After years of listening to Startupeable, joining Enzo Cavalie on the podcast was both an honor and a milestone. We sat down to talk about what’s really happening in the Latin American startup scene — the stories that rarely make headlines but define the future we’re building.
Here are the ideas I shared — the ones that guide how I invest, what I look for, and why I believe LatAm is just getting started.
Latin America feels like Silicon Valley in the 70s
There’s a reason I’m so optimistic about this region. Latin America today reminds me of:
- Silicon Valley in the 1970s — full of raw talent and underestimated ambition
- China in the early 2000s — chaotic on the surface, but deeply transformative underneath
While others focus on the problems, I see the opportunity. We’re not just copying playbooks — we’re creating our own.
Recommended Reading: How to Obtain Seed Capital?
I invest in founders that others overlook
Some of the best founders I’ve backed were not obvious to most investors. People like:
- Mairon Sandoval (OCN)
- Pedro Julio Vallenilla Sosa (Cashea)
What they had in common wasn’t flashy traction — it was clarity, resilience, and deep insight into the problem they were solving. I often spend weeks or even months getting to know founders before investing. Not because I’m slow — because I care about how they think, not just what they’ve built.
I don’t believe in “growth at all costs”
There’s a false belief in venture that unless you’re burning capital aggressively, you’re not building a big company. I disagree.
I’m a huge fan of:
- Atlassian
- Klaviyo
They built massive companies with sustainable economics from day one. For me, discipline and scale can — and should — coexist.
Recommeded Reading: Investment in Startups in the U.S. vs. Latin America
Curiosity beats judgment
One of the principles that guides my work is simple:
Be curious, not judgmental. (Yes, shoutout to Ted Lasso.)
This mindset helps me avoid snap assumptions and stay open to learning — from founders, teams, and the market itself. The best investments I’ve made came from staying curious a little longer than most.
None of this is solo work
I’ve been lucky to learn from people like Rich Wong, who influenced how I think about venture. And I’ve also had the privilege of collaborating with leaders like Enzo, who’ve pushed our ecosystem forward.
Recording at Enzo’s home felt symbolic — a reminder that building in LatAm is deeply personal, deeply connected, and always collaborative. We kept talking for another hour after the mics were off. That says everything.
Want to hear the full conversation?
The episode is live on Startupeable. And if you’re a founder building something real in Latin America, I’d love to hear your story.
