Guilherme Horn (Agora, Orama, WhatsApp) on How WhatsApp Took Over Brazil’s Economy—And What’s Next

Mar 11, 2025

01:02:28

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Welcome to Season 4 of The J Curve 🎙️

This week, I sit down with Guilherme Horn, one of the most influential figures in LatAm’s fintech and tech landscape. Guilherme has built and exited multiple companies, including Agora (acquired for $500M by Bradesco), which helped transform Brazil’s stock market, and Órama, the country’s first fully cloud-based bank. Now, as WhatsApp’s Head of Strategic Markets, he’s driving a major shift in how businesses, banks, and governments leverage messaging as their primary digital infrastructure.

Here’s what we cover:

♢ Why WhatsApp is replacing websites and apps – The rise of C-commerce and what it means for businesses.

♢ Why Brazil leapfrogged the U.S. in digital adoption – The cultural and structural reasons behind WhatsApp’s dominance.

♢ AI in fintech – How automation will redefine credit, payments, and personal finance.

♢ How WhatsApp is becoming a financial services hub – and all the surprising ways banks are integrating into chat.

♢ What founders must unlearn when they scale – Why the skills that get you to $10M won’t get you to $100M.

This episode is for founders navigating tough markets, investors looking for the next breakout tech, and operators rethinking how businesses connect with customers. It is packed with unfiltered insights you won’t hear anywhere else. Let’s get into it. 🚀