Leading Innovation: Our Interview with Fabricio Bloisi

LEADERS LEAGUE. How has Movile’s success as a startup changed the business?

Fabricio Bloisi  Making people’s lives better through mobile solutions has always been my dream. In 1998, I founded the startup that would later become Movile. In the late 1990s, we started innovating and exploiting relatively advanced technologies by betting on content for mobile devices and text messaging (SMS). At the time, we created the first SMS chat service, the first WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) search portal and enabled the commerce of ringtones in Brazil. We were also the first Latin American company which allowed for the sending of images via MMS.

Over the years, Movile has experienced intense obstacles and challenges. From our early days with two people sitting in the office of a business incubator to what we are today – a company with apps in 180 countries and 1,600 employees in six countries – we have come a long way. For our business as we know it to reach this level, several things went wrong but we learned with each mistake and kept moving forwards. There isn’t a recipe for success but I always explain that although we make a lot of mistakes, we always learn from them and correct them quickly.

What advice you can give to start-up professionals working in Brazil?

Every incredible project begins with two ingredients: an impossible dream and the certainty that giving up is not an option. There’s a saying: “If you tell people your biggest dream and no one laughs, it’s because it’s not big enough.” Believe me, it’s true – I’ve been through it countless times myself. So my advice is: no matter how bold or distant your goal may seem, the key to making it real is to think big, to seek inspiration from leaders who have built major businesses, and to create teams with incredible people that are passionate about what they do. Of course, working hard is essential! Plans can (and most likely will) go wrong and when that happens, you need to keep dreaming, learning, and adjusting the route to your dreams. To keep this advice fresh in the minds of Movile employees, we have a “Future Wall,” where everyone at the office shares the dreams they want to realize.

Who will be the next big players in the Latin American start-up ecosystem?

In Brazil and Latin America there is great potential not only for future unicorns but also for companies with a potential value of $10 - $50 billion. For that to happen, however, it is important that entrepreneurs dream big when creating and developing their businesses. It’s important that they have a plan and strive for it to have success on a global scale.

How can the region create a more startup friendly environment?

In general, Brazilians and entrepreneurs from all over Latin America have great ideas but, due to an inferiority complex they think too small and create businesses which only aim to have impact on a national level. For a company to achieve impact on a global scale, however, an entrepreneur must think big from the very beginning of his company’s life. Additionally, it is crucial that Brazilian and Latin American companies implement business models which prioritise an internal exchange of experiences, investing in an ecosystem where everyone involved in the creation and development of the company can use this knowledge to personally grow, develop themselves, and later reinvest in the company.

By: François Le Grand