Business
If there’s a key to success in entrepreneurship, it could be peer-to-peer networks. Alex Robbio learned this firsthand. With his brother, Federico, and father, Luis, Alex co-founded Belatrix Software, a company that provides digital solutions and IT outsourcing services from Latin America mostly to clients in the U.S. Together they bootstrapped from zero to over 700 employees, with delivery centers in and operations in five different countries - including Spain, Peru, and Colombia, as well as sales offices in Silicon Valley, New York, and Florida. In 2019, with the help of 7MA, the trio https://www.7mileadvisors.com/transaction/belatrix-software-acquired-by-globant/ (sold the company to Globant). In January 2021, Alex realized that entrepreneurs aren’t necessarily ideal employees, so he left and has since been working closely with https://endeavor.org/ (Endeavor), which seeks to uplift handpicked entrepreneurs through investment and peer networks — a community Alex credits with helping Belatrix reach its potential. At first, Alex wasn’t interested in Endeavor’s services, but his father was. After Alex attended one of their selection events — only 2%-3% of those who start the process to work with Endeavor get selected — he was sold. “It was an incredible environment, and so I came back from that and told my brother and father, ‘we have to do it, no matter what it takes, how much effort it takes, let’s do it,’” Alex says. Now, on the other side of Endeavor, Alex is a mentor to others. He says peer-to-peer mentorship can really enter the playing field in an impactful way. “Endeavor itself maybe doesn’t have a practice or a solution, but the people within the network are resources that entrepreneurs can tap into and learn best practices and so on,” he says. On this episode of Deal Talk with 7MA, learn more about entrepreneurship and opportunities in LATAM, as well as how peer networks can benefit entrepreneurs globally. ? Featured Guest ?Name: Alex Robbio What he does: As an Endeavor Entrepreneur and Mentor, Alex mentors fellow entrepreneurs about industry best practices. Additionally, Alex is a Venture Partner at MatterScale Ventures, a fund that invests in early stage “Latin startups with a global mindset.” Organizations: https://endeavor.org/ (Endeavor) & https://www.matterscale.com/ (MatterScale) Words of wisdom: “The plan is: pay it forward. So it’s select, support, scale up, maybe exit if not growing, get successful, get profitable. Invest in your peers, help your peers, mentor them, be an inspiration, go and talk to young people, talk about your experience, inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs.” Connect: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arobbio/ (LinkedIn) ?️ Key Points ?️Top takeaways from this episode ★ Personal relationships help foster business relationships. Working remotely forces creativity … especially when it comes to fostering business relationships. Traveling for work — or having potential clients visit you — can lead to out-of-office experiences, such as visiting wineries or restaurants, that build relationships on a personal level first. Alex looks at such experiences and relationships as an advantage in the sector. ★ Peer-to-peer success lies not in the taking, but giving back as well. There’s value in taking advice from mentors and peers, that leads to being successful. But that’s only one part of the plan — the other, says Alex, is to give back by sharing your expertise and wisdom to motivate those who are just entering the business space. ★ Political and economic challenges in LATAM breed innovation. Entrepreneurs in Latin America face a number of daily challenges that impact the business environment — from inflation to unfavorable legislation. But weathering the ups and downs can make the entrepreneurs who operate and scale under these conditions almost bulletproof. ⚡ Episode Insights...