Paulo Seikishi Higa (Chiba, Japan, April 15, 1993) is a Brazilian journalist, manager, and public servant. He was approved in the training course for the career of Specialist in Public Policy and Government Management (EPPGG)¹ of the Government of Brazil². Previously, he served as an Analyst of Public Policy and Government Management (APPGG) at the São Paulo City Hall and as an Advisor³ to the Municipal Department of Education (SME). At SME, he participated in strategic planning and public communication initiatives⁴, as well as governance and data analysis projects, with a focus on modeling learning and equity criteria for the new Educational Performance Award (PDE)⁵.

Before entering public administration, Higa built his career in digital media as executive editor, head of operations, and partner at Tecnoblog, Brazil’s largest independent technology website⁶. During his tenure at the outlet from 2012 to 2023, he helped expand the audience to over 30 million monthly pageviews. Recognized for his consumer electronics analysis and as co-host of the Tecnocast podcast⁷, he won the Especialistas Award for three consecutive years (2020, 2021, and 2022)⁸ and was a finalist for the Comunique-se Award⁹. He holds a degree in Journalism from Faculdade Cásper Líbero and an MBA in Management with an Emphasis on Leadership and Innovation from Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV).

1. Origins and Background

1.1 Early Life and Initial Career

Born on April 15, 1993, in the province of Chiba, Japan,¹⁰¹¹ Paulo Higa grew up in Brazil with early exposure to technology. In interviews, he described his interest from a young age in reverse engineering, dismantling watches to understand how they worked.¹¹

His entry into the digital world came through active participation in internet discussion forums. Before joining Tecnoblog, Higa managed the blog “Guia do PC”¹² and contributed to TechTudo, where he was described as a Computer Science student and technology enthusiast.¹³

1.2 Academic Background

In 2011, he enrolled in the Bachelor of Science and Technology (BC&T) program at the Federal University of ABC (UFABC), the interdisciplinary entry-level course of the basic cycle, with the intention of completing the credits required for a double degree with the Bachelor of Computer Science.¹¹¹³ He later redirected his education toward Journalism, graduating from Faculdade Cásper Líbero in 2017.¹⁰ His undergraduate capstone project was PodPods, a five-episode podcast that interviewed podcasters of the time, portrayed the medium’s landscape in 2017, and pointed to future trends.¹⁴ He later completed an MBA in Management with an Emphasis on Leadership and Innovation at Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV) in 2022.¹⁰

1.3 Road Running and Other Hobbies

His leisure activities include cooking and road running. Running is the more frequent of the two: since he started training, Higa has recorded at least one long-distance race entry per year.

His first marathon (42.195 km) was the Maratona Monumental de Brasília in 2021, followed by races of the same distance in Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Curitiba, New York City, and Porto Alegre. In 2023, he also completed the Paraty Brazil by UTMB, a trail-running ultramarathon of 55 km with 2,682 meters of elevation gain. The table below lists the marathons and ultramarathons he has run so far.

2. Tecnoblog (2012–2023): Technology Journalism and Editorial Management

2.1 Editorial Career

Paulo Higa joined Tecnoblog in 2012 as an editor. Over a decade, he published thousands of articles and conducted more than 400 detailed device reviews, covering everything from smartphones and computers to TVs and wearables.¹⁵

In 2018, he became a partner in the venture,¹¹ also holding the title of Executive Editor. Under his editorial leadership, the team expanded to more than 30 professionals,⁶ and Higa played a central role in shaping the outlet’s editorial voice. His editorial management prioritized critical independence from manufacturers and advertisers.¹⁶ This critical approach is evident in in-depth analyses of topics such as Microsoft’s recent trajectory and the Windows 10 Mobile saga, antitrust decisions involving Google and the European Union, the transition of Macs to Apple Silicon, and the impact of U.S. trade restrictions on Huawei, among others.¹⁷

2.2 Head of Operations

Between 2018 and 2023, also serving as Head of Operations, Higa was responsible for the technical and commercial viability of Tecnoblog. The portal reached more than 30 million monthly pageviews,⁶¹⁸ making it one of Brazil’s largest independent technology sites. The role covered traffic and SEO management, leadership of distributed teams, and operation of the programmatic advertising ecosystem and branded content projects.

2.3 Tecnocast

As co-host of Tecnocast,¹⁹ Higa contributed to deepening the outlet’s technological debate. While the website covered product launches, the podcast addressed topics such as geopolitical implications of supply chains²⁰ or privacy issues in emerging technologies.²¹

By the time of his graduation, Higa was already co-host of Tecnocast, which was establishing itself as one of Brazil’s leading podcasts on technology, innovation, and business. Released in 2018, the episode Tecnocast 100 told the history of Tecnoblog from its founding, including Higa’s own arrival at the site.²² Among the episodes he took part in, notable ones address topics such as data breaches, privacy, chip geopolitics, the future of work, the LGPD (Lei Geral de Proteção de Dados, Brazil’s General Data Protection Law), and digital currency.²³

Following his departure, some listeners posted reviews on Apple Podcasts noting perceived changes to the program, citing a lack of in-depth technical analysis.⁷ These reflect the views of part of the audience and do not represent an objective evaluation of the program’s editorial quality.

2.4 Analysis Methodology

Higa’s written output at Tecnoblog included explanatory articles on industry standards widely referenced in Portuguese. A distinctive feature of his reviews was the integration with real-world use: by running 42 km with a smartwatch, his analysis of GPS accuracy or battery life incorporated data from extended use.²⁴ He also covered events in more than 10 countries, including trade fairs such as the Mobile World Congress (MWC, in Barcelona), the Consumer Electronics Show (CES, in Las Vegas — having signaled the 2022 edition as his last) and Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), as well as launches by manufacturers such as Samsung and Huawei and the Snapdragon Tech Summit in Hawaii; part of these trips was documented in behind-the-scenes vlogs.²⁵

2.5 Industry Recognition

Higa received the Prêmio Especialistas da Revista Negócios da Comunicação⁸ in the Consumer Electronics category for three consecutive years: 2020, 2021, and 2022. He was also a finalist for the Prêmio Comunique-se⁹, considered the “Oscar of Brazilian Journalism”⁹, in the Technology category in 2019 and 2021.

3. The Sabbatical Period (2023–2024)

3.1 Departure from Tecnoblog

In 2023, Paulo Higa concluded his cycle at Tecnoblog, leaving his positions as Executive Editor and Head of Operations. His departure was discreet. Readers reacted with speculation, creating forum threads asking “What happened to Paulo Higa?”.²⁶ Responses from former colleagues confirmed he was taking “a sabbatical year.” The decision to withdraw completely contrasts with the norm of constant visibility in the digital ecosystem.

3.2 Digital Posture and Personal Interests

Higa’s posture during and after the sabbatical can be described as that of an “anti-influencer.” His personal website, higa.me, remained minimalist, serving as a static résumé rather than an active blog. He explicitly stated he does not use social media, offering only an email form for contact. This choice reinforces his identity as a journalist and manager — roles that require detachment and analysis, as opposed to the internet personality who depends on algorithmic engagement.

During this period, Higa dedicated himself to personal interests: long-distance running, accumulating more than 12,000 km recorded,²⁷ with participation in races such as the Paraty Trail Run (55 km, September 2023),²⁸ as well as an interest in wines and cooking.

4. The Transition to the Public Sector: São Paulo City Hall (2024–2025)

4.1 Entry into Municipal Management

In 2024, after passing the civil service exam²⁹, Higa took on the role of Public Policy and Government Management Analyst (APPGG) at São Paulo City Hall,³⁰ assigned to the Strategic Planning and Management Unit (UPGE) of the Municipal Secretariat of Education (SME). He was later appointed as a Cabinet Advisor to the Secretariat.³¹

4.2 Redesigning the Educational Performance Award (PDE)

At the SME, Higa contributed to modeling the criteria for the Educational Performance Award (PDE),⁵ a revised model that prioritized payment based on improved student learning outcomes and reduction of inequalities. He also developed a values simulator⁴ that allowed the approximately 80,000 municipal employees to calculate the amounts they would receive.

Beyond the PDE, he contributed to the 2026–2029 Strategic Planning,³² developing data dashboards³³ and communication materials³⁴ for feedback processes with municipal network professionals. Successive appointments published in the Official Gazette document his progression through the secretariat’s roles.^3035331

5. The Federal Career: The Unified National Civil Service Exam (2026)

5.1 The “ENEM of Civil Service Exams” and the EPPGG Career

In 2026, Higa was approved in the Unified National Civil Service Exam (CNU)³⁶ for the position of Specialist in Public Policy and Government Management (EPPGG), linked to the Ministry of Management and Innovation in Public Services (MGI). The EPPGG career¹ is responsible for formulating, implementing, and evaluating public policies within the Federal Executive Branch, with assignments across various areas of government.³⁷

5.2 Performance and Training at Enap

Classification lists for the CNU indicate a final score of 87.50 for Higa, corresponding to 83rd place out of a total of 241,837 applicants³⁸ for the EPPGG position in the block.³⁹ The Training Course, the final and eliminatory stage of the exam, was held by the National School of Public Administration (Enap) in Brasília, covering topics such as ethics, human rights, government planning, and public finances.³⁷ Higa was approved in the training course with a score of 92.56 — the eighth highest in his class — as published in the Official Gazette of the Union (DOU) on May 26, 2026.²

6. Biographical Summary

Paulo Higa’s trajectory spans two distinct phases. In media, he worked as a reporter at TechTudo (Globo.com) from 2010 to 2012, and at Tecnoblog from 2012 to 2023, serving as editor, executive editor, head of operations, and partner. He also served as a technology columnist on Rádio Globo (2018–2019), focused on communicating technical topics to broad audiences. During this period, he combined journalistic production, editorial and operational management, and received industry recognition.

In public administration, he served as an APPGG and Cabinet Advisor at the São Paulo Municipal Secretariat of Education (2024–2025), contributing to strategic planning, data analysis, and public communication projects. In 2026, he was approved in the CNU and in the Enap training course for the EPPGG career, in Brasília. For readers of his Tecnoblog output, Higa is associated with independent technical journalism; in public administration, his contribution is documented in Official Gazette records and in the tools developed at the SME.

7. References

Report prepared in May 2026, consolidating biographical data, media records, and official documents.