In this insightful episode of "Brazil (is not) for Beginners," host Isaac Matzner interviews Phillip Klien, CEO of ClickBus, to explore the intricacies of Brazil's bus transportation industry and his unique perspective as a tech-executive with an American-Brazilian background.

PK shares anecdotes from his career as a founder and at companies like Twitter and Uber, PicPay, and ClickBus, as Isaac and PK discuss:

·     The nature of Brazilian transportation sector and why buses are so prominent.

·     The challenges and nuances of managing international companies in Brazil.

·     Cultural differences in consumer expectations, customer service, and workplace dynamics.

·     The importance of data-driven decision-making and 'tropicalization' of strategies.

·     The concept of psychological safety for teams and the cultural idiosyncrasies that come with working in Brazil.

·     And lots more…

In our latest episode, Isaac sits down with Nick Johnston, cofounder of Bacio di Latte, São Paulo Urban Distillery/Jardim Botânico Gin and Social Beans to talk about his experience launching high-end consumer products in Brazil.

Isaac and Nick cover:

•⁠ ⁠Nick’s journey to Brazil and how he fell in love with it.

•⁠ ⁠⁠The importance of details in building brands and growing them over time.

•⁠ ⁠⁠The need to understand local context and tastes, but not be wholly beholden to them.

•⁠ ⁠⁠The challenges of opening a small business in Brazil and the similarities to sailing.

•⁠ ⁠⁠Brazil’s historical under-appreciation of its resources, and Brazilians’ expanding palates.

•⁠ ⁠⁠The rule of 8 / 80.

•⁠ ⁠⁠And lots more…

Kicking off this Second Season of Brazil (is not) for Beginners, Isaac chats with Jorge Vargas Neto, CEO of BHub, about his entrepreneurial journey, and the complexities of tax and compliance systems when it comes to doing business in Brazil.

They cover all things taxes, corporate structures, and a range of other topics, including:

Isaac chats with Roberto Borcic, a partner at Pullman Morrison, and Jianggan Li, the Founder and CEO of Momentum Works, about Asian companies' expansion into Brazil. They cover topics such as market entry strategy, cultural adaptation, strategic hiring, the complexities of doing business in Brazil for Asian companies, as well as: 

Isaac and Débora Maria, an operations manager and relocation expert at LARM Brazil, discuss the challenges and considerations for foreigners moving to Brazil. Débora provides valuable insights into the complexities of relocating to Brazil and highlights the importance of thorough preparation for a successful transition. The conversation covers:

Isaac speaks to Amanda Martins, the Founder of LatAm Trampoline, a product launch and operations specialist who helps businesses successfully expand into Latin America. They talk about:

Isaac chats with good friends and Fintech visionaries Andrew Endicott, the Co-Founding Partner at Gilgamesh Ventures, and Alex Johnson, the author of Fintech Takes, about the Fintech landscape in Brazil. 

They discuss:

Isaac sits down with long-time friends Sebastian Dominguez, the CEO of Builders, and Débora Mioranzza, the VP of Sales for the Americas at Degreed, to talk about hiring and building teams in Brazil. The three cover a lot of ground, including:

Isaac sits down with Julia de Luca, an investment banker at ItauBBA specializing in tech coverage, and author of the LatAm Tech Weekly Newsletter. Coming off the recent launch of her report “The Next Big Thing LatAm 2024,” Julia talks about the trends she is watching and Brazil’s unique tech landscape, including:

Isaac and Moises Assayag, a Turnaround and Transformation Specialist working with major Brazilian football clubs, discuss the business of football (futebol) in Brazil. Including: