My Story

My name is Matteo Peroni, known online as oliva_js.

I have always been passionate about software development and computers in general since I was a kid. I never had any doubts: when I grew up, I wanted to become a programmer.

And that is what happened, even though the idea of a programmer that I had as a child has evolved a lot over time, also thanks to the growth of new technologies.

At first, I wanted to write code all day and improve continuously to make it more performant and solid. Right after finishing my studies, I entered the job market immediately because I needed money and because I felt ready to face real-world work and understand how things truly worked.

I started as a backend web developer, managing a large software platform in the insurance industry.

The more experience I gained, the more I realized I was really good at coding and problem solving, but also that I was developing a strong sensitivity in requirement analysis and solution design. At the same time, I kept realizing that I wanted to build complete, end-to-end solutions.

So I made a difficult decision: invest in learning frontend development skills as well, with the goal of becoming a full-stack developer one day.

Then I found a new job in a creative agency, and that opened up a whole new world for me.

Since it was not a software-centered company, development was much less rigidly controlled, with more focus on the end result and less on how to get there. This allowed me to experiment extensively with newer development technologies, design, and frontend work.

That was a major level-up for me in terms of complete web development and project responsibility.

One day I realized I probably had all the skills needed to run my own business, so I decided to become a freelancer.

Over time I refined my ability to work with clients professionally and manage my business. I also developed the architectural and planning side of my work even more, the part that every well-structured project should have, covering an even broader spectrum of modern web development.

And here we are today. I now feel like a complete developer (while being fully aware that, to stay complete, I must keep up with new technologies, architectural patterns, AI, and more), and I believe I can offer my clients complete, high-quality solutions.

Myself and My Passions

I do not like to define myself, so I asked the people close to me and those I work with daily to describe me with one adjective. The most mentioned were: funny, nerdy, fair, sincere, generous.

I recognize myself in those words, but I will not comment further because I honestly feel a bit embarrassed speaking positively about myself.

So I would rather focus on my passions (and I have quite a few).

Besides the usual ones like traveling, music, and technology, I collect Pokemon and Dragon Ball cards, and in general I am quite nerdy, so I enjoy anime, manga, and video games.

Some time ago I decided to give a voice to my passion for development and created a YouTube channel @oliva_js, where I talk about web design, development tutorials and courses, and freelance experiences.

My community is small, but based on the comments under my videos, I am helping people in the development world, and there is nothing better than that.

Creating this channel opened doors I honestly did not expect. I took part in three digital nomad retreats organized by other YouTubers who cover the same topics, and I was also interviewed by a radio station to talk about my profession and what I do in detail.

I am an introverted person, so deciding to do these experiences was difficult for me. But every time I attend events like these, I come back with many ideas, reflections, and friendships. I am really happy I managed to unlock this side of myself too.