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From his first days at university, Rodrigo Tognini realized he wasn’t going to follow a traditional path. An internship at the Brazilian payment company Stone was enough to inspire him to create his own startup.

Through a mix of expense management software and financial services, Conta Simples now helps tens of thousands of companies stay on top of their finances and unlock their full potential.

Conta has also raised more than 60 million dollars with investors – and I was fortunate enough to have invested early in it as an angel. But that’s not to say that this was a smooth journey, fundraising included.

With time, Rodrigo nailed down the problem, the product, the customer profile, the expansion roadmap, profitability, and how to become a true leader. These are all part of the growth playbook he’ll share in this episode. What you’ll hear:

— How Rodrigo entered the startup world while still in university;

— What Rodrigo took from his years playing basketball to his startup journey;

— The journey of raising the first checks for Conta Simples;

— How Conta Simples refined its product and ideal customer profile;

— How Rodrigo had to change his leadership style as the startup grew;

— Conta Simples’ current journey of managing both break-even and product expansion;

— And the advice Rodrigo would tell himself if he could go back to his early startup days.

My name's Brian Requarth and this is the Latitud Podcast. Vamos, LatAm!

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