In this final episode of the year we are going through some growth metrics we've managed to achieve this year as well as taking a look back at top 10 most listened-to episodes of the year and sharing our favorite moments from each and every one of them. If you would like to get more insight from LatAm's leading tech founders and investors, please subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube channel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. That is the best way to support the show. 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).

Hi everyone and welcome to The J Curve. This time we have a very different format. In this episode, I answer the questions posed by the students of entrepreneurship class at Purdue University on entrepreneurship, early stage investing, tech in Latin America and so much more. We discuss: 1. How to stay on top of emerging tech trends? 2. What is preferred capital structure of the early stage startups? 3. What are the red flags for startup investors? 4. What are the big reasons to invest in Latin America? 5. What is the main difference between tech entrepreneurs in Brazil and US? 6. How to resist the herd mentality prevalent in VC? 7. What are the industries I am excited about as an investor? 8. How to assess startups in terms of market potential? The talk was slightly edited for length and clarity. Hope you enjoy! 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).

For this in studio episode I am thrilled to welcome Gabriela Toribio, Managing Director at telco giant Telefonica’s Brazilian corporate venture capital arms Vivo Ventures and Wayra. Vivo Ventures and Wayra have invested in 30+ startups in Brazil including a low-code integration platform Digibee. Prior to joining Telefonica, Gabriela launched venture capital arms in Votorantim and Companhia Siderurgica Nacional, two large industrial corporations in Brazil. In today's episode we will discuss:  1. Investor pick: what qualities do CVCs look for in founders? 2. Pay forward: how to build long lasting connections in business and life? 3. Permission to fail: what large companies get wrong about corporate venture capital? 4. Cash, infrastructure, distribution: how can a corporate venture capital fund help your startup? 5. Women mean business: how to succeed in the corporate world as a female? 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).

For this in studio episode I am thrilled to welcome Roberto Dagnoni, an Endeavor Entrepreneur and the Executive Chairman and CEO at 2TM, a holding company of Mercado Bitcoin, the largest crypto exchange in Latin America that was valued at $2.1B after raising $200 million in Series B funding from the SoftBank Latin America Fund. Roberto has also invested in 60+ early stage startups including Brazilian digital bank Neon. In today's episode we will discuss:  1. From financial services to loyalty programs: why the future is blockchain? 2. Blockchain the Brazilian way: what are the three big reasons why Brazil is a hotbed for crypto adoption? 3. Corporate investment philosophy: what Mercado Bitcoin executives are looking for in startups?  4. Going remote: how to build a successful remote-first company? 5. The law of trust and other critical elements of successful business partnerships 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).

For this in studio episode I am thrilled to welcome Alec Oxenford, serial entrepreneur, managing partner at Myelin VC, co-founder at online marketplace platforms OLX (acquired by Naspers after raising capital from the likes of Founders Fund, Bessemer Venture Partners and General Catalyst) and letgo (merged with OfferUp). Alec is an important Argentinian contemporary art collector. In today's episode we will discuss:  1. Buying the dream: what venture capital and contemporary art have in common? 2. AI vs Artist: how technology can shape the future of art ?  3. Escape the box: how to win in a competitive market? 4. Hard at play: how to create a fun work culture in a startup and why is it important? 5. Martian approach: why the future of tech will (still) be concentrated in the US? 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).

For this in studio episode I am thrilled to welcome Fabio Carrara, founder and CEO at Brazilian renewable energy firm Solfacil⁠, that has raised over $130m from the likes of QED, Fifth Wall, Softbank, VEF and Valor Capital. In today's episode we will discuss: 1. Window of opportunity: why market timing is everything? 2. The heat of the crowd: how to thrive in commoditized market? 3. Go slow to go fast: how to become an ecosystem player? 4. Solar space market in Brazil: market opportunity, key profit pools and obstacles to adoption. 5. First principles thinking: structured approach to disrupting complex markets. 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).

For this in studio episode I am thrilled to welcome Eduardo della Maggiora, founder and CEO at LatAm's first social unicorn Betterfly, that hit $1b valuation after raising $125m in a Series C funding round led by Glade Brook Capital and joined by Greycroft, Mundi Ventures, Lightrock, QED Investors and DST Global Partners. The list of Betterfly's prior backers also includes the likes of Valor Capital, Endeavor Catalyst and the SoftBank Latin America Fund. Eduardo has represented Chile in six occasions at the Ironman World Championships. He is a two-time world champion runner-up in his category at the Ironman 70.3 World Championships, as well as a three-time finisher of the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii. In 2022 he was awarded as "Entrepreneur of the Year" in Chile by Ernst & Young and in 2022 and 2021 he was recognized among the 500 most influential people in Latin America by Bloomberg. In today's episode we will discuss: 1. The Ironman Mindset: lessons from triathlon every entrepreneur should learn. 2. From 0 to $1B: how to scale yourself as a startup leader? 3. The purpose-driven business: how to embed impact in your startup's DNA? 4. From LatAm to the world: key pitfalls to avoid when scaling a startup globally. 5. Leaving $4M on a table: when, why and how to pivot a startup? 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).

For this episode I am thrilled to welcome Patricia Moraes, Founder and Managing Partner at Unbox Capital, Sao Paulo-based venture capital firm that Patricia co-founded together with Luiza Trajano, Brazilian billionaire and the chairman of retailer Magazine Luiza. Unbox Capital portfolio includes the likes of Solinftec, Rock Content and Incognia. Prior to starting Unbox Capital, Patricia spent over 22 years as a Managing Director at J.P. Morgan. In today's episode we will discuss:  1. The story of adaptability: what makes Brazilian founders globally competitive?  2. Startup governance: common mistakes startup founders make with their board of directors 3. People-first leadership: why success in business hinges on your people and putting them first? 4. Key elements of successful business partnership: from radical transparency to putting company's best interests first 5. Mulheres do Brasil: how women are bringing community to the world of business 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).

For this in studio episode I am thrilled to welcome Lucas Vargas, CEO at Brazilian fintech Nomad, that has recently raised $61m in an investment round led by Tiger Global with participation from prior investors including Monashees, Stripes and Globo Ventures. Prior to joining Nomad, Lucas was CEO at Viva Real which he led through the merger with Grupo ZAP and acquisition by OLX, the leading marketplace group in Brazil. In today's episode we will discuss:  1. Raising growth capital during the market downturn: what to expect? 2. Startup culture in fast-growing companies: how to build the one that scales? 3. Leading through a layoff: the startup CEO guide to letting people go. 4. Money isn't everything: the powerful role non-financial incentives can play in a startup. 5. Riding the wave of PIX adoption: what are the trends that will shape Brazil's financial industry in the next decade?  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).

For this in studio episode I am thrilled to welcome Julio Vasconcellos, founding partner at Brazilian early stage venture capital firm Atlantico, founder at Canary, former Brazil country manager for Facebook and former entrepreneur-in-residence (EIR) at Benchmark. I am also thrilled to welcome Ana Clara Martins, partner at Atlantico and co-founder at Brazil at Silicon Valley, one of the largest annual conferences that connect entrepreneurs, executives and investors from Brazil with global tech community. This is the special edition of The J Curve in which we go into the nitty gritty details of The 2023 Atlantico Digital Report , the most comprehensive overview of key tech trends in Latin America. In today's episode we will discuss: 1. Tectonic shifts: what are the five key forces shaping the future of Latin America? 2. From LatAm to the world: why will we see more global companies coming out of Latin America? 3. Beyond US and China: the rise of LatAm's startup ecosystem 4. Top reasons startups fail: what to avoid? 5. Lessons from Pix: what the world can learn from Brazil's instant payment method? 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). Shownotes: Curious article on Pix: https://thefintechtimes.com/the-story-of-pix-and-what-us-banks-can-learn/ Eric Schmidt interviewed by Julio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TesYzPxN7AU