The J Curve with Olga Maslikhova

Roberto Oliveira, Founder and CEO of Blip, shares his incredible journey from a mobile phone booth to leading one of Brazil's top AI platforms. He discusses how messaging apps like WhatsApp are outpacing traditional websites, reshaping commerce. Oliveira reveals why Brazil is a testing ground for innovative business strategies and sheds light on AI's transformative role in marketing and customer service. He also offers insights on global expansion and building a consumer-centric approach in a tech-driven world.

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. 🚀More from us: Subscribe to our weekly newsletter ⁠The J Curve Insider⁠, where we go beyond the podcast to break down the most exciting investment & tech trends in LATAM. Sharp. Concise. Real business strategies and market insights you won’t find anywhere else. Delivered straight to your inbox.Follow us on⁠ LinkedIn⁠ or ⁠Instagram

In this engaging conversation, Andre Penha, co-founder of QuintoAndar and CEO of IBBX, dives into his transformative journey in Latin America's tech landscape. He reveals how QuintoAndar revolutionized Brazil's rental market by prioritizing transparency and reliability. Andre also discusses his ‘No Assholes Allowed’ hiring policy and decision-making frameworks. Looking ahead, he shares his vision for IBBX and the future of wireless electricity, hinting at its potential trillion-dollar impact while debunking common tech misconceptions.

Paulo Passoni, a leading Latin American investor and key figure in SoftBank's tech investments, dives into the challenges startups face in LatAm. He discusses the shortcomings of M&A as an exit strategy and the harsh realities of pursuing IPOs, revealing that $300M+ revenue is essential for listing. Paulo critiques the $200M acquisition trap, explores how SoftBank's investments reshaped the landscape, and emphasizes the critical role of AI in accelerating startup growth. His insights are a must for anyone invested in the future of Latin American entrepreneurship.

🎙️ No Guests, Just You & Me 🌍 Season 3 of The J Curve is officially wrapped, and I’m here to unpack the journey so far. From doubling our Spotify streams to hitting the top 5% of videocasts globally (what?!), this year has been a wild ride. In this solo ep, I’m breaking down: 🔥 Why podcasting is THE medium of the future. 🌎 LATAM’s tech explosion—blockbuster M&As, IPOs, and a pipeline of unicorns. 💡 The 10 life-changing lessons I’ve learned from 40+ brilliant founders. It’s bold. It’s personal. It’s everything you didn’t know you needed. 🎧 Tune in now and let’s close this season on a high note! If you would like to get more insight from LatAm's leading tech founders and investors, subscribe to our new ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube channel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.  Follow Olga on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Olga is an entrepreneur, venture capital investor, mentor at Techstars and founder at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The J Curve⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, Latin America's leading English speaking podcast about tech builders. She's been investing in the USA, SEA and Latin America for over 13 years. Companies she backed include tech unicorn ClassPass (acquired by Mindbody) and Vitalk (acquired by Gympass).

Allen Taylor, Managing Partner at Endeavor Catalyst, has dedicated 18 years to supporting high-impact entrepreneurs in emerging markets. He shares insights from his transformative journey from California to Latin America, emphasizing the importance of patience and long-term thinking in creating billion-dollar companies. Discussing Endeavor's innovative investment strategies, Allen highlights its impressive $6 million bet that returned 8x, and the untapped potential in sectors like agribusiness and SaaS. This engaging conversation is packed with valuable lessons for founders and investors alike.

On this special episode of The J Curve, I swap roles with the incredible Veronica Serra—founding partner at Innova Capital and Endeavor Global board member. With dirty martinis in hand, I shared my entrepreneurial journey, life lessons, and love for Latin America’s startup ecosystem. A rare and unforgettable moment 🥂 Enjoy!

Marcelo Lombardo, CEO of Omie, shares his journey from tech to leading a $100M ARR startup, revolutionizing Brazil's ERP landscape. He discusses tactical shifts, like pivoting to accountant partnerships, and mastering B2B sales processes that close deals rapidly. Lombardo addresses the challenges of fundraising, warns against the VC2G trap, and reveals strategies for navigating Brazil's complex tax system. His insights on building resilient company culture and the role of M&A in growth are invaluable for aspiring entrepreneurs and investors.

Welcome to Season 3 of The J Curve, a podcast about entrepreneurship in Latin America with me, Olga Maslikhova. My guest today is Adhemar Milani Neto, founder and CEO of Kovi, an ‘all-inclusive’ car subscription platform for gig workers. Kovi has raised $145M from top investors like Valor Capital, Prosus Ventures, Quona, Monashees, Norte, Maya Capital, Globo Ventures, and Peter Thiel’s family office. In this episode, we talk about Brazil’s unique mobility landscape, the lessons from transforming Kovi from a pure tech company to an operational technology business, and how Adhemar is building a holistic company culture—plus so much more.In today's episode we discuss:​ Driving innovation: how Brazil’s mobility challenges are reshaping the market with subscriptions and connected technology​ Connect the dots: how transparency and proactive communication build stronger founder/VC partnerships?​ Complexity doesn't scale: how to build scalable operations with purpose and precision?​ Break down silos: how to create synergy between tech-driven culture and operations in a startup​ Clean win: how Brazil’s renewable edge and gig economy fuel EV growth?If you would like to get more insight from LatAm's leading tech founders and investors, subscribe to our new ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube channel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Follow Olga on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Olga is an entrepreneur, venture capital investor, mentor at Techstars and founder at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The J Curve⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, Latin America's leading English speaking podcast about tech builders. She's been investing in the USA, SEA and Latin America for over 13 years. Companies she backed include tech unicorn ClassPass (acquired by Mindbody) and Vitalk (acquired by Gympass).

Welcome to Season 3 of The J Curve, a podcast about entrepreneurship in Latin America. My guest today is ⁠Sergio Furio⁠, chairman of the board of Endeavor Brazil and founder and CEO of Creditas, Brazil’s leading fintech lender that is transforming Brazil's lending landscape by offering secured loans at significantly lower interest rates, bringing essential financial access to millions across the country. Creditas has raised $879m dollars across six funding rounds. It’s most recent valuation is $4.8B and the list of backers includes the likes of Fidelity, Advent International, Lightrock, QED, VEF, Softbank and Kaszek.  In this episode, we dive into the value of choosing the right market, distinct challenges and opportunities of Brazil’s financial services ecosystem, Creditas’ pivot from a marketplace to direct lending, and how Sergio’s fresh perspective as an expat gave him the courage to challenge the status quo.   1. The Market Matters: How targeting the right market can make or break your startup? 2. Profitability Roadmap: Why profitability depends on margins and smart resource management over drastic cost-cutting? 3. Smart Capital, Stronger Foundations: The long-term benefits of choosing investors who share your mission and bring strategic value, not just funds 4. From 6 to 2000: The Creditas team-building playbook—forget résumés, hire for grit and vision 5. Breaking the Mold: Why outsiders see opportunities that insiders miss? If you would like to get more insight from LatAm's leading tech founders and investors, subscribe to our new ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube channel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.  Follow Olga on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Olga is an entrepreneur, venture capital investor, mentor at Techstars and founder at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The J Curve⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, Latin America's leading English speaking podcast about tech builders. She's been investing in the USA, SEA and Latin America for over 13 years. Companies she backed include tech unicorn ClassPass (acquired by Mindbody) and Vitalk (acquired by Gympass).