Developing something new is not easy, quick or cheap. Juan Diaz Diaz, Spanish entrepreneur

By @SimonCocking

Nice perspective from a different part of Europe from Juan Diaz Diaz @juan_diaz_diaz Freelance journalist covering packaging, digital printing, Graphic Arts, marketing and telecom. SM&PR at @ThePuzzlePhone @ovalsound

Same old wolf, new place, new ride #biking in #finland pic.twitter.com/3DU0ObRgB1

— juan_diaz_diaz (@juan_diaz_diaz) July 21, 2015

What’s your background? Is it a surprise or a logical progression that you ended up doing what do you now?

I came from technical field service and technical writing. So for me moving to tech journalism and then to PR and communication has been more or less a organic progression.

How was 2014? What went well?

2014 has been great. I worked for 4YFN/MWC supporting Social PR and Online Marketing team and cofounded a startup. So, not bad for a filler year.

RT @rittis: On @ylenews – #5G test network opens in Oulu, Finland http://t.co/vH1MjIow6x pic.twitter.com/4BOyPpgN4J

— PUZZLEPHONE (@ThePuzzlePhone) May 25, 2015

Anything you’d do differently?

Everything and nothing. I would liked to have more resources, but I’m pretty satisfied with the result.

What are you goals for 2015 and beyond?

Three of them have already been met. Worked again with 4YFN/MWC, have been advising and executing the unconventional PR/Communication of the Ovalsound.com Kickstarter campaign and moved to Finland to work with Circular Devices.

Puzzle phone, looks a like a cool idea, how is it going in general?

Quite well, developing something new is not easy, quick or cheap. We are on track with challenges every day. The best part are our partners who really share with us the extra mile walk to solve issues. We have still several solid months of development ahead, but everything is going as planned.

What’s your role, and how is that going?

I’m the communications manager/Social PR. I work with all the activity areas, but closer with marketing and CEO, to keep things going internally and externally.

What tech tools do you use to help you in your work?

As many as made sense. But my job can’t be easily augmented/automated. So basically is email, all direct message platforms (including social networks), a scheduler and a basic word processor.

What tech tools do you wish were invented to help you?

A comprehensive way to integrate all screens in a open shared workspace where I can move content and actions from one screen to other. Now I’m working with 3 android tablets one android smartphone and one laptop. I expect to add at least one raspberry pi to the flock. Now they are pretty much isolated silos and I cant share content or actions between the different devices but have to “move” (export, save, recover and import in the other platform). I would like something easier and multiplatform.

You have 240k followers on twitter? How did that happen?

260k now. It happen one by one since November 2010 when I have 2400. Just daily hard work, as I’m no celebrity at all.

Is it challenging to remain engaged at that level of followers?

Not really. Needs some dedication, but is more or less like breathing: you just do it, not thinking about but when you look back you have climbed a steep hill.

We find the analytics on when and on what devices our readers read our articles has shaped the type of articles we create. Is this the same for you? Or not a factor?

Not really, used to be that way but now is mobile. So I focus on mobile only.

What’s your impression of the Irish Tech scene from where you are based?

There is a huge activity concentrated in a few hubs. As much as in any other part of the world. And I feel that there is much more potential to happen there.

Team and partners working day in Valencia @thepuzzlephone @circulardevices with @tricotron presiding pic.twitter.com/tBwryKKHwi

— PUZZLEPHONE (@ThePuzzlePhone) June 18, 2015

What is great about the Spanish social media / tech scene?

Spain is something to discover in terms of tech. There are still lots of great people doing amazing things that have not yet left the country. As for the Social Media scene I’m still amazed about WhatsApp penetration in Spain and how almost no one is taking this interaction opportunity for business.

I like #Finland summer…. getting ready for a Friday work bbq with @thepuzzlephone colleagues pic.twitter.com/xHBMID4eab

— juan_diaz_diaz (@juan_diaz_diaz) July 17, 2015

Why did you move to Finland?

After almost one year from Circular Devices incorporation our activity requires way more dedication and being on the field. That’s why I moved to Finland, there are lot of action coming in Puzzlephone and I need to be closer to our HQ and partners.

We have lots of Spanish people living in Ireland also, is it work / and to try something different?

Its mainly for work, no matter what the govenment says the situation has not really improved in the microeconomy scale and there are a serious lack of competitive opportunities in Spain for talented and skilled profesionals, both for juniors and seniors alike. Sure the ones who leave are the ones ready also for something different. But most of us we are not expats, we are immigrants.