Tech Veteran Trades Software Engineering for Career as Mentalist
Former tech executive Javi Feo has transitioned into a career as an illusionist, blending his background in software engineering with mentalism in his new Madrid-based show, Aquí y Ahora.
Javi Feo, a 42-year-old from Tenerife, has made headlines recently for a bold career change: leaving a successful life in the tech industry to return to his roots as an illusionist and mentalist. His journey offers a fascinating look at how a background in logic and engineering can breathe new life into the performing arts.
After spending 20 years as a computer engineer and software developer—a world defined by structure and predictability—Feo has returned to the passion he first discovered as a teenager. Rather than leaving his technical skills behind, he has used them to shape his new show, Aquí y Ahora (Here and Now). The performance, running every Saturday in October at Espacio Alma in Madrid, ditches traditional stage tricks in favor of direct interaction, focusing on how people make decisions and perceive the world around them.
Feo’s interest in magic began at 13, when he taught himself the craft using specialized books. As a young man, he even toured the Canary Islands with a group called Los Cuatro Ases. However, his artistic path was put on hold when he moved to Madrid to study graphic design and eventually spent 17 years leading the technology department at a marketing agency.
His new show, taking place at 11:00 p.m. on October 3, 10, 17, and 24, blends his past and present. By combining systems thinking, visual design, and his keen observation of human behavior, Feo has created a performance where audience reactions and uncertainty take center stage. For Feo, this isn't a departure from his past, but a synthesis of his experience as a programmer and businessman, now applied to a stage where he challenges the audience to rethink their own logic.