Originally from California, Brian Requarth cofounded VivaReal, the Zillow of Brazil, which he's grown by raising more than $78M in venture capital that has more than 600 employees.
Outline of This Episode
[1:30] What is VivaReal and how did Brian decide to establish and build the platform?
[4:45] The fun entrepreneurial things Brian did when he was in high school.
[7:20] The birth of “English Without Borders” in South America, a borrowed suit, and knocking on doors for clients.
[9:44] How Brian met his current co-founder and started a web development company.
[15:25] How VivaReal made the switch to Brazil from the United States.
[18:14] The challenges of operating in multiple Latin American companies at once.
[21:24] Advice for those considering a startup in Latin America: When should you pull the trigger?
[23:33] The challenges of moving to Brazil without speaking the language (Portuguese).
[28:03] Making mistakes raising capital and getting creative with attracting investors.
[34:29] The value of having insightful mentors and investors to help establish things.
[35:40] Scaling a company in Brazil: challenges and lessons-learned.
[44:00] Raising money from Brazil and from abroad.
[49:15] Why should U.S. investors consider Latin American companies?
[55:30] What Brian is noticing about the current economic conditions in Latin America.