Hey, I'm Alexi! 👋
I'm an 18-year-old developer from Manila who's been obsessed with code since I was 7. What started as curiosity watching my aunts and uncles work on projects turned into a full-blown passion.
Now I'm a CS sophomore at Ateneo, building things that actually help people. My philosophy is simple: "code for others".
I believe "we can just do things" — no permission needed. Just build, ship, and make an impact.
When I'm not coding: playing games 🎮, going out with my friends 🌟, and exploring new ideas 💡
Life in Motion
Coffee, code, cameras, and everything in between
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How It Started
The origin story
I was 7 years old when I first saw my aunts and uncles working on a Visual Basic project. They had these three radio buttons, and when you clicked one, a picture would change on screen. To seven-year-old me, it looked like magic.
My family showed me how to make websites with Wix, and I immediately started creating sites about my favorite games and toys. Soon I was building a web browser called IcyFox (yeah, I basically copied Firefox). I made seven versions, each one slightly better.
During the pandemic, I discovered The Odin Project and finally learned to actually understand code instead of just copying it. Built a calculator, sketchpad, rock-paper-scissors — each one taught me something new.
Now I'm at Ateneo as a DOST Merit Scholar, building tools that thousands of students use — the Enlistment Helper, QPI Calculator, and One Big Match. Currently serving as AVP at MISA while interning at NextPay.
Where it all started ✨
Why I Build Things
The philosophy
"Coding for others"
At Ateneo, they teach the Jesuit idea of being a "person for others." That's when it clicked. I don't build for my portfolio or to pad my resume. I build because students need better tools, communities need better platforms, and real problems need real solutions.
The "thank yous" from students using the QPI calculator during finals week, seeing the Enlistment Helper actually help people get into classes they need. These weren't super big new inventions, but they were small ways to help, using code. And that became my biggest motivation.
"We can just do things"
I believe in human agency. See a problem? Build the solution. Have an idea? Ship it. The gap between "this should exist" and "I made this exist" is just action. No gatekeepers, no waiting for permission. We can just do things.
My advice is simple: Start. Even if you feel like you're starting late, it's never too late if it's something you really want to try. It's going to be hard. There will be moments when you're stuck on a problem you can't fix. But if it's something you're passionate about, it'll be worth it.
Here's what keeps me going: it's not the technical challenges (though those are fun). It's knowing that something I built is making someone's day a little easier. That feeling of making a difference, however small, is way more satisfying than solving any coding problem.
I code for others. And that's a pretty powerful reason to code.
Alexi Cañamo discovered a love for coding at 7, watching his aunts and uncles work on a Visual Basic project.
From building seven versions of a browser called IcyFox to surviving tutorial hell during the pandemic with The Odin Project, Alexi learned that the best way to understand code is to build things that actually help people.
Now a 2nd-year CS student at Ateneo and DOST Merit Scholar, he's built tools used by thousands — the Ateneo Enlistment Helper and QPI Calculator. He founded One Big Match, a matchmaking app for seamless event icebreakers, because networking shouldn't be awkward.
As AVP for Skills and Development at MISA and a Software Engineering Intern at NextPay (a Filipino fintech startup), Alexi's mission is simple: build things that solve real problems, ship fast, and make an impact.