Carlos Guadamuz

On a #mission to #disrupting global commerce. After a bit of a hiatus, I’m excited to reconnect with you all ! I’ve been deeply immersed in the ever-evolving world of e-commerce SaaS (Software as a Service), and I’d love to share some insights and trends I’ve observed. #Ecommerce has seen unprecedented #growth and #transformation, and #SaaS solutions are at the heart of this revolution. Here are a few key #trends and observations: 1. #Scalability and #Flexibility : SaaS platforms offer unmatched scalability, allowing businesses to grow without the headache of managing infrastructure. This flexibility is crucial in today’s dynamic market. 2. Enhanced #CustomerExperience : With advanced analytics and AI-driven insights, SaaS solutions are enabling personalized shopping experiences like never before. Understanding customer behavior and preferences is now more precise and actionable. 3. Seamless #Integration : Modern SaaS platforms integrate effortlessly with various tools and services, streamlining operations from inventory management to customer relationship management. 4. #Security and #Compliance : As cyber threats evolve, SaaS platforms are continuously enhancing security measures and ensuring compliance with global standards, giving businesses and customers peace of mind. 5. #Cost Efficiency : The subscription-based model of SaaS makes it a cost-effective solution for businesses of all sizes, eliminating the need for hefty upfront investments in technology. Will dive deeper into these topics and more in the coming weeks. Let’s engage, share knowledge, and drive the future of global commerce by breaking down the myths and complexities and building the tools that enable and empower easy commerce across the world. #ecommerce #SaaS #technology #businessgrowth #innovation #Retail #D2C #instagramforbusiness

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Just had the privilege of attending a talk with Pedro Franceschi, co-founder and CEO of Brex, and fellow Brazilian powerhouse in the tech and fintech space at Pear VC. His insights were nothing short of gold for founders and innovators alike. Here are some key takeaways that really hit home: 🔑 Founder-market fit > product-market fit Pedro emphasized that the best founders deeply understand the problem they’re solving. Finding a problem you’re passionate about and that can compound over time is more important than focusing on the solution itself. Solutions will evolve; it’s the core problem that matters. 🛠️ Don’t confuse solutions with problems Founder failure mode is crafting a solution in search of a problem. Instead, start with understanding your customers’ pain points. As Pedro put it, when the pain is big enough, customers will use your product even if the initial interface is far from perfect. 🧠 Think in first principles A powerful reminder from Pedro: When approaching a problem, ask yourself, “Why hasn’t anyone solved this before?” By breaking it down to its most fundamental truths, you can challenge obstacles and innovate in ways others haven’t thought possible. 📈 Don’t chase average. Stand out! This was a gem: you don’t need to do everything well from the start. That’ll just make you average. Instead, find one thing to really excel at and be creative. That’s where the alpha is generated. Brex’s standout creativity even extended to buying billboards, an undervalued marketing channel with unmeasured ROI, but that worked. If you’re building, scaling, or just starting, Pedro’s approach is one to live by: stay focused on the right problems, stand out where it counts, and keep that vision simple and clear. Thanks for the inspiration, Pedro! #Fintech #Innovation #Founders #Entrepreneurship #FirstPrinciples #Brex

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Sam Altman on talent investing (2019 YC era): “I have become so convinced that the only thing I have to do, that my firm has to do, is find the smartest, most talented people in the world, discover those people, and enable them. Make bets on them as people and trust that they will figure out, over time, they will drift towards the right ideas and the right kind of businesses. … One of the most fun things about YC is that, I think, we have more data points on what successful founders and bad founders look like than any other organization has had in the history of the world. We have that all in our heads, and that’s great. So I can say, with a high degree of confidence, that this correlation is true. Being a fast mover and being decisive — it is very hard to be successful and not have those traits as a founder. Why that is, I’m not perfectly clear on, but I think it is something . . . about the only advantage that startups have or the biggest advantage that startups have over large companies is agility, speed, willing to make nonconsensus, concentrated bets, incredible focus. That’s really how you get to beat a big company. .. Paul Graham used to say that the prototype for a good founder was James Bond. There’s lots of reasons the analogy doesn’t work, but this idea that a lot of things go wrong, you are unflappable, you never lose your cool, you know how to react. Bad things are happening to you left and right, and you are a survivor, and you always figure it out with whatever resource is in front of you. That part is the spirit of a great founder.” https://lnkd.in/gtB8xNAe

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Humanity and personal values: Embrace these, and you’ll build a corporate culture that stands the test of time. Because then it isn't a corporate culture anymore, but a culture for people to thrive in. An interesting interview on how workplace culture is changing and how to prep with insight from Michael Henderson, corporate anthropologist, and Marissa Geist, CEO: https://lnkd.in/eZcJt5dF #IlluminateTalent

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🚀 A CX Triumph: BlaBlaCar's Success in Boosting Feature Adoption and Reducing Churn Risk with Chattermill 🚀 Thanks Rebecca Guitton Head of Research at BlaBlaCar At Chattermill, we believe that the key to sustainable growth lies in connecting customer insights to real, measurable business outcomes. BlaBlaCar’s recent success story is a testament to the power of leveraging CX insights for tangible results. 🔍 The Challenge: BlaBlaCar needed to enhance the adoption of new features while simultaneously reducing the risk of customer churn—a challenge that many companies face in today’s competitive market. 📊 The Solution: By tapping into Chattermill’s AI-driven insights, BlaBlaCar was able to: 👉 Increase feature adoption: Understanding what users truly wanted helped them prioritise and refine their feature rollouts. 👉 Decrease churn risk: Targeted actions based on deep customer insights led to higher retention rates and a more engaged community. 💡 The Outcome: These impressive stats didn’t just happen by chance. They are the direct result of a focused strategy that put CX insights at the heart of decision-making. BlaBlaCar’s success is a shining example of how using data to listen to your customers can drive quantifiable business outcomes. Read the full case study to see how BlaBlaCar and Chattermill made it happen: https://lnkd.in/e3bc3Spx #CustomerSuccess #SaaS #CX #FeatureAdoption #CustomerChurn #AI #Chattermill #BlaBlaCar #BusinessOutcomes

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If you're hoping to come to #GigatonSalon tomorrow (you should be) then we are waitlisting folks for the first three of the day's four events, but y'know, other people are sometimes flakier than a mille feuille, so the odds are in your favor. Hop on that waitlist and we will do our best to accommodate you: https://lu.ma/harvest See you all there! #sfcw #sfclimateweek #climateweek #climatejobs #climatefounders #greentech #greenjobs #cleantech #vc #climatesolutions #climatechange

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Join me, along with Jon Hodge and Paul Middleton, to go deep on Comet and how it can help attendees of your next training convert new knowledge to action.

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Sharing some insights/trends we are seeing in the first half of 2024: - The majority of startups HQ’d in NYC & SF founded in the last two years are hiring most if not all of their employees in the office (at least 3 days a week) - Less than 5% of those are mandating 5 days a week in office. - Most top candidates are optimizing for hybrid with remote up to 3 days a week - Compensation across the board for early-stage startups has remained relatively flat since 2023 - For startups located outside of core major tech hubs, there is more openness and even preference for remote to tap into broader markets and compete for top talent The overview is that local talent and teams are making a comeback and salaries are not rising as drastically as they have in the past 5 years. Make sure to choose your next move based on fit, impact, passion, upside, growth, and not purely on comp. #startups #venture #VC #seed #Engineering #Hiring

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The Best Predictor of Startup Success Last week, I met with my cofounders for an off-site in London. It was a great moment to strategize and plan, but most of all, to reconnect personally. mxHERO’s most vital asset is its team. We (cofounders and team members) have been together since its inception over a decade ago. All these years have taught me about the most important predictor of startup success. When a team embarks on its journey, no matter how clear the destination or favorable the breeze is, the weather will change for almost every startup. When the gale force winds of insufficient capital, high waves of unresponsive markets, or lightning strikes of technical issues pound your little ship, it becomes hard to navigate when you’re scrambling to stay afloat. Under these dark skies, lofty ideas of “putting a dent in the universe” give way to the earthly “how am I going to provide for my family.” It is a crucible that destroys most entrepreneurial embarkments - ships torn apart, becoming the flotsam and jetsam that continually washes ashore on the beaches of the entrepreneurial seas. But now and again, a craft emerges battered from the maelstrom. Not because they had better strategy, technology, or deep insights - but because they simply refused to quit. In the darkest hour, when nothing was clear, they just hung on to each other. As a predictor of startup success, there is no better indicator than resilience. If a crew stays together and refuses to quit, even those with the smallest odds will succeed. It might take time, but it is almost guaranteed. What do I see in this picture? I see cohesive cofounders, weathered but never broken, proud yet humbled, older but energized. Importantly, I also see all of mxHERO’s team, invisible in the photo but just as present. With profound appreciation and gratitude, thank you, team.  #startups #cofounders #team #gratitude 500 Startups Photo: Me, Marcelo Marmol (CTO), Brunos Santos (COO)

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💡 Interesting article from McKinsey & Company https://lnkd.in/epAPVffD Thanks for sharing! YouKnowMeBest Tea Shashaj InnovaticGroup. Create the Future Now innovaticgroup.com #Innovation #Growth #Technology #Entrepreneurship #Investors #BusinessAngels #VentureCapital #LPs #GPs #DigitalTransformation #Digitalization #Startup #Scaleup #StartupInsights #InnovaticGroup

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#SaveTheDate May 8 at 1 pm BST Composable methodologies are increasingly catching on with enterprises in the EMEA region. You can register and learn more about the significance of composability in the European market or why forward-thinking organizations are embracing composable strategies. #DigitalPartnership #DigitalTrasnformation #DigitalStrategy #DigitalInnovation #Composable

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A compelling story of extraordinary leadership that challenges common wisdom. Recommended reading. #leadership #valuecreation

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Exciting News! I joined Contentsquare three months ago because I was deeply impressed by the team’s vision and commitment to transforming the digital experience landscape. Today, I'm thrilled to share a significant milestone: the announcement of our new Experience Intelligence platform. Why is this such a big deal? Because, at a time when digital journeys are more complex and more critical to customer loyalty than ever, it’s the first solution on the market to give brands a complete understanding of these end-to-end journeys by connecting insights from Digital Experience Analytics, Product Analytics, Digital Experience Monitoring and Voice of Customer. Because native, AI-powered VoC is now available in our platform, and it’s built for speed & impact: lightning fast to deploy and easy to use, which means it’s quick and easy for teams to collect and validate customer feedback, and prioritize improvements. Because we’ve embedded practical AI capabilities throughout our platform — from easier onboarding to AI-powered customer insights, via turn-by-turn guidance from our AI CoPilot to make once complex workflows simple. Joining Contentsquare has been an incredible journey so far, and I’m proud of the strides we've made even in the last few months. I love the total commitment to continuous innovation: not innovation that is somehow always on the horizon, but consistent & tangible enhancements through forward thinking design and invention - with the power to surprise and delight our customers, and theirs. We’re committed to keeping up this momentum of innovation, bringing our customers the best of what analytics have to offer. #DXA #VoiceOfCustomer #AI #DEM #ProductAnalytics #DigitalExperience Gabe Benavides

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For Ulupreneurs Roberto Peñacastro Ortega, David Villa and the team at Leadsales, 2024 has been a big year!!  The firm was named as one of Forbes’ “30 Business Promises“, named by a top VC as one of most promising startups of 2024 in a Business Insider article and was featured on SharkTank Mexico, where they closed the best deal in the show’s history! We updated our story with Roby to include a short video outlining his thoughts about diversity when hiring. Enjoy! #hispanicheritagemonth #sharktankmx #latinoleaders

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Will the 2024 #ParisOlympics be a disaster for French hospitality (including #shorttermrentals)? 😮🏅 In this video, I dive deep into the unexpected challenges facing vacation rental managers in France right now. Despite the excitement surrounding the Olympics, the reality on the ground is quite different. Here's a sneak peek of what you'll learn: 🔍 Why hotel occupancy rates and revenue have taken a hit. 🚧 The impact of road works, traffic congestion, and political turmoil on tourism. 📉 The oversupply of rental listings and displacement of regular tourist activities. 🌧️ How poor weather conditions have further dampened the travel experience. 🛏️ Surprising data from Airbnb showing a 400% increase in bookings for the Olympics. #Paris2024 #Olympics #VacationRentals #Hospitality #Airbnb #travelindustry Feel free to share your thoughts and experiences in the comments. Let's discuss how we can navigate these turbulent times together! 🌍👥

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Interesting Aaron Allen! Great visual and one of the real reasons we are growing SOUS to empower culinary creators across the globe. Our culinary creators range from: 🧱 restaurants looking to expand revenue in new ways via customers at home, 👩‍🍳 chefs that have moved out of their restaurants but still aim to keep their brand alive through SOUS, 🤩culinary creators that have never even owned or worked in a restaurant, but have built a following around their creations and want to reach customers with their incredible products. We’re closing the gap for more people to keep their passion for the culinary sector, without the high brick-and-mortor costs that have traditionally equaled success. Here’s to keeping our mission alive @ SOUS 👩‍🍳🚀

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We’ve been brainstorming with a group of former Miro peers and friends on ways to help those impacted with lay-offs. Together, we created a spreadsheet for everyone affected to fill out, which we’ll share with companies interested in hiring these talented and exceptional people. Here’s the link to fill in your details: https://lnkd.in/e8DjKJsg. You’ll need to create a Coda account to upload your information. Please add your details there and spread the word within the group. Let’s help this incredible group of people find new opportunities to thrive and make an impact. (Any comments on how to make this spreadsheet more representative of your talents are more than welcome!)

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Learn how leading online travel agencies are deploying virtual cards to simplify their payments to suppliers. We’ll explore why virtual cards provide an advantage in the fight against fraud, inefficiency, and excessive costs.

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I recently met a family office ("FO") considering making a future investment in 640 Oxford that conducted an ingenious diligence exercise on myself... This FO shared a deck of a seed-stage company looking to raise $3M and asked if I could meet the founders the following week in-person at a NYC office. When I arrived, the FO was in the room and asked me to conduct a typical diligence meeting which they would observe. After the meeting, I met separately with the family office and we deep-dived on why I asked certain questions, what excites me, and what gives me pause about the business. This led to such an intellectual conversation that I found gave this FO real insights into crucial skills that GPs need to have: (1) Founder relateability - ability to establish a connection and rapport with founders in a first meeting. (2) Technical, business, and GTM understanding - ask questions that highlight where the founding team was strongest / weakest (3) Preparedness - doing my homework and have a basic understanding of the industry We'll see how this all plays out but this tactical and hands-on approach was refreshing and I think great if adopted more broadly by LPs.

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