While most of the Irish diaspora in the mid-2000s were looking toward London, Sydney, or the familiar skyscrapers of New York, John took a sharp left turn. In 2007, he landed in Cali, Colombia, a city then better known for its complex history than its cloud computing. But where others saw risk, John saw a goldmine of untapped human capital.

As the founder of NetMidas, John has spent the last two decades proving that the "offshore" model is broken. He has built a business on Nearshoring, the idea that real-time collaboration and cultural alignment are worth far more than just a cheaper hourly rate. From his base in the foothills of the Andes, he bridges the gap between senior Latin American engineers and global firms that need more than just code; they need integration.

In this exclusive interview, we sit down with the man who proves that while talent is distributed evenly across the globe, the real "unfair advantage" belongs to those who know exactly where to find it.

To be honest, I didn't choose Colombia for the business opportunity initially. I came here because my wife is Colombian and we had a young family. We moved from New York to Cali, and I continued working for my US clients as a digital marketing consultant.

Once I was on the ground, I saw a country on the up. There was high potential and very low competition for local tech talent. The government was ambitious, investing heavily in education and tech careers. Plus, the logistics were a no-brainer: same time zones as the US, lower costs, and surprisingly good infrastructure. It created a compelling business case to build software teams here, paying competitively in local pesos and charging in dollars. And, of course, the quality of life and better avocados didn't hurt!

In short, I walk the walk and talk the talk. Because I’ve worked across so many sectors in Europe and the US, I’m comfortable talking to everyone from startup founders to corporate executives. I view talent through the eyes of the client. I understand their motivations, their drivers, and their decision criteria. Being "heterogeneous" in my background allows me to align our talent's skills with a client’s vision because I’ve likely sat in their chair before.

There is zero Irish community in Cali. I think there are three of us. No parade, no Irish pubs, the vast majority of people couldn't find Ireland on a map. But I don't mind that. There are actually a lot of similarities: a great sense of humor, a shared history of conflict, and a bit of a disobedient, ex-colony energy.

Life here is gorgeous. Cali is a city of three million people in the foothills of the Andes. I have wild parrots and monkeys in my garden. But professionally, we are totally embedded in the global tech culture. We use SCRUM, we read the same tech media, and we work to American standards. Colombia has become a favorite for digital nomads and investors because it’s cosmopolitan, we have electric cars, neo-banks, and sourdough, but with a tropical quality of life you just can't get in London.

It comes down to three things: 1) Time Zones (Nearshore vs. Offshore): We are aligned with Eastern Time—Florida and New York. This eliminates the "black hole" of asynchronous communication you get with Asia. You can collaborate in real-time. 2) Economics: A senior software dev here might earn $5,000 to $8,000 a month. While that's lower than US rates, it's a global market. The talent is world-class; I know people here working for FAANG companies who know their value. 3) Quality and Quantity: There are over 500,000 developers in LATAM. The governments have pushed bilingualism for years. We specifically focus on senior, bilingual engineers who already have international experience.

We learned that clients who haven't worked internationally before often need a "guidebook" for cultural nuances. We help with onboarding, integration, and goal setting. It’s a win-win-win: it drives retention for the talent and satisfaction for the client. We don't just drop a developer in and walk away; we ensure they become a core part of the team.

I recently spoke to someone in Florida who thought Latin America was just Mexico and everyone spent their time taking siestas. It’s humorous but inaccurate. The biggest companies in the world—Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Oracle, NVIDIA—have been here for a decade. They aren't "kicking the tires"; they have massive development centers here.

The "island culture" stereotype is dead. Cities like Medellin or Sao Paulo operate with Silicon Valley intensity. Our infrastructure is as good as, if not better than, many US metros. Talent is distributed evenly across the globe, and the engineers here are building AI/ML products that are on par with anything in Silicon Valley.

When I turned 50, I wanted to focus more on social impact. Viche is an artisan distillate from sugar cane, similar to rum, made by Afro-Colombian women in remote Pacific jungle areas. It’s a 400-year-old tradition with roots in West Africa. We create fair-trade partnerships with these women, bottle their product, and bring it to high-end bars and restaurants. It’s a functional, medicinal, and spiritual drink that’s now catching the eye of the world’s best bartenders. It’s incredibly satisfying to help dignify this tradition.

Don’t go soft on the soft skills. People under-index communication, collaboration, and "vibe." You can find coding skills anywhere, but if a hire can’t communicate or doesn't have integrity, they will break your product and your culture. The best professionals are inundated with offers, so finding the right "fit" is a nuanced, specialized process.

I’m not a flag-waving type, but I treasure my identity. I watch Munster rugby and Tipperary hurling, and I go back every summer. But am I an "Irish Founder"? I’m a founder from Ireland who happens to live in the tropics. I’m a bit of a "citizen of the world"—listening to Salsa and Bowie, reading the Irish Times and A16Z. I’m always open to connecting with the Irish diaspora, though. We should do a better job of networking, like the Israeli community does. So, to any Irish guy out there: let’s chat and collaborate.