Scaling Startups in Brazil

Building startups in Brazil comes with unique challenges and opportunities. After founding multiple companies here, I've learned lessons that I wish someone had told me earlier.

The Brazilian Market

Brazil is the largest economy in Latin America with 200+ million people. The tech scene has exploded over the past decade, but it's still different from Silicon Valley.

What Works

1. Localized solutions - Don't just copy US products. Understand local pain points.
2. Mobile-first - Brazil has incredible mobile penetration. Many users access the internet primarily through smartphones.
3. Payment flexibility - Boleto bancário, PIX, installments—Brazilians have unique payment preferences.

Technical Challenges

Infrastructure can be inconsistent outside major cities. Here's what I've learned:

• Build for poor connectivity - Offline-first when possible
• CDN everything - Latency to US servers is real
• Local compliance - LGPD (Brazil's GDPR) matters

Building Teams

The talent pool in Brazil is excellent but competitive. Tech salaries have risen significantly.

São Paulo, Rio, and Florianópolis
are the main tech hubs.
Remote work has changed everything.

Fundraising

The ecosystem has matured dramatically. Local VCs understand the market, and international funds are increasingly interested in Brazil.

Key Takeaways

1. Understand the local market deeply
2. Build for the infrastructure you have, not the one you want
3. Invest in team culture early
4. Patience is key—things take longer here

Building in Brazil? Let's connect on LinkedIn.