programming and developing new applications or products according to the challenge that some companies offer. They are super informal, the developers are powered by energy drinks and beer and can create really cool and innovative designs.
Have you ever imagined you would be working with something like this?I have never imagined I would end up working with technology! In fact, what I love about journalism is getting to know something of all areas, always having something surprising in the routine. But the most unusual to me is not even dealing with technology in my daily life, but being part of a startup. It is completely different from working in a traditional newsroom or a large company. It’s a company at an early stage and the team is still relatively small, you need to know a bit of everything. I have already worked as a human resources girl, attended business meetings and organized events! I write news about APIs, do event coverages, interview professionals to our YouTube channel and, as a future project, I am able to give more voice to women in the technological world – which is awesome for a feminist like me.
Did you know anything about technology before working at API World?I had zero affinity with technology before going to the API World, I couldn’t find the power button of a Mac. I’m still far from expert, but I’m already able to make content curation on APIs. In fact, almost everything on our site is written by me or had to go through my hands before being published. I’m very proud of that.
What is your dream as a journalist?My dream as a journalist is to feel that I’m contributing to improve the world by giving voice to those who have something interesting or important to say. I chose journalism because the idea of social responsibility behind this career fascinates me and I really believe in the transformative power that words have. That may sound a bit vague, but this year I had a taste of it when I could publish the at the API World a matter which was not linked directly to APIs. It was about the Round Hacker, a collaborative workshop programming aimed at women. The initiative is awesome and aims to reduce the gap of gender in technology. I felt great giving some visibility for that. I was also very happy this year when Brazil Post published a story that I made with a friend about the role of women in literature. I think I’m realizing my dream slowly!
Are you interested in any particular area?I really like psychology and I think I should have a second degree on that. But if not, I hope to graduate as a journalist and then do a specialization in social psychology or something like that.
Where do you see yourself 10 years?Tough question, ten years is a long time. But I hope to have started my academic life and have lived adventures with journalism and the field of startups. It may sound cliché, but I hope I have traveled extensively, finding a partner and having a dog and a cat.
We know that your parents are university professors. Do you think of an academic career?My father is professor of Chemistry at USP and my mother had several researches grants and works with textbooks of Chemistry, so I grew up in a very academic environment that certainly influenced me. My dream is to follow an academic career, participating of various conferences, having a postdoctoral and maybe even becoming a university teacher. Sometimes I feel that only journalism from day to day is not enough to feed my thirst for knowledge, so I think that academic studies will help me to go through certain matters and help me contribute to the formation of other people as well.