About Me

A journey from deep, personal growth to purpose-driven leadership.

In an increasingly complex world, leadership must be grounded in clarity, resilience, and trust—empowering teams to do meaningful work, wherever they are.

Nicolas Cava
Nicolas Cava
Engineering Leader

What Drives Me

My Values

My values guide every decision I make. I've built my life around them—and strive to reflect them in what I achieve.

Contribution
I believe in showing up fully—to my team, my organization, and the people we serve. Contribution means using my expertise to make meaningful progress, uplifting others along the way, and solving real problems that create lasting value.
Growth
Growth is a mindset, not a milestone. I value learning, experimentation, and feedback as tools to expand our thinking and performance. Whether it's developing people or evolving systems, I focus on progress over perfection.
Simplicity
Simplicity is a leadership discipline. I strive to reduce complexity in how we work, communicate, and solve problems—making space for focus, clarity, and execution. Whether in systems, processes, or decisions, I believe simplicity drives alignment, speed, and better outcomes.
Resilience
Resilience means staying grounded and adaptable in the face of change, setbacks, or ambiguity. I aim to lead with calm under pressure, learning from challenges without losing momentum. For me, resilience isn't just persistence—it's the ability to recover, grow, and lead forward.

My Engagement

Scale with purpose, grow through learning, and deliver lasting impact—always putting people first.

I'm committed to lead people with clarity, integrity, and a people-first mindset—building systems, organizations, and individuals that scale with purpose, learn with intention, and deliver lasting value. I aim to shape environments where high standards, continuous growth, and human connection coexist to solve meaningful problems.

Backstory

I was born Spanish and raised in a humble village in the south of France. Early on, I wanted to be an illustrator, and I've always been drawn to structure — from military ideals to systems that make the world work better. That tension between creativity and structure shaped the way I approached my life and work.

I started with design, moved into electrical engineering, and eventually found my home in software. I've worked remotely since 2011 — long before it was cool — and moved to Canada in 2013 to pursue more opportunity. Since then, I've worn many hats: developer, founder, manager, and executive leader. I've led teams and businesses, helped scale startups, and worked for one of Silicon Valley's top companies. I've also burned out, closed my own company, and started over — more than once.

In 2018, I returned to France with my family after a tough burnout. One of my kids was born just three weeks before that move. We spent the next three years traveling across Europe looking for a place to feel settled — 11 different places in just four months at one point. In 2021, we moved back to Canada, but life threw another curveball. In 2025, I was laid off and separated from my partner of 17 years. I'm now raising two kids and continuing to build a meaningful, grounded life.

This journey taught me what no textbook ever could: that resilience is built through adversity, not comfort. I learned that growth often comes from letting go, not just pushing forward. I saw firsthand how remote work isn't just a convenience — it's a powerful enabler of opportunity, especially for those far from major tech hubs. I came to understand that real leadership starts with self-leadership — owning your energy, your mindset, and your impact. And perhaps most importantly, I learned that leadership without empathy doesn't scale — it breaks people.

I've always had a drive to push myself — not to compete with others, but to challenge my own potential. I'm passionate about systems thinking, scale, and sustainability — whether that's scaling engineering teams or helping others avoid burnout. I believe leadership is service. I believe in transparency, vulnerability, and in designing systems that care for people, so people can take care of the work.

I've led teams in high-stakes environments, built businesses from scratch, and learned the hard way that scaling isn't just about growth — it's about empowerment. My go-getter mindset had to evolve into something deeper: self-leadership, compassion, and long-term contribution.

I've seen too many workplaces broken by politics, poor leadership, and disconnection. I believe there's a better way — one where leaders take responsibility, where empathy isn't a weakness, and where structure exists to support people, not control them.

Today, I'm focused on building systems, organizations, and lives that scale without burning out the people in them. I keep it simple, stay ambitious, and lead with clarity and care.

Recent Notes

Growth

How I Broke the Loop

After getting laid off, I found myself caught in a perfectionist spiral—waiting to feel ready again. But readiness never came. Here's what finally got me moving.

Nicolas Cava

Nicolas Cava

Engineering Leader