From Bankrupt Airline to Barcelona Terrace

How I went from broke single mom to AI Product Engineer — and why I now build my products in public

Hi, I'm Åsa Eriksson.

Today I build AI products from my Barcelona terrace — for clients, and for Tech Beach Mama, sharing the honest numbers as I go.

But 8 years ago? I was completely stuck.

May 2017: The Day Everything Fell Apart

My marriage ended. My airline went bankrupt. And I was alone in Spain with two little kids - ages 5 and 8.

My Swedish friends were all moving back to Sweden for better jobs and higher salaries. But I couldn't. I was stuck in a country with very low wages, no car, no savings, and an extremely small flat I was lucky to keep.

I felt emotionally numb and completely alone.

My parents were in Sweden. I had no network here. And I had absolutely no idea how I was going to support my children.

I tried graphic design. I tried translation work. Nothing paid enough.

I was desperate. And I was running out of time.

The Discovery That Changed Everything

Late one night, after my kids were asleep, I started researching:

"High-paying jobs with quick learning curve"

"Remote work from Spain"

"Career change for single moms"

That's when I found it - Software development.

And specifically, web development bootcamps where 95% of graduates got job offers immediately after finishing.

9 weeks. That's all it took. Not 4 years. Not a university degree. Not being "good at math". Just 9 weeks of intensive learning.

I borrowed money from my parents. I enrolled at Ironhack Barcelona. And I bet everything on this one chance.

November 2018: 9 Weeks That Changed My Life

Week 1: Studying at my new Bootcamp at Ironhack in Barcelona. What is CSS? I had no idea.

Week 4: Built my first interactive website. I couldn't believe I did that.

Week 9: Graduated from Ironhack on a Sunday and signed my first contract as a junior developer at Grant Thornton the following Thursday.

The same week I graduated from my Bootcamp I got hired at Grant Thornton, a famous international law firm.

I was a frontend developer and a UI/UX designer!

I had a salary that could support my kids.

I had skills that would work anywhere in the world.

I was free.

The Next 7 Years: Building My Career

I didn't stop at my first job. I worked hard. I learned constantly. I proved myself.

My career progression:

2018: Junior Frontend Developer & UI/UX Designer at Grant Thornton
2019-2025: Frontend Developer & UI/UX Designer at consultancy firm
Created web applications for one of Europe's biggest automotive groups
Designed user interfaces for international clients
Doubled my salary in 5 years
2026: Went freelance as an AI Product Engineer — building AI features into real client products

All while raising two kids. In Barcelona. One of Europe's most expensive cities.

I could work from my terrace. From a beach club. From Costa Brava on weekends.

I chose my hours. I chose my location. I was there for my kids' school events, sick days, and every moment that mattered.

This is what tech gave me: Freedom.

My Life Today: Barcelona, Coffee, and Complete Freedom

My typical day starts on my terrace in Barcelona.

Coffee. Laptop. The sound of birds flying over my inner garden.

Sometimes I take a break and lay on my sunbed, soaking in the Spanish sun.

I meet friends for lunch. I work when I want. I travel to Costa Brava or Formentera on weekends in summer.

My kids are 15 and 17 now - we've built this life together.

And here's what matters most:

✓ I never worry about money
✓ I choose my own hours
✓ I'm always there for my children
✓ I live in a sunny country I love
✓ I have work to offer no matter what happens in the world

Twenty years of building things taught me one lesson: skills don't expire — they evolve. Mine now build AI products.

The Moment I Knew

I started Tech Beach Mama in 2025 because I kept meeting women who were exactly where I was in 2017 — stuck, scared, and not knowing where to start.

But as I started building AI products for clients, I watched the ground shift under the old promise. The junior roles beginners were aiming for? AI was swallowing them. Meanwhile, something new opened up: one skilled woman with the right plan could suddenly build — and sell — what used to take a whole team.

The biggest opportunity wasn't getting women into tech anymore. It was getting women who are already in tech to build something of their own.

And I knew exactly who was missing it: developers, designers, analysts — capable, skilled women stuck in permanent preparation mode. Always one more course away from starting. I know that mode. I lived in it for years.

So in 2026 I repositioned Tech Beach Mama around one question: what if I could give skilled women the plan and the push to build something that actually pays?

That's what Tech Beach Mama is today.

My Mission: Help Women With Tech Skills Ship Products That Pay

Here's what I'm building:

The AI Product Blueprint — a free, personalized step-by-step plan from your idea to your first paying AI product
Building in public — I share what I'm building and earning with my own products, honest numbers included
Tools that come next — templates, guides and starter kits shaped by what Blueprint users actually get stuck on, not by what's easy to sell

My goal?

To help as many women as possible turn the skills they already have into income that's theirs — a product, a price, a first sale, and the independence that follows.

Because if I could rebuild my life at 43 with no tech background, no money, and two kids to feed — you can build one product.

Beyond the Code: Who I Am

When I'm not building AI products or helping other women ship theirs, you'll find me:

🌊 At the beach - Costa Brava and Formentera are my happy places
👗 Dressed up - I love fashion and summer dresses
🥗 Eating great food - Healthy Mediterranean cuisine is my weakness
✈️ Traveling - Spain has endless beautiful spots to discover
👥 With my people - Friends and family time is everything
📚 Learning - I'm constantly improving my skills and studying new things

Three words that describe me: Social. Determined. Resilient.

What I'm most proud of: Showing my kids that hard work pays off, that it's never too late to start over, and that a struggling mother can become successful.

Let Me Be Honest With You

This journey wasn't easy.
I failed. A lot.
I doubted myself. Constantly.
I started "too late" at 43 (or so I thought).
I lived in a country with low salaries.
I had no network, no safety net, no plan B.

But here's what I learned:

"Your circumstances don't define your possibilities. Your decisions do."

I decided to learn. I decided to try. I decided to never look back on my failures.
And that's what made all the difference.
You have that same choice right now.