The illusion of everyone winning
I know what success can hide. Yet seeing other builders win still makes me feel behind, even after years of learning how to build.
Writing
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63 posts match.
The World Kept Going
AI gives Laura an evening with her daughter. Then it changes what her work is worth. Choose how AI develops, and follow the lives it changes from 2027 to 2040.
Earning five million pesos does not make you rich
Income, poverty, and the way we see wealth in Colombia and abroad: what a salary buys, what wealth preserves, and the freedom to stop working.
Life in the Age of AGI
AI writes the code and a person signs off. An everyday scene opens a question about jobs, rent, and the decisions we can still call our own.
From CAD plans to an operable utility-network GIS
How to convert plans, spreadsheets and construction records into a utility-network cadastre that supports operations without inventing accuracy or connections.
Ground control points for drone surveys: how to specify and validate them
What a buyer should require for ground control, independent checkpoints, geodetic reference and positional-accuracy evidence in a drone survey.
OGC API Features vs WFS: choosing and migrating vector services
A practical comparison for deciding when to retain WFS, when to publish OGC API Features, and how to transition without breaking existing consumers.
How to procure a Web GIS: requirements and acceptance criteria
A practical way to turn a map-portal purchase into testable requirements for data, user tasks, interoperability, accessibility and operations.
Sentinel-1 flood monitoring: a defensible workflow for Colombia
How to use Sentinel-1 radar to prioritise flood verification, document limitations and avoid presenting a satellite alert as a damage assessment.
ANLA MAG checklist: verifiable preparation before precheck
A preparation checklist for MAG structure, layers, domains, geometry, metadata and traceability under Resolution 2182 of 2016.
MAG errors worth detecting before closing an environmental delivery
Review patterns for wrong versions, missing layers, domains, CRS, geometry, nulls, metadata and missing traceability.
How to map DANE data without losing statistical context
Steps for retaining population universe, denominator, cutoff, territorial code and licence when integrating DANE statistics into coverage and prioritisation maps.
Decree 381 of 2026: organising determinants as traceable data
How to inventory determinants, sources, geometry, validity, scale and conflicts during the regulatory transition without turning GIS into legal advice.
EPSG:9377 for energy data: reprojecting with traceability and precision
What to record when transforming energy data to MAGNA-SIRGAS 2018 Origen-Nacional: source CRS, operation, units, controls and final format.
How to prepare plot geolocation for EUDR supply chains in Colombia
A guide to linking suppliers, products and plot geometry without confusing Colombian data readiness with certification or legal compliance in the European Union.
What a geoportal costs: scope the system before asking for a number
How to estimate a geoportal from data, users, functions, integrations, security, availability and operations without publishing universal prices.
How to organise geospatial data for a nature MRV system
A guide to linking spatial units, baselines, monitoring, calculations and evidence without confusing a data platform with environmental validation or certification.
Geospatial data for mining decisions in Colombia: a practical guide
How to integrate titles, constraints, environmental data and operations without turning a spatial overlay into a legal conclusion or misusing AnnA Minería data.
How to structure GIS data for POMCA watershed planning
A data path for inventorying sources, sustaining zoning, documenting land-use conflict and updating watershed monitoring without losing provenance.
GIS road inventory: from a drawn corridor to a maintainable register
How to model corridors, segments, bridges, signs, inspections and interventions without confusing historical inventory with current condition.
ICDE Agreement 003: an implementation path without misleading countdowns
An operational reading of Agreement 003 of 2025: inventory, ownership, metadata, quality, publishing and follow-up based on verified dates.
InSAR in Colombia: when it helps monitor subsidence
How to assess feasibility, coherence, observation geometry and field evidence before using InSAR time series to prioritise inspections.
How to audit metadata and GetCapabilities without claiming certification
A local workflow to review XML, identification, ownership, extent, dates, licences and OGC capabilities before expert assessment.
LADM_COL-POT: preparing data without confusing transition and operation
A readiness guide for objects, sources, identifiers, relationships, determinants and metadata during the Decree 381 of 2026 transition.
What data a municipality needs for GIS-based risk management
How to organise hazards, exposure, vulnerability, events and actions so a municipal risk GIS supports priorities without replacing technical studies.
How to prepare a QField project for offline work in Colombia
Steps for designing forms, identifiers, basemaps, packages and reconciliation before sending field teams to areas without continuous connectivity.
SINC v6: preparing traceable road information before reporting
A guide to organise segments, location, inventory, condition, evidence and ownership before mapping road information to SINC v6.
Sustainable WebGIS architecture: five layers beyond a disposable viewer
Data, service, application, security and operations design that lets a geoportal change its interface without rebuilding rules or sources.
UPME geospatial deliverables: preparing the model before export
A method to organise layers, attributes, domains, metadata and traceability before producing SHP or GDB in EPSG:9377 for the applicable UPME scope.
How to structure a utility network cadastre for daily operations
A practical method to inventory utility assets, define identifiers, control topology and preserve traceability without confusing networks with parcel cadastre.
A local checklist for utility GeoJSON topology and metadata
What to review before integrating a utility GeoJSON: structure, declared CRS, geometry, duplicates, connectivity, attributes, traceability and diagnostic limits.
MapGIS 5, 9 and 10: versions, architecture and evidence
What public sources establish about MapGIS Flex 3, MapGIS5, MapGIS9 and MapGIS10, and how to assess an implementation before renewing or migrating.
MapGIS vs QGIS and PostGIS: a Colombia comparison
What an organization is actually comparing between the MapGIS suite and an architecture with QGIS, PostGIS, services and open viewers. A layer, cost and workflow matrix.
6 ArcGIS-to-QGIS migration cases: real savings and limitations
A comparison of six public-sector GIS migrations: which savings were reported, which were projected, what was reinvested, and which figures remain unknown.
ArcGIS to QGIS/PostGIS migration costs in Colombia (2026)
How to calculate the total cost of moving from ArcGIS to QGIS/PostGIS in Colombia, including support, infrastructure, training and documented cases.
Foundation models and copilots: how AI is redrawing GIS in 2026
NASA/IBM's Prithvi, Google DeepMind's satellite embeddings, ESA's Major TOM and the LLM assistants inside ArcGIS and QGIS: what changed between 2024 and 2026, what is verifiable, and what it means for Colombia.
Aerial LiDAR surveys in Colombia: when it's worth it, how it works and what drives the cost
Aerial LiDAR is the go-to tool for capturing bare ground under dense vegetation. This guide explains how it works, when it justifies its cost versus photogrammetry, and which variables set the price of a project in Colombia.
Sentinel-2 vs Landsat: which to choose for your project in Colombia
Two free constellations, two different logics. We compare the resolution, frequency, bands and historical archive of Sentinel-2 and Landsat, and explain when each one fits —and why the answer is often to use both.
Vegetation indices beyond NDVI: when to use NDRE, NDWI, SAVI, EVI and GCI
NDVI is the starting point, not the answer to everything. This guide explains what each vegetation index measures, where NDVI saturates or misleads, and how to pick the right index for the crop and the agronomic question in Colombia.
Deforestation monitoring with satellite imagery in Colombia: early-warning systems and how they work
How forest loss is detected from space in Colombia: Sentinel and Landsat sensors, early-warning systems, IDEAM's role, and how organizations can stand up operational deforestation monitoring.
Digital elevation models: DEM, DTM and DSM — differences, sources and when to use each in Colombia
DEM, DTM and DSM are not synonyms. This guide clarifies the difference, reviews the sources available for Colombia (SRTM, COP30, ALOS, LiDAR) and explains when each model is the right choice.
Mass appraisal with GIS: how land is valued in the multipurpose cadastre
Mass appraisal is the economic heart of the multipurpose cadastre. How homogeneous zones are built, the role GIS plays, which methods are used, and how the quality of land valuation is controlled in Colombia.
Artificial intelligence applied to GIS: real cases in Colombia
What AI really changes in the geospatial workflow: land cover classification, automated cadastral validation, change detection and prediction, with Colombian examples.
Land use change analysis with QGIS: a practical guide for Colombia
How to measure land cover and land use change between two dates with QGIS and Sentinel-2: classification, transition matrix and change map, with Colombian data.
Satellite monitoring of oil palm in Colombia: indices, alerts and costs
How satellite monitoring detects stress, bud rot and yield drops in oil palm before the human eye can. Indices, resolution and costs for Colombia.
Territory digital twin: what it is and how it applies in Colombia
Beyond the map: what a territory digital twin is, how it differs from a traditional GIS, and real applications in cadastre, road management and risk in Colombia.
Multipurpose cadastre in Colombia: what it is, how it works and who implements it [2026]
Complete guide to Colombia's multipurpose cadastre. Definition, the 5 components (physical, legal, fiscal, economic, environmental), regulatory framework (Law 1955, Decree 148, Resolution 388), phased implementation, costs and fiscal benefits for municipalities.
How to choose a geospatial consultancy in Colombia: 10 key criteria
A guide for evaluating geospatial consultancies. Experience, tech stack, proprietary products, LADM-COL, migration, AI, references, and more.
Cadastral software in Colombia 2026: landscape and comparison
Comparison of LADM-COL cadastral software platforms in Colombia. IGAC tools, commercial platforms, and full-service solutions.
ArcGIS or QGIS for government in Colombia: 2026 decision guide
Decision framework for choosing between ArcGIS and QGIS in Colombian government agencies. Costs, LADM-COL, migration, and real cases.
Drone Topography in Colombia: Costs, Accuracy, and Regulations 2026
Complete guide to drone topography in Colombia. Costs per hectare, achievable accuracies, Civil Aviation regulations, and comparison with traditional surveying.
How to Choose a Cadastral Operator in Colombia: A Guide for Government Entities
What to look for when hiring a cadastral operator. LADM-COL experience, technical capacity, proprietary software, XTF export, and IGAC compliance.
QGIS: Basic Tutorial for Government Geospatial Projects
Practical introduction to QGIS for government staff. Installation, data loading, visualization, spatial queries, and publishing with GeoServer.
Environmental Monitoring with Sentinel-2: A Practical Guide for Colombia
How to use free Sentinel-2 imagery for deforestation monitoring, vegetation cover, and land-use change detection in Colombia.
Terraes: How Our Cadastral Management Platform Works
Architecture, features, and use cases of Terraes, the LADM-COL cadastral platform with which we have updated 9 municipalities. Virtual office, XTF export, and AI validation.
How to implement LADM-COL: a step-by-step guide
What is LADM-COL, how the data model works, how to generate XTF files, and what IGAC requires. Based on our experience in 29 municipalities.
AI for Cadastre: How We Automated Property Validation
How we apply artificial intelligence to automate cadastral validation, detect inconsistencies, and reduce errors in property management.
PostGIS for cadastre: a getting started guide
How to use PostGIS as a geospatial database for cadastral management. Installation, data structure, spatial queries, and connecting to QGIS.
Why NDVI alone is no longer enough for crop monitoring
Analysis of new satellite indices (MSAVI, GNDVI, OSAVI) and when to use each in Colombian crops.
LADM-COL: practical guide for cadastral operators
What the LADM-COL standard is, how XTF export works, and what it means for cadastral management in Colombia.
Carrying the One Ring: Imposter Syndrome.
From music to HuecosMed, Ctzen and Dondo: a personal reflection on ambition, impostor syndrome and the pressure to make everything I build leave a lasting mark.
The cadastral operator of the future is a software company
Why the next decade of cadastre will be defined by code quality.
Letting go of control in the midst of the storm
A personal reflection on emotional control, grief, disruption and learning to let life carry you through the storm.