Dime of the Month: Scotty Hernandez Tecpoyotl

Our March #dimeofthemonth, is Senior DevOps Engineer, Scotty Hernandez Tecpoyotl! Scotty is a cornerstone of the Wizards engineering team whose impact on Cents extends far beyond DevOps. From his relentless focus on customer impact to the energy, empathy, and authenticity he brings every day (4’s up!), he makes everyone around him better.

What has your career path looked like?

I started my career in software support at a survey company, then transitioned into a Systems Engineer role at an organization that managed several private colleges across California. After that, I did a 5 month contract with AWS, which is where I realized how much I enjoyed working in the cloud space. From there, I became a DevOps Engineer at a consulting firm, eventually growing into a DevOps Technical Lead role before moving into my current position here.

Tell us one thing people don’t know about you.

One thing people don’t usually know about me is that I realized I was ambidextrous while teaching myself how to cut my own hair. I eventually started cutting hair for others, and now I’m the go-to barber for my friend group and my family (yes, I always carry my clippers everywhere). Outside of work, I’m really into fitness and wrestling. I once held the bench press record in my town. I also play guitar and sing in a banda. I’m also very hands on. If there’s documentation or a guide, I can usually figure out how to fix things myself.

If you could switch your job with anyone else within Cents, whose job would you want

I’d switch with Gilli, our CPO. I really like how confident and straightforward he is when he speaks, there’s a lot of passion behind it. I’d honestly just want to learn how to communicate and carry myself with that kind of presence.

What gets you out of bed every morning?

Literally my kids. They are my 6am alarm clock every day whether I like it or not. They come straight into my room acting like it’s already 3pm, full of energy. But beyond that, they are my biggest motivation. Everything I work toward is for them.

What makes Cents different from other places you’ve worked?

What makes this company different from places I’ve worked before is how much creativity is encouraged. We’re trusted to bring ideas to the table, try new approaches, and actually have a voice in how things are built and improved. It makes the work more meaningful because you feel like you’re contributing, not just following a process.

What is your Motto to live by?

I’ll figure it out.

What is your proudest career moment and why?

Not many people know this, but I come from an immigrant family and spent a big part of my early life working in the fields doing piece work, where the more you do, the more you get paid. Because of that, honestly every role I’ve had in my career feels like a proud moment. It reminds me how far I’ve come and why I keep pushing forward.

What advice would you give to your younger self?

I would tell my younger self not to worry so much or compare my situation to others. Growing up, I often wondered why life felt harder for me and why other people could afford things like trips, nice clothes, or opportunities that I didn’t have. But looking back now, that was the beauty of it. At the time, it made me complain, but my parents always put things into perspective and showed me how to use those feelings as motivation to be better. They led by example, and I’m following.

Actually now that I think about it. I wouldn’t give my younger self any advice. He’ll figure it out. I wouldn’t want to change a thing.

A typical weekend for me is...

A typical weekend for me is all about family time. We usually go out to eat and let the kids choose what we do. Whether that’s a trip to Target, Dave & Buster’s, Sky Zone, No Surrender, or wherever they feel like going. Whatever they want, we make it happen. Then we wind down with a pizza and movie night and once the kids fall asleep, my wife and I enjoy some wine and chocolate while watching reality TV and relaxing before the new week starts.

What Guiding Principles of Cents do you feel like you identify with?

“Run Through Walls.” I don’t avoid challenges, I face them head on and figure things out. That mindset has shaped how I approach both work and life.

Scotty_DotM