A Story of Perseverance and Resilience

Welcome to the first installment of my Founder Spotlight series! Every month, I’ll feature a Filipino entrepreneur who has made a significant impact in their field. If you have any suggestions on who to interview next, send me a message!

With the rise of generative AI in the last two years, many industries have undergone seismic shifts. As many jobs become more exposed to AI, the need to reinvent ourselves and pursue future-proof careers has never been more pressing.

Last week, I had the privilege of speaking with Jon Bonso, the founder of Tutorials Dojo, who has grappled with these challenges in the past. We talked about his experience growing up in the Philippines and how he built a thriving online learning platform.

Jon’s Key Achievements

Jon’s story is a powerful example of how adaptability and resilience can lead to significant success in today’s ever-shifting job landscape. A seasoned IT professional, Jon has made the following contributions to his industry:  

– Co-founder of Tutorials Dojo, which has published over 20 IT certification courses.
– Recognized as an AWS Community Builder for his contributions to the cloud computing community. – Developed a successful online learning platform that has helped thousands of students pass their AWS certification exams.  

What drives him is his “unequivocal resolve to help my kababayans (“fellow Filipinos”) achieve their lofty goals in , just as I and others before me have accomplished.”  

How did it all start? In this piece, we’ll take a closer look at his life story and the lessons he learned along the way, which helped him build a flourishing Edtech business.

Humble Beginnings in the Philippines

Jon was born in a poor neighborhood in Taguig, a city near Manila. “Like what you’d see in Slumdog Millionaire,” he described it. It was bleak: narrow alleyways were packed with makeshift homes, children played naked on the streets, and families tried to get by on meager earnings.

While it may sound dire, growing up poor has helped Jon develop a unique perspective in life, one marked by a determination to succeed, build financial freedom, and carve out a name for himself.

Despite the challenging start, Jon’s life took a turn when his father secured a job in the Middle East—a common story for many Filipino families striving to escape extreme poverty. This new source of income enabled Jon’s family to move to a more stable neighborhood in the suburbs of San Pedro, Laguna. While this move brought some relief, their financial struggles persisted. Despite this, his family was still able to send him to a reputable university in Makati, where his future in tech began to take shape.

Finding His Passion in Information Technology

By a stroke of luck, or perhaps fate, Jon enrolled in an Information Technology (IT) program following advice from his cousin.

In college, Jon was not, as he put it, a stellar student. He was average at best, often finding himself struggling with differential calculus. Another hurdle he had to overcome was his lack of proficiency in English, a language he hadn’t mastered growing up. While he flunked calculus, he was able to improve his English skills through sheer determination.

It was in his university days when Jon discovered his passion for Cisco networking and software development. These fields opened new possibilities for him, offering a clear path forward. After weighing his options, Jon chose to pursue a career in software engineering. The potential to earn a higher income in this field, made the decision an obvious one.

Since college, Jon has been building his expertise and network by joining college tech clubs. He also worked on a few online projects to showcase his skills in Java.

Expanding IT Knowledge and Skills

When Jon graduated, he joined Lawson Software (now called Infor) as a Java programmer, before moving on to HP and Accenture. Although these roles lent him some form of stability, Jon was aware that greater opportunities awaited him abroad.

Taking a chance overseas

In 2011, Jon moved to Singapore to work as a Java developer for a French bank. However, the bank was using outdated Java technologies, which limited Jon’s opportunities for growth. Despite investing in premium training courses, Jon struggled to advance his skills in this environment. Add to that the hyper-competitive nature of the country’s workforce, which lent a degree of toxicity that hampered his growth.

After working in Singapore for three years, Jon decided it was time to seek greener pastures. He moved to Australia in 2014, where he navigated the job market through a mix of contractual and full-time roles.

The Birth and Growth of Tutorials Dojo

While juggling various contractual jobs in 2016, something magical happened that would change Jon’s trajectory. He started exploring Udemy, where he began creating courses on WordPress and Angular 2. This side project laid the foundation for something much larger.

A natural entrepreneur, Jon has always sought ways to enhance his course offerings and fill the gaps in the certification training market. In 2018, he published his first practice test for the AWS Certified Solutions Architect on Udemy, which eventually helped cement his reputation in the AWS community.

Following his success on Udemy, Jon later established the company Tutorials Dojo together with his wife. At Tutorials Dojo, he serves as the Lead Developer and Solutions Architect. What started as a simple database and portfolio evolved into one of the leading online learning platforms known for its high-quality IT certification courses, particularly in AWS. The platform has garnered a large following among students preparing for various IT certifications.

Jon takes pride in showcasing Filipino talent on the global stage. “Having the rare opportunity to showcase Filipino talent globally is my top motivation,” he said. “My heart is filled with pride whenever I see positive reviews on the work that my Philippine-based team has accomplished—an ineffable feeling that we Filipinos can TRULY do it!”

Jon’s Perspective on the IT Industry

When asked what he loves most about working in the IT industry, Jon was candid: “I like the high salary that the IT industry provides, as well as the chance of being financially free once your startup or online business gains traction. I do like tech and its benefits to mankind, but without the allure of attractive remuneration, most people (including myself) will lose steam and stop pursuing tech as a sustainable career.”

For Jon, the IT industry offers a win-win prospect: achieving both his personal financial goals and contributing to the success of a business. “These IT solutions that we develop benefit not only the owners and their end users but also those who use these platforms,” he explained.

Looking Ahead

Jon envisions a future where he continues to be a tech entrepreneur in the next couple of decades, contributing to advancements in education, finance, medicine, and other fields. “Technology will continue to disrupt and improve things,” he said. “I still see myself relentlessly building a sustainable business that benefits both the economy and society.”

Shifting to a Career in IT? Read This

As a follow-up to our conversation, I sent Jon an email asking him what advice he had for those who are looking to shift to a career in IT, particularly in cloud computing. Here’s his response, which I edited lightly for brevity and clarity:

“For aspiring career shifters, there’s no better time than now to transition into tech, especially in cloud computing. It won’t be an easy ride, but it’ll be worth it in the long run.   

“There are so many innovations in the IT industry right now that were just released a few years ago and are not even taught in most universities, such as Generative AI (GenAI), serverless computing, no-code/low-code development, cloud computing, and many more. This means that fresh graduates/career shifters can catch up to experienced IT professionals, so long as they take the time to build the in-demand skills in the industry.  

“I have hired several career shifters with various backgrounds, from pharmacy to geodetic engineering to electronics and communications engineering. There are also those who have landed a lucrative IT position even without a degree. These folks usually have a portfolio of online works such as blogs, websites, projects, etc. that prove that they know what they’re doing.”

Jon also shared two pieces of advice for those who are serious about changing gears in their career:

1. Track your time.

“Monitor how much of your time is spent learning, reading, doing your hands-on labs, attending user group events, networking with your fellow professionals, and other related activities. Most people think that they have been working on their skills when in reality, they’re just wasting time on video clips on social media and other activities that don’t take them nearer to their goals. 

“In addition, it’s also good to regularly evaluate where you currently are in your career and not hesitate to ask other people for help.”

2. Fear not!

“Just as there are unqualified and unskilled people who have won a seat in the government, so are there “mid” individuals too (as a Gen-Z may describe it) who have unexpectedly landed a high-paying job in the IT industry.

“You have to be courageous, willing to take calculated risks, and assertive, especially if you have done everything that needs to be done.

“I think I got this fearless and ‘Can Do’ attitude when I used to roam the thoroughfares and alleys of Metro Manila at night. When I was still working here as an Associate Software Engineer, I used to explore the metropolis on foot as a form of exercise and my time for reflection. In these walks, I often saw blind people on the streets who braved the chaos of the city without any guide to earn a living. Some asked for alms on the streets of EDSA; some played the guitar on MRT stations, while others worked as masseurs in malls.  

“I liked chatting with some of them before giving them cash. In one of my encounters, I met a visually impaired man who commuted to and from Ortigas to his home in a far-flung town outside the metro, just on his own, without anyone to accompany him. He told me he works as a masseur in Batasan, but on some days, he roams the city to solicit money for his family to help augment his income. He also commutes on his own – taking a risk that there’s a kind soul that will help him navigate the chaotic Metro Manila traffic and not get abused along the way. How fearless is that! (Here are a couple of videos Jon took while interviewing the man with a disability.)

“I’ve met many folks in the streets before, but this man was close to my heart. If people with disabilities can do these amazing feats, how much more can I? I still have all my faculties intact!”

In closing, Jon gave me this thought-provoking message: 

“So many talented and able-bodied people fail to achieve a reachable goal simply because of their unrealistic fear of failure.  As long as we have courage in our hearts, there’s surely a chance to reach our dreams, no matter how lofty they may be.”

Looking to start a career in Cloud Computing? We recommend Tutorial Dojo’s AWS Cloud Practitioner Essentials to kick off your cloud journey. This free course covers essential topics you need to know to get started in AWS. (This is not a sponsored post.)