20VC: Brex's Henrique Dubugras on Advice from Evan Spiegel and Eric Schmidt on CEOship, The Biggest Hiring Mistakes When Scaling, What Everyone Gets Wrong with Product Messaging and When is the Right Time to Launch Secondary Products
Henrique Dubugras, Founder and CEO of Brex, dives into his journey of building a transformative financial tech platform. He reveals pivotal advice from Evan Spiegel on effective CEO leadership and shares his biggest hiring blunders while emphasizing the art of spotting A* talent. The discussion also explores when to launch secondary products and the importance of keeping product messaging clear amidst growth. Henrique candidly reflects on lessons learned from Brex's rapid expansion and the balance required in navigating the fintech landscape.
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volunteer_activism ADVICE
Authentic Leadership
Be authentic as a CEO, embracing your strengths and weaknesses.
Don't try to emulate other leaders like Elon Musk if it doesn't fit your personality.
question_answer ANECDOTE
ADHD and Learning Style
Henrique Dubugras was diagnosed with ADHD and struggles with reading, unlike many CEOs who read extensively.
He found that medication helped with focus but hindered spontaneity and relationship-building, leading him to embrace his learning style through personal interactions.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Hiring Mistakes
Avoid hiring executives solely from big companies, especially early on.
They might struggle to adapt to the fast-paced, ever-changing environment of a startup.
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This book builds on Christensen's earlier work, 'The Innovator's Dilemma', by providing practical advice and frameworks for executives to handle disruptive innovation in large organizations. It distinguishes between sustaining and disruptive innovations, and offers strategies for identifying the right customers, managing processes, and creating new value networks. The authors emphasize the importance of learning new skills, appointing the right people, and making strategic investments in growth initiatives[2][3][4].
Atomic Habits
James Clear
Atomic Habits by James Clear provides a practical and scientifically-backed guide to forming good habits and breaking bad ones. The book introduces the Four Laws of Behavior Change: make it obvious, make it attractive, make it easy, and make it satisfying. It also emphasizes the importance of small, incremental changes (atomic habits) that compound over time to produce significant results. Clear discusses techniques such as habit stacking, optimizing the environment to support desired habits, and focusing on continuous improvement rather than goal fixation. The book is filled with actionable strategies, real-life examples, and stories from various fields, making it a valuable resource for anyone seeking to improve their habits and achieve personal growth[2][4][5].
Henrique Dubugras is the Founder and CEO @ Brex, the company re-imagining financial systems so every growing company can realize its full potential. To date, Henrique has raised over $1.1BN for Brex from some of the best including Ribbit, Greenoaks, DST, IVP, Caffeinated Capital and Elad Gil to name a few. Henrique is also a board member at Mercado Libre. Prior to co-founding Brex, Henrique co-founded Pagar.me, there he scaled the company to $15BN in GMV and over 100 people before selling the company in 2016.
In Today’s Episode with Henrique Dubugras You Will Learn:
1.) The Founding of Brex:
What was the founding a-ha moment for Henrique and Pedro with Brex?
What advice did Evan Spiegel give Henrique when it comes to being a great CEO?
2.) Hiring: The Trials and Tribulations
What have been Henrique's biggest hiring mistakes?
How do founders know when they are ready to bring in the seasoned exec vs the younger jack of all trades candidate?
What have been Henrique's biggest lessons in what it takes to hire true A* talent?
Where does Henrique see other founders make big hiring mistakes?
3.) Product Expansion and Marketing:
How does Henrique assess when is the right time to release a second product?
What have been Henrique's biggest mistakes and lessons when it comes to product marketing?
How can one retain the simplicity of product messaging with scaling the product?
Brex expanded the product too far, too fast. How did they walk it back so successfully?
4.) Henrique: The Leader
How does Henrique approach his own relationship to money today? How has it changed over time?
What luxury expenditure has Henrique made over the last 12 months that he feels is worth it?
How does Henrique think about ego management? What does he do to keep his in check?
Item’s Mentioned In Today’s Episode with Henrique Dubugras
The Twenty Minute VC (20VC): Venture Capital | Startup Funding | The Pitch 
