STUDENT STORY

From Academia to Smart Bots

How Susana shifted from science communication to product thinking

Meet Susana Neves

Book reader. Beach lover. Low-key tech explorer.

Susana Neves, 42, spent years managing science communication projects in academia—crafting documentaries and training materials, producing content that made knowledge come alive. But deep down, she was craving a shift. She wanted more stability. And a closer relationship with technology.

View Portfolio

“These tools… they’re much more useful than I ever imagined. Especially in product management—where streamlining processes and building quick prototypes is so valuable. This course totally complements my path.”

Susana Neves

Student from Descodifica-te #3, 2025

The Challenge

Susana had been circling the tech space for a while, dipping into product management courses and following communities like Geek Girls. She’d even heard about no-code tools—but never really touched them.

When the opportunity to join Descodifica-te came along, she hesitated.

“I was afraid of being too scattered. I was already in another course and thought, ‘What if I can’t do either well?’”

But something told her to say yes. And she did.

The Transformation

“At first I thought, oh my God, what am I getting into? But it ended up being one of the best decisions I made.”

Susana thrived in the program’s rhythm: weekly missions, shared challenges, and hands-on projects that made learning stick. She explored Airtable, Glide, Softr—and even built her own class reservation platform for a yoga school.

But her proudest moment? Building a real-world chatbot for a small bookstore, Xylocopa, to explain their new personalized book recommendation service.

“I was in panic when I saw I had to build a chatbot! But I did it—and it worked. That was huge for me.”

No-code, it turned out, wasn’t just a skill. It was a mindset shift.

She started applying her new abilities right away—automating booking emails for a theatre company, and solving small problems that had a big daily impact.

Behind the scenes

Favourite tool

Airtable (even when it made her sweat)

Favourite mission

Capstone project—total creative freedom

Biggest challenge

Building the class size limits (still working on it!)

Most valuable learning

Tech can solve real-life headaches—fast!

What’s next for Susana Neves?

After years of managing complex projects in academia, theatre, and science communication, Susana knows how to lead with empathy, structure chaos, and get things done.

Now, she’s ready to bring that experience into the tech world—as a product manager.

Armed with a brand-new stack of no-code skills, she’s not just switching careers. She’s evolving. Ready to prototype ideas, streamline processes, and add real value from day one.

View Portfolio

Project Highlight

In the final stage of the Cohorts, students have the opportunity to work in a real project to develop not only technical skills, but also soft skills like client management, problem-solving, prioritization, and negotiation. Always with the support of our Mentors.

Client: Xylocopa Books & Works

‍Mission: Create a smart chatbot to support the launch of a personalized book recommendation service‍

Tools: Botpress, AI, structured FAQ logic‍

Results:

• Reduced support workload

• Created engaging, user-friendly service explainer

• Blended creativity + tech for a client-built product

‍

Client feedback

"Susana proved to be very professional and open to making adjustments when needed. It was the best possible relationship in terms of collaboration, success, and communication."

— Spokesperson from Xylocopa Books & Works

View project

Programs

Have years of experience, but ready to shift into something new?

Susana didn’t come from tech. But she saw the opportunity—and bet on herself. If you’re curious about tech, product, or building smarter workflows… maybe it’s your turn too.

👉 Explore Our Programs

From Academia to Smart Bots

Meet Susana Neves

“These tools… they’re much more useful than I ever imagined. Especially in product management—where streamlining processes and building quick prototypes is so valuable. This course totally complements my path.”

The Challenge

📊 Snapshot: Stats That Speak

Heading

Missions delivered

Heading

Websites developed

Heading

Apps developed

Heading

Tools learnd

The Transformation

Behind the scenes

Favourite tool

Favourite mission

Biggest challenge

Most valuable learning

What’s next for Susana Neves?

Project Highlight

Have years of experience, but ready to shift into something new?