HD in HD en © Copyright 2024-2025 Henrique Dubugras. All Rights Reserved. Henrique Dubugras founded fintech giant Brex when he was twenty-one years old. In his journey from São Paulo to Stanford to the heights of Silicon Valley he made connections with some of the biggest names in the ecosystem. Now, they’re not just business connections, but friends. https://megaphone.imgix.net/podcasts/f57198aa-9150-11ef-8b33-93c1b9a62801/image/428c8d657ac11eeaa50d9b1ab9206da5.jpg?ixlib=rails-4.3.1&max-w=3000&max-h=3000&fit=crop&auto=format,compress HD in HD yes episodic Henrique Dubugras Henrique Dubugras founded fintech giant Brex when he was twenty-one years old. In his journey from São Paulo to Stanford to the heights of Silicon Valley he made connections with some of the biggest names in the ecosystem. Now, they’re not just business connections, but friends. Henrique Dubugras founded fintech giant Brex when he was twenty-one years old. In his journey from São Paulo to Stanford to the heights of Silicon Valley he made connections with some of the biggest names in the ecosystem. Now, they’re not just business connections, but friends.

]]> Henrique Dubugras john@atomikgrowth.com How Prosus CEO Builds Winning Tech Culture | Fabricio Bloisi When most founders chase a single idea, Fabricio Bloisi built 120. The Brazilian entrepreneur is the CEO of Prosus, the founder of Movile, and the Chairman of iFood, and has helped shape companies that now reach billions across continents. And the spark for all of it began with a teenage ambition “to create a very big global tech company.” We also get into: • Movile’s rise from near bankrupt moments to a global tech giant • how confronting brutal facts became the cultural backbone of his companies • what the U.S. still underestimates about competition abroad • where Prosus is heading next with its large commerce model ABOUT US: We’re proudly sponsored by Brex—a brand I co-founded, now supporting over 30,000 businesses like Anthropic, DoorDash, and Scale AI, helping them make every dollar count. I’m grateful for their continued support as I bring you all conversations with some of the most exceptional founders of our generation. For more information, please go to: https://www.brex.com/?ref_code=bmk_audio_HDinHD Connect with us here: 1. Fabricio Bloisi- https://x.com/fabloisi  2. Brex- https://x.com/brexHQ 3. Henrique Dubugras- https://x.com/hdubugras 00:00 Trailer 01:42 The Early Days 08:34 Scaling and Innovating: The Food Journey 11:28 Balancing Innovation and Execution 30:07 The Rise of iFood: Dominating the Market 33:37 Transition to Prosus: A New Chapter 35:58 Prosus' Global Strategy and Vision 45:16 Challenges and Opportunities in Emerging Markets Thu, 18 Dec 2025 14:16:00 -0000 full Henrique Dubugras When most founders chase a single idea, Fabricio Bloisi built 120. The Brazilian entrepreneur is the CEO of Prosus, the founder of Movile, and the Chairman of iFood, and has helped shape companies that now reach billions across continents. And the spark for all of it began with a teenage ambition “to create a very big global tech company.” We also get into: • Movile’s rise from near bankrupt moments to a global tech giant • how confronting brutal facts became the cultural backbone of his companies • what the U.S. still underestimates about competition abroad • where Prosus is heading next with its large commerce model ABOUT US: We’re proudly sponsored by Brex—a brand I co-founded, now supporting over 30,000 businesses like Anthropic, DoorDash, and Scale AI, helping them make every dollar count. I’m grateful for their continued support as I bring you all conversations with some of the most exceptional founders of our generation. For more information, please go to: https://www.brex.com/?ref_code=bmk_audio_HDinHD Connect with us here: 1. Fabricio Bloisi- https://x.com/fabloisi  2. Brex- https://x.com/brexHQ 3. Henrique Dubugras- https://x.com/hdubugras 00:00 Trailer 01:42 The Early Days 08:34 Scaling and Innovating: The Food Journey 11:28 Balancing Innovation and Execution 30:07 The Rise of iFood: Dominating the Market 33:37 Transition to Prosus: A New Chapter 35:58 Prosus' Global Strategy and Vision 45:16 Challenges and Opportunities in Emerging Markets When most founders chase a single idea, Fabricio Bloisi built 120.


The Brazilian entrepreneur is the CEO of Prosus, the founder of Movile, and the Chairman of iFood, and has helped shape companies that now reach billions across continents.


And the spark for all of it began with a teenage ambition “to create a very big global tech company.”


We also get into:


• Movile’s rise from near bankrupt moments to a global tech giant

• how confronting brutal facts became the cultural backbone of his companies

• what the U.S. still underestimates about competition abroad

• where Prosus is heading next with its large commerce model


ABOUT US:


We’re proudly sponsored by Brex—a brand I co-founded, now supporting over 30,000 businesses like Anthropic, DoorDash, and Scale AI, helping them make every dollar count.


I’m grateful for their continued support as I bring you all conversations with some of the most exceptional founders of our generation. For more information, please go to: https://www.brex.com/?ref_code=bmk_audio_HDinHD


Connect with us here:


1. Fabricio Bloisi- https://x.com/fabloisi 

2. Brex- https://x.com/brexHQ

3. Henrique Dubugras- https://x.com/hdubugras


00:00 Trailer

01:42 The Early Days

08:34 Scaling and Innovating: The Food Journey

11:28 Balancing Innovation and Execution

30:07 The Rise of iFood: Dominating the Market

33:37 Transition to Prosus: A New Chapter

35:58 Prosus' Global Strategy and Vision

45:16 Challenges and Opportunities in Emerging Markets

]]> 3867 no Why Airwallex Is Betting Against SWIFT and Stripe | CEO Jack Zhang Jack Zhang landed in Melbourne at 15 with no money, no English, and no one to lean on. By 30, he was turning down a billion-dollar offer from Stripe. In this episode of HD in HD, I sit down with the co-founder and CEO of Airwallex to trace his zero-to-borderless journey—from small-town China to building one of the biggest tech stories ever to come out of Australia. We get into: • What Airwallex did differently that Stripe couldn’t in APAC • The $100,000 mistake that nearly derailed their first client • How Jack handled 2022’s valuation reset (and why he didn’t panic) • The AI opportunity he thinks everyone is sleeping on • how Airwallex hit $1B in volume before raising a proper Series A 00:00 Trailer 00:46 Introduction 01:18 Airwallex 04:58 No English from China to Australia 15:15 My first business, no financial support 23:06 All work, no fun 31:03 Development and coffee 36:26 Nothing is that hard 40:05 Startups 45:40 Brex 46:29 Starting Airwallex 53:27 The whole thing fell apart 57:20 Sequoia Capital and Tencent 1:05:41 Billion-dollar acquisition offer 1:11:59 Managing globally 1:16:20 Motivation and efficiency 1:23:26 Worth billions, hard to turn 1:24:58 Lessons from China 1:29:38 Outro Mon, 08 Dec 2025 23:38:00 -0000 full Henrique Dubugras Jack Zhang landed in Melbourne at 15 with no money, no English, and no one to lean on. By 30, he was turning down a billion-dollar offer from Stripe. In this episode of HD in HD, I sit down with the co-founder and CEO of Airwallex to trace his zero-to-borderless journey—from small-town China to building one of the biggest tech stories ever to come out of Australia. We get into: • What Airwallex did differently that Stripe couldn’t in APAC • The $100,000 mistake that nearly derailed their first client • How Jack handled 2022’s valuation reset (and why he didn’t panic) • The AI opportunity he thinks everyone is sleeping on • how Airwallex hit $1B in volume before raising a proper Series A 00:00 Trailer 00:46 Introduction 01:18 Airwallex 04:58 No English from China to Australia 15:15 My first business, no financial support 23:06 All work, no fun 31:03 Development and coffee 36:26 Nothing is that hard 40:05 Startups 45:40 Brex 46:29 Starting Airwallex 53:27 The whole thing fell apart 57:20 Sequoia Capital and Tencent 1:05:41 Billion-dollar acquisition offer 1:11:59 Managing globally 1:16:20 Motivation and efficiency 1:23:26 Worth billions, hard to turn 1:24:58 Lessons from China 1:29:38 Outro Jack Zhang landed in Melbourne at 15 with no money, no English, and no one to lean on.


By 30, he was turning down a billion-dollar offer from Stripe.


In this episode of HD in HD, I sit down with the co-founder and CEO of Airwallex to trace his zero-to-borderless journey—from small-town China to building one of the biggest tech stories ever to come out of Australia.


We get into:

• What Airwallex did differently that Stripe couldn’t in APAC

• The $100,000 mistake that nearly derailed their first client

• How Jack handled 2022’s valuation reset (and why he didn’t panic)

• The AI opportunity he thinks everyone is sleeping on

• how Airwallex hit $1B in volume before raising a proper Series A


00:00 Trailer

00:46 Introduction

01:18 Airwallex

04:58 No English from China to Australia

15:15 My first business, no financial support

23:06 All work, no fun

31:03 Development and coffee

36:26 Nothing is that hard

40:05 Startups

45:40 Brex

46:29 Starting Airwallex

53:27 The whole thing fell apart

57:20 Sequoia Capital and Tencent

1:05:41 Billion-dollar acquisition offer

1:11:59 Managing globally

1:16:20 Motivation and efficiency

1:23:26 Worth billions, hard to turn

1:24:58 Lessons from China

1:29:38 Outro

]]> 5404 yes From Iranian Refugee to Uber CEO | Dara Khosrowshahi When Uber needed a reset, only a disciplined leader could see the path forward. Raised in one of Iran’s leading industrial families, Dara Khosrowshahi watched everything disappear during the revolution as his family rebuilt their lives in the U.S. In this episode, he shares how, with education as the only constant, he rose to become the youngest VP at Allen & Co., played a defining role across IAC and Expedia, and ultimately led Uber from deep losses to a profitable business. We also get into: the immigrant childhood that trained him to adapt faster why betting on people, not models, became the most important lesson of his career the early failures at Expedia that hardened his decision making and leadership style how he rebuilt culture at Uber while operating under intense public scrutiny the long term vision of turning Uber from a rides company into a real time logistics network ABOUT US: We’re proudly sponsored by Brex—a brand I co-founded, now supporting over 30,000 businesses like Anthropic, DoorDash, and Scale AI, helping them make every dollar count. I’m grateful for their continued support as I bring you all conversations with some of the most exceptional founders of our generation. For more information, please go to: https://www.brex.com/?ref_code=bmk_audio_HDinHD Connect with us here: 1. Dara Khosrowshahi- https://x.com/dkhos 2. Brex- https://x.com/brexHQ 3. Henrique Dubugras- https://x.com/hdubugras This episode was produced and distributed by our friends at Atomik Growth. Mon, 24 Nov 2025 17:50:00 -0000 full Henrique Dubugras When Uber needed a reset, only a disciplined leader could see the path forward. Raised in one of Iran’s leading industrial families, Dara Khosrowshahi watched everything disappear during the revolution as his family rebuilt their lives in the U.S. In this episode, he shares how, with education as the only constant, he rose to become the youngest VP at Allen & Co., played a defining role across IAC and Expedia, and ultimately led Uber from deep losses to a profitable business. We also get into: the immigrant childhood that trained him to adapt faster why betting on people, not models, became the most important lesson of his career the early failures at Expedia that hardened his decision making and leadership style how he rebuilt culture at Uber while operating under intense public scrutiny the long term vision of turning Uber from a rides company into a real time logistics network ABOUT US: We’re proudly sponsored by Brex—a brand I co-founded, now supporting over 30,000 businesses like Anthropic, DoorDash, and Scale AI, helping them make every dollar count. I’m grateful for their continued support as I bring you all conversations with some of the most exceptional founders of our generation. For more information, please go to: https://www.brex.com/?ref_code=bmk_audio_HDinHD Connect with us here: 1. Dara Khosrowshahi- https://x.com/dkhos 2. Brex- https://x.com/brexHQ 3. Henrique Dubugras- https://x.com/hdubugras This episode was produced and distributed by our friends at Atomik Growth. When Uber needed a reset, only a disciplined leader could see the path forward.


Raised in one of Iran’s leading industrial families, Dara Khosrowshahi watched everything disappear during the revolution as his family rebuilt their lives in the U.S.


In this episode, he shares how, with education as the only constant, he rose to become the youngest VP at Allen & Co., played a defining role across IAC and Expedia, and ultimately led Uber from deep losses to a profitable business.


We also get into:

  • the immigrant childhood that trained him to adapt faster

  • why betting on people, not models, became the most important lesson of his career

  • the early failures at Expedia that hardened his decision making and leadership style

  • how he rebuilt culture at Uber while operating under intense public scrutiny

  • the long term vision of turning Uber from a rides company into a real time logistics network


ABOUT US:


We’re proudly sponsored by Brex—a brand I co-founded, now supporting over 30,000 businesses like Anthropic, DoorDash, and Scale AI, helping them make every dollar count.


I’m grateful for their continued support as I bring you all conversations with some of the most exceptional founders of our generation. For more information, please go to: https://www.brex.com/?ref_code=bmk_audio_HDinHD


Connect with us here:

1. Dara Khosrowshahi- https://x.com/dkhos

2. Brex- https://x.com/brexHQ

3. Henrique Dubugras- https://x.com/hdubugras


This episode was produced and distributed by our friends at Atomik Growth.

]]> 5351 yes How Max Levchin Built the System Behind 90% of U.S. E-Commerce “Don’t just believe that things work, actually find out how they work and ask the question, can they work better?” This has been Max Levchin’s constant pursuit since childhood, leading him to build PayPal, HVF, and Affirm, a perfect example of where engineering meets entrepreneurship. In this episode, we explore what it takes to begin again after success and how Max Levchin’s relentless pursuit of optimization has defined two decades of fintech innovation. We also get into: • how a cryptography thesis became a fintech revolution, PayPal • the psychology of merging with Elon Musk’s X.com • why founders are idealists and investors are cynics • how Max measures success in human lives improved • and how America’s entrepreneurial DNA became its greatest competitive advantage This episode was recorded on October 24th, 2025. 00:00 Intro 12:28 The PayPal Story 32:30 Founder CEOs vs. Hired CEOs 43:49 Entrepreneurship 48:47 The Media Industry 55:53 Credit Card Debt in the US 01:06:03 Affirm's Business Model 01:09:01 Challenges and Ethics in Lending 01:24:31 AI and Underwriting Models 01:32:51 Crypto and Stablecoins 01:46:26 Closing Remarks ABOUT US: We’re proudly sponsored by Brex—a brand I co-founded, now supporting over 30,000 businesses like Anthropic, DoorDash, and Scale AI, helping them make every dollar count. I’m grateful for their continued support as I bring you all conversations with some of the most exceptional founders of our generation. For more information, please go to: https://www.brex.com/?ref_code=bmk_audio_HDinHD Connect with us here: 1. Max Levchin- https://x.com/mlevchin  2. Brex- https://x.com/brexHQ 3. Henrique Dubugras- https://x.com/hdubugrasThis episode was produced and distributed by our friends at Atomik Growth: https://atomikgrowth.com/ Mon, 10 Nov 2025 15:39:00 -0000 full Henrique Dubugras “Don’t just believe that things work, actually find out how they work and ask the question, can they work better?” This has been Max Levchin’s constant pursuit since childhood, leading him to build PayPal, HVF, and Affirm, a perfect example of where engineering meets entrepreneurship. In this episode, we explore what it takes to begin again after success and how Max Levchin’s relentless pursuit of optimization has defined two decades of fintech innovation. We also get into: • how a cryptography thesis became a fintech revolution, PayPal • the psychology of merging with Elon Musk’s X.com • why founders are idealists and investors are cynics • how Max measures success in human lives improved • and how America’s entrepreneurial DNA became its greatest competitive advantage This episode was recorded on October 24th, 2025. 00:00 Intro 12:28 The PayPal Story 32:30 Founder CEOs vs. Hired CEOs 43:49 Entrepreneurship 48:47 The Media Industry 55:53 Credit Card Debt in the US 01:06:03 Affirm's Business Model 01:09:01 Challenges and Ethics in Lending 01:24:31 AI and Underwriting Models 01:32:51 Crypto and Stablecoins 01:46:26 Closing Remarks ABOUT US: We’re proudly sponsored by Brex—a brand I co-founded, now supporting over 30,000 businesses like Anthropic, DoorDash, and Scale AI, helping them make every dollar count. I’m grateful for their continued support as I bring you all conversations with some of the most exceptional founders of our generation. For more information, please go to: https://www.brex.com/?ref_code=bmk_audio_HDinHD Connect with us here: 1. Max Levchin- https://x.com/mlevchin  2. Brex- https://x.com/brexHQ 3. Henrique Dubugras- https://x.com/hdubugrasThis episode was produced and distributed by our friends at Atomik Growth: https://atomikgrowth.com/ “Don’t just believe that things work, actually find out how they work and ask the question, can they work better?”

This has been Max Levchin’s constant pursuit since childhood, leading him to build PayPal, HVF, and Affirm, a perfect example of where engineering meets entrepreneurship.

In this episode, we explore what it takes to begin again after success and how Max Levchin’s relentless pursuit of optimization has defined two decades of fintech innovation.

We also get into:

• how a cryptography thesis became a fintech revolution, PayPal

• the psychology of merging with Elon Musk’s X.com

• why founders are idealists and investors are cynics

• how Max measures success in human lives improved

• and how America’s entrepreneurial DNA became its greatest competitive advantage

This episode was recorded on October 24th, 2025.


00:00 Intro

12:28 The PayPal Story

32:30 Founder CEOs vs. Hired CEOs

43:49 Entrepreneurship

48:47 The Media Industry

55:53 Credit Card Debt in the US

01:06:03 Affirm's Business Model

01:09:01 Challenges and Ethics in Lending

01:24:31 AI and Underwriting Models

01:32:51 Crypto and Stablecoins

01:46:26 Closing Remarks


ABOUT US:

We’re proudly sponsored by Brex—a brand I co-founded, now supporting over 30,000 businesses like Anthropic, DoorDash, and Scale AI, helping them make every dollar count.

I’m grateful for their continued support as I bring you all conversations with some of the most exceptional founders of our generation. For more information, please go to: https://www.brex.com/?ref_code=bmk_audio_HDinHD

Connect with us here:

1. Max Levchin- https://x.com/mlevchin 

2. Brex- https://x.com/brexHQ

3. Henrique Dubugras- https://x.com/hdubugras
This episode was produced and distributed by our friends at Atomik Growth: https://atomikgrowth.com/

]]> 6416 yes How Deliveroo Got Acquired by Doordash for $3.9B | Will Shu In a city built on great food, workers were still eating whatever was quickest. When Will Shu moved to London, he felt that disconnect firsthand and built Deliveroo to bridge it, transforming a local gap into a network spanning 10 markets. On this episode of HD in HD, Will shares how his belief in hard work and delayed reward helped him build Deliveroo into a global logistics leader, acquired by DoorDash for $3.9B. We also get into: • how they learned to manage riders, restaurants, and regulations  • how Deliveroo stood apart from competitors like Uber • what Will believes DoorDash and Deliveroo can learn from each other post-acquisition ABOUT US: We’re proudly sponsored by Brex—a brand I co-founded, now supporting over 30,000 businesses like Anthropic, DoorDash, and Scale AI, helping them make every dollar count. I’m grateful for their continued support as I bring you all conversations with some of the most exceptional founders of our generation. For more information, please go to: https://www.brex.com/?ref_code=bmk_audio_HDinHD Connect with us here: 1. Will Shu- https://x.com/WillShuRoo 2. Brex- https://x.com/brexHQ 3. Henrique Dubugras- https://x.com/hdubugras This episode was produced and distributed by our friends at Atomik Growth. 00:00 Intro 25:43 Will Shu's Early Life and Education 32:15 College Life and Career Beginnings 39:26 Wall Street Culture 46:15 The Birth of Deliveroo 01:04:58 Raising Funds 01:16:49 COVID-19 01:23:01 IPO and Market Reactions 01:36:54 AI and Future of Delivery Fri, 31 Oct 2025 15:00:00 -0000 full Henrique Dubugras In a city built on great food, workers were still eating whatever was quickest. When Will Shu moved to London, he felt that disconnect firsthand and built Deliveroo to bridge it, transforming a local gap into a network spanning 10 markets. On this episode of HD in HD, Will shares how his belief in hard work and delayed reward helped him build Deliveroo into a global logistics leader, acquired by DoorDash for $3.9B. We also get into: • how they learned to manage riders, restaurants, and regulations  • how Deliveroo stood apart from competitors like Uber • what Will believes DoorDash and Deliveroo can learn from each other post-acquisition ABOUT US: We’re proudly sponsored by Brex—a brand I co-founded, now supporting over 30,000 businesses like Anthropic, DoorDash, and Scale AI, helping them make every dollar count. I’m grateful for their continued support as I bring you all conversations with some of the most exceptional founders of our generation. For more information, please go to: https://www.brex.com/?ref_code=bmk_audio_HDinHD Connect with us here: 1. Will Shu- https://x.com/WillShuRoo 2. Brex- https://x.com/brexHQ 3. Henrique Dubugras- https://x.com/hdubugras This episode was produced and distributed by our friends at Atomik Growth. 00:00 Intro 25:43 Will Shu's Early Life and Education 32:15 College Life and Career Beginnings 39:26 Wall Street Culture 46:15 The Birth of Deliveroo 01:04:58 Raising Funds 01:16:49 COVID-19 01:23:01 IPO and Market Reactions 01:36:54 AI and Future of Delivery In a city built on great food, workers were still eating whatever was quickest.


When Will Shu moved to London, he felt that disconnect firsthand and built Deliveroo to bridge it, transforming a local gap into a network spanning 10 markets.


On this episode of HD in HD, Will shares how his belief in hard work and delayed reward helped him build Deliveroo into a global logistics leader, acquired by DoorDash for $3.9B.


We also get into:

• how they learned to manage riders, restaurants, and regulations 

• how Deliveroo stood apart from competitors like Uber

• what Will believes DoorDash and Deliveroo can learn from each other post-acquisition


ABOUT US:

We’re proudly sponsored by Brex—a brand I co-founded, now supporting over 30,000 businesses like Anthropic, DoorDash, and Scale AI, helping them make every dollar count.


I’m grateful for their continued support as I bring you all conversations with some of the most exceptional founders of our generation. For more information, please go to: https://www.brex.com/?ref_code=bmk_audio_HDinHD


Connect with us here:

1. Will Shu- https://x.com/WillShuRoo

2. Brex- https://x.com/brexHQ

3. Henrique Dubugras- https://x.com/hdubugras


This episode was produced and distributed by our friends at Atomik Growth.


00:00 Intro

25:43 Will Shu's Early Life and Education

32:15 College Life and Career Beginnings

39:26 Wall Street Culture

46:15 The Birth of Deliveroo

01:04:58 Raising Funds

01:16:49 COVID-19

01:23:01 IPO and Market Reactions

01:36:54 AI and Future of Delivery

]]> 6518 How Alex Bouaziz Built Deel Into a $17B Giant | Alex Bouaziz & Deel Global payroll is a maze most companies dread navigating. Deel turned it into their MOAT by streamlining HR across borders, powering remote work, and hitting a $1B+ run rate with over 5,000 employees. Alex Bouaziz, Deel’s CEO and co-founder, grew up nerding out on Nintendo and hunted perfection from Paris to MIT. His relentless curiosity built a platform that’s rewriting how the world hires. In this episode, we explore: • why he wakes up obsessed with your problems, not his product • how a Disneyland obsession shaped his entrepreneurial spark • why he’s doubling down on AI and stablecoins ABOUT US: We’re proudly sponsored by Brex—a brand I co-founded, now supporting over 30,000 businesses like Anthropic, DoorDash, and Scale AI, helping them make every dollar count. I’m grateful for their continued support as I bring you all conversations with some of the most exceptional founders of our generation. Onward and upward, together. Connect with us: 1. Deel - https://x.com/deel 2. Brex - https://x.com/brexHQ 3. Henrique Dubugras- https://x.com/hdubugras This episode was produced and distributed by our friends at Atomik Growth: https://atomikgrowth.com/ 00:00 Introduction 01:35 Being happy 02:50 Big family 11:56 Video games and math 14:59 Confidence 16:12 College and older people 23:47 America, Nintendo, Disney 26:08 MIT 26:59 Helping yourself, cold emails 31:51 PhDs are super lonely 34:38 Trying to impress 39:16 Brex 40:06 Deel 45:05 Gaming forums and money struggles 49:49 San Francisco, Tel Aviv, Paris 52:26 Remote work 54:32 Growth and value 1:00:42 Marketing and getting old 1:02:09 Next decade 1:04:07 Crypto 1:08:42 AI and payroll 1:12:00 Outro Thu, 16 Oct 2025 18:30:00 -0000 full Henrique Dubugras Global payroll is a maze most companies dread navigating. Deel turned it into their MOAT by streamlining HR across borders, powering remote work, and hitting a $1B+ run rate with over 5,000 employees. Alex Bouaziz, Deel’s CEO and co-founder, grew up nerding out on Nintendo and hunted perfection from Paris to MIT. His relentless curiosity built a platform that’s rewriting how the world hires. In this episode, we explore: • why he wakes up obsessed with your problems, not his product • how a Disneyland obsession shaped his entrepreneurial spark • why he’s doubling down on AI and stablecoins ABOUT US: We’re proudly sponsored by Brex—a brand I co-founded, now supporting over 30,000 businesses like Anthropic, DoorDash, and Scale AI, helping them make every dollar count. I’m grateful for their continued support as I bring you all conversations with some of the most exceptional founders of our generation. Onward and upward, together. Connect with us: 1. Deel - https://x.com/deel 2. Brex - https://x.com/brexHQ 3. Henrique Dubugras- https://x.com/hdubugras This episode was produced and distributed by our friends at Atomik Growth: https://atomikgrowth.com/ 00:00 Introduction 01:35 Being happy 02:50 Big family 11:56 Video games and math 14:59 Confidence 16:12 College and older people 23:47 America, Nintendo, Disney 26:08 MIT 26:59 Helping yourself, cold emails 31:51 PhDs are super lonely 34:38 Trying to impress 39:16 Brex 40:06 Deel 45:05 Gaming forums and money struggles 49:49 San Francisco, Tel Aviv, Paris 52:26 Remote work 54:32 Growth and value 1:00:42 Marketing and getting old 1:02:09 Next decade 1:04:07 Crypto 1:08:42 AI and payroll 1:12:00 Outro Global payroll is a maze most companies dread navigating. Deel turned it into their MOAT by streamlining HR across borders, powering remote work, and hitting a $1B+ run rate with over 5,000 employees. Alex Bouaziz, Deel’s CEO and co-founder, grew up nerding out on Nintendo and hunted perfection from Paris to MIT. His relentless curiosity built a platform that’s rewriting how the world hires. In this episode, we explore: • why he wakes up obsessed with your problems, not his product • how a Disneyland obsession shaped his entrepreneurial spark • why he’s doubling down on AI and stablecoins ABOUT US: We’re proudly sponsored by Brex—a brand I co-founded, now supporting over 30,000 businesses like Anthropic, DoorDash, and Scale AI, helping them make every dollar count. I’m grateful for their continued support as I bring you all conversations with some of the most exceptional founders of our generation. Onward and upward, together. Connect with us: 1. Deel - https://x.com/deel 2. Brex - https://x.com/brexHQ 3. Henrique Dubugras- https://x.com/hdubugras This episode was produced and distributed by our friends at Atomik Growth: https://atomikgrowth.com/ 00:00 Introduction 01:35 Being happy 02:50 Big family 11:56 Video games and math 14:59 Confidence 16:12 College and older people 23:47 America, Nintendo, Disney 26:08 MIT 26:59 Helping yourself, cold emails 31:51 PhDs are super lonely 34:38 Trying to impress 39:16 Brex 40:06 Deel 45:05 Gaming forums and money struggles 49:49 San Francisco, Tel Aviv, Paris 52:26 Remote work 54:32 Growth and value 1:00:42 Marketing and getting old 1:02:09 Next decade 1:04:07 Crypto 1:08:42 AI and payroll 1:12:00 Outro

]]> 4369 yes How Adversity Made Him Unstoppable | Barry Diller How does someone with zero ambition rise to the top of Hollywood? Barry Diller started out as a ‘wayward’ kid with no plan, then took his first big risk in television by producing original TV movies, a gamble no one in Hollywood thought would work. In this episode, he shares how trusting his instincts and defying convention guided his journey from transforming Paramount to launching Fox Broadcasting Company and building IAC, now home to 10 publicly traded companies, leaving a lasting legacy. We also get into: • why adversity is the greatest training ground for instinct • what it took to launch Fox Broadcasting against three dominant networks • why sequels ruined Hollywood’s creative edge • spotting screen interactivity before the internet took over ABOUT US: We’re proudly sponsored by Brex—a brand I co-founded, now supporting over 30,000 businesses like Anthropic, DoorDash, and Scale AI, helping them make every dollar count. I’m grateful for their continued support as I bring you all conversations with some of the most exceptional founders of our generation. For more information, please go to: https://www.brex.com/?ref_code=bmk_audio_HDinHD Connect with us here: 1. Brex- https://x.com/brexHQ 2. Henrique Dubugras- https://x.com/hdubugras This episode was produced and distributed by our friends at Atomik Growth. 00:00 Intro 02:12 Barry Diller's Early Life 15:12 The ABC Network 25:30 Charles Bluhdorn 33:26 From TV to Paramount 42:34 Fox Broadcasting and Media Ventures 48:53 E-Commerce and Building IAC 59:07 Expedia Mon, 06 Oct 2025 14:10:00 -0000 full Henrique Dubugras How does someone with zero ambition rise to the top of Hollywood? Barry Diller started out as a ‘wayward’ kid with no plan, then took his first big risk in television by producing original TV movies, a gamble no one in Hollywood thought would work. In this episode, he shares how trusting his instincts and defying convention guided his journey from transforming Paramount to launching Fox Broadcasting Company and building IAC, now home to 10 publicly traded companies, leaving a lasting legacy. We also get into: • why adversity is the greatest training ground for instinct • what it took to launch Fox Broadcasting against three dominant networks • why sequels ruined Hollywood’s creative edge • spotting screen interactivity before the internet took over ABOUT US: We’re proudly sponsored by Brex—a brand I co-founded, now supporting over 30,000 businesses like Anthropic, DoorDash, and Scale AI, helping them make every dollar count. I’m grateful for their continued support as I bring you all conversations with some of the most exceptional founders of our generation. For more information, please go to: https://www.brex.com/?ref_code=bmk_audio_HDinHD Connect with us here: 1. Brex- https://x.com/brexHQ 2. Henrique Dubugras- https://x.com/hdubugras This episode was produced and distributed by our friends at Atomik Growth. 00:00 Intro 02:12 Barry Diller's Early Life 15:12 The ABC Network 25:30 Charles Bluhdorn 33:26 From TV to Paramount 42:34 Fox Broadcasting and Media Ventures 48:53 E-Commerce and Building IAC 59:07 Expedia How does someone with zero ambition rise to the top of Hollywood?


Barry Diller started out as a ‘wayward’ kid with no plan, then took his first big risk in television by producing original TV movies, a gamble no one in Hollywood thought would work.


In this episode, he shares how trusting his instincts and defying convention guided his journey from transforming Paramount to launching Fox Broadcasting Company and building IAC, now home to 10 publicly traded companies, leaving a lasting legacy.


We also get into:

• why adversity is the greatest training ground for instinct

• what it took to launch Fox Broadcasting against three dominant networks

• why sequels ruined Hollywood’s creative edge

• spotting screen interactivity before the internet took over


ABOUT US:

We’re proudly sponsored by Brex—a brand I co-founded, now supporting over 30,000 businesses like Anthropic, DoorDash, and Scale AI, helping them make every dollar count.


I’m grateful for their continued support as I bring you all conversations with some of the most exceptional founders of our generation. For more information, please go to: https://www.brex.com/?ref_code=bmk_audio_HDinHD


Connect with us here:

1. Brex- https://x.com/brexHQ

2. Henrique Dubugras- https://x.com/hdubugras


This episode was produced and distributed by our friends at Atomik Growth.


00:00 Intro

02:12 Barry Diller's Early Life

15:12 The ABC Network

25:30 Charles Bluhdorn

33:26 From TV to Paramount

42:34 Fox Broadcasting and Media Ventures

48:53 E-Commerce and Building IAC

59:07 Expedia

]]> 3743 How Kalshi Sued the U.S. Government and Won | CEO Tarek Mansour When regulators tried to shut them down, Tarek Mansour took them to court, and made history. This week on HD in HD we're joined by the co-founder and CEO of Kalshi, the first fully regulated financial exchange for trading on events. He’s redefining how markets work by building a platform where people can trade on everything from elections to the economy, and proving that prediction markets can be both legitimate and transformative. In this episode, we also get into: why entrepreneurship has no clear destination, so you might as well enjoy the journey how trading shaped how he thinks about risk and decision-making how Kalshi survived its showdown with regulators the bet that event trading can make humanity more rational ABOUT US: We’re proudly sponsored by Brex—a brand I co-founded, now supporting over 30,000 businesses like Anthropic, DoorDash, and Scale AI, helping them make every dollar count. I’m grateful for their continued support as I bring you all conversations with some of the most exceptional founders of our generation. For more information, please go to: https://www.brex.com/?ref_code=bmk_audio_HDinHD Connect with us here: Tarek Mansour- https://x.com/mansourtarek_?lang=en Brex- https://x.com/brexHQ Henrique Dubugras- https://x.com/hdubugras This episode was produced and distributed by our friends at Atomik Growth: https://atomikgrowth.com/ 00:00:00 Intro 00:01:13 Brex Sponsorship 00:02:11 Early Years in Lebanon 00:08:41 Success and Stress 00:29:23 Expected Outcomes and Variance 00:41:43 MIT Experience 00:45:59 Goldman Sachs 00:53:08 Y Combinator 01:00:48 Legal Challenges 01:08:14 Raising Funds 01:14:02 The Election Market Challenge 01:35:45 Winning the Lawsuit 01:40:25 Mainstream Success 01:44:01 The Role of Support Systems Thu, 25 Sep 2025 22:46:00 -0000 full Henrique Dubugras When regulators tried to shut them down, Tarek Mansour took them to court, and made history. This week on HD in HD we're joined by the co-founder and CEO of Kalshi, the first fully regulated financial exchange for trading on events. He’s redefining how markets work by building a platform where people can trade on everything from elections to the economy, and proving that prediction markets can be both legitimate and transformative. In this episode, we also get into: why entrepreneurship has no clear destination, so you might as well enjoy the journey how trading shaped how he thinks about risk and decision-making how Kalshi survived its showdown with regulators the bet that event trading can make humanity more rational ABOUT US: We’re proudly sponsored by Brex—a brand I co-founded, now supporting over 30,000 businesses like Anthropic, DoorDash, and Scale AI, helping them make every dollar count. I’m grateful for their continued support as I bring you all conversations with some of the most exceptional founders of our generation. For more information, please go to: https://www.brex.com/?ref_code=bmk_audio_HDinHD Connect with us here: Tarek Mansour- https://x.com/mansourtarek_?lang=en Brex- https://x.com/brexHQ Henrique Dubugras- https://x.com/hdubugras This episode was produced and distributed by our friends at Atomik Growth: https://atomikgrowth.com/ 00:00:00 Intro 00:01:13 Brex Sponsorship 00:02:11 Early Years in Lebanon 00:08:41 Success and Stress 00:29:23 Expected Outcomes and Variance 00:41:43 MIT Experience 00:45:59 Goldman Sachs 00:53:08 Y Combinator 01:00:48 Legal Challenges 01:08:14 Raising Funds 01:14:02 The Election Market Challenge 01:35:45 Winning the Lawsuit 01:40:25 Mainstream Success 01:44:01 The Role of Support Systems When regulators tried to shut them down, Tarek Mansour took them to court, and made history.


This week on HD in HD we're joined by the co-founder and CEO of Kalshi, the first fully regulated financial exchange for trading on events. He’s redefining how markets work by building a platform where people can trade on everything from elections to the economy, and proving that prediction markets can be both legitimate and transformative.

In this episode, we also get into:

  • why entrepreneurship has no clear destination, so you might as well enjoy the journey

  • how trading shaped how he thinks about risk and decision-making

  • how Kalshi survived its showdown with regulators

  • the bet that event trading can make humanity more rational

ABOUT US:

We’re proudly sponsored by Brex—a brand I co-founded, now supporting over 30,000 businesses like Anthropic, DoorDash, and Scale AI, helping them make every dollar count.

I’m grateful for their continued support as I bring you all conversations with some of the most exceptional founders of our generation. For more information, please go to: https://www.brex.com/?ref_code=bmk_audio_HDinHD

Connect with us here:

  1. Tarek Mansour- https://x.com/mansourtarek_?lang=en

  2. Brex- https://x.com/brexHQ

  3. Henrique Dubugras- https://x.com/hdubugras

This episode was produced and distributed by our friends at Atomik Growth: https://atomikgrowth.com/

00:00:00 Intro

00:01:13 Brex Sponsorship

00:02:11 Early Years in Lebanon

00:08:41 Success and Stress

00:29:23 Expected Outcomes and Variance

00:41:43 MIT Experience

00:45:59 Goldman Sachs

00:53:08 Y Combinator

01:00:48 Legal Challenges

01:08:14 Raising Funds

01:14:02 The Election Market Challenge

01:35:45 Winning the Lawsuit

01:40:25 Mainstream Success

01:44:01 The Role of Support Systems

]]> 7293 Sebastian's Journey From Flipping Burgers → $17B+ IPO How do you go from pitching Sequoia to ringing the bell on a US IPO? Sebastian Siemiatkowski, co-founder and CEO of Klarna was raised in a home where ambition met accountability. Even as Klarna thrived in Sweden, his parents reminded him: “That’s fantastic. When are you going to get your degree?” That grounding, paired with Sebastian’s own ambition to measure up to companies like Google and Facebook, pushed Klarna beyond local success to a global stage. In this episode, we also get into: • how sci-fi books inspired him to see entrepreneurship as an adventure • how Klarna brought Sequoia on board • how Klarna got ahead of Afterpay in the U.S market • navigating co-founder tensions and pivoting leadership • turning Sweden’s strict bill collection into Klarna’s advantage ABOUT US: We’re proudly sponsored by Brex—a brand I co-founded, now supporting over 30,000 businesses like Anthropic, DoorDash, and Scale AI, helping them make every dollar count. I’m grateful for their continued support as I bring you all conversations with some of the most exceptional founders of our generation. For more information, please go to: https://www.brex.com/?ref_code=bmk_audio_HDinHD Connect with us here: 1. Sebastian Siemiatkowski- https://x.com/klarnaseb 2. Brex- https://x.com/brexHQ 3. Henrique Dubugras- https://x.com/hdubugras This episode was produced and distributed by our friends at Atomik Growth: https://atomikgrowth.com/ Chapters: 00:00 Intro 05:03 Background and Immigration 12:59 University Life 23:55 Gap Year Adventures 37:57 Finding Multiple Jobs 41:57 The Birth of Klarna 53:42 The First Product 01:15:32 Sequoia's Investment 01:34:50 Entering the US Market 01:49:01 AI and the Future Mon, 15 Sep 2025 15:31:00 -0000 full Henrique Dubugras How do you go from pitching Sequoia to ringing the bell on a US IPO? Sebastian Siemiatkowski, co-founder and CEO of Klarna was raised in a home where ambition met accountability. Even as Klarna thrived in Sweden, his parents reminded him: “That’s fantastic. When are you going to get your degree?” That grounding, paired with Sebastian’s own ambition to measure up to companies like Google and Facebook, pushed Klarna beyond local success to a global stage. In this episode, we also get into: • how sci-fi books inspired him to see entrepreneurship as an adventure • how Klarna brought Sequoia on board • how Klarna got ahead of Afterpay in the U.S market • navigating co-founder tensions and pivoting leadership • turning Sweden’s strict bill collection into Klarna’s advantage ABOUT US: We’re proudly sponsored by Brex—a brand I co-founded, now supporting over 30,000 businesses like Anthropic, DoorDash, and Scale AI, helping them make every dollar count. I’m grateful for their continued support as I bring you all conversations with some of the most exceptional founders of our generation. For more information, please go to: https://www.brex.com/?ref_code=bmk_audio_HDinHD Connect with us here: 1. Sebastian Siemiatkowski- https://x.com/klarnaseb 2. Brex- https://x.com/brexHQ 3. Henrique Dubugras- https://x.com/hdubugras This episode was produced and distributed by our friends at Atomik Growth: https://atomikgrowth.com/ Chapters: 00:00 Intro 05:03 Background and Immigration 12:59 University Life 23:55 Gap Year Adventures 37:57 Finding Multiple Jobs 41:57 The Birth of Klarna 53:42 The First Product 01:15:32 Sequoia's Investment 01:34:50 Entering the US Market 01:49:01 AI and the Future How do you go from pitching Sequoia to ringing the bell on a US IPO?


Sebastian Siemiatkowski, co-founder and CEO of Klarna was raised in a home where ambition met accountability. Even as Klarna thrived in Sweden, his parents reminded him: “That’s fantastic. When are you going to get your degree?”


That grounding, paired with Sebastian’s own ambition to measure up to companies like Google and Facebook, pushed Klarna beyond local success to a global stage.


In this episode, we also get into:

• how sci-fi books inspired him to see entrepreneurship as an adventure

• how Klarna brought Sequoia on board

• how Klarna got ahead of Afterpay in the U.S market

• navigating co-founder tensions and pivoting leadership

• turning Sweden’s strict bill collection into Klarna’s advantage


ABOUT US:


We’re proudly sponsored by Brex—a brand I co-founded, now supporting over 30,000 businesses like Anthropic, DoorDash, and Scale AI, helping them make every dollar count.


I’m grateful for their continued support as I bring you all conversations with some of the most exceptional founders of our generation. For more information, please go to: https://www.brex.com/?ref_code=bmk_audio_HDinHD


Connect with us here:

1. Sebastian Siemiatkowski- https://x.com/klarnaseb

2. Brex- https://x.com/brexHQ

3. Henrique Dubugras- https://x.com/hdubugras


This episode was produced and distributed by our friends at Atomik Growth: https://atomikgrowth.com/


Chapters:

00:00 Intro

05:03 Background and Immigration

12:59 University Life

23:55 Gap Year Adventures

37:57 Finding Multiple Jobs

41:57 The Birth of Klarna

53:42 The First Product

01:15:32 Sequoia's Investment

01:34:50 Entering the US Market

01:49:01 AI and the Future

]]> 6684 The $2B AI Startup Changing Content Forever | Victor Riparbelli Before founding Synthesia, Victor Riparbelli grew up in Denmark with parents who struck a balance between ensuring his future security and giving him the freedom to pursue his passions, with his father steering him toward technology. At Stanford, the intense academics and ambitious peers challenged him to question the status quo and honed his approach to creating helpful tools. We also get into: • why complex video games were his first playground for building business • how Mark Cuban became their first investor without meeting them • why the future of communication is video ABOUT US: We’re proudly sponsored by Brex—a brand I co-founded, now supporting over 30,000 businesses like Anthropic, DoorDash, and Scale AI, helping them make every dollar count. I’m grateful for their continued support as I bring you all conversations with some of the most exceptional founders of our generation. For more information, please go to: https://www.brex.com/?ref_code=bmk_audio_HDinHD Connect with us here: 1. Victor Riparbelli- https://x.com/vriparbelli 2. Brex- https://x.com/brexHQ 3. Henrique Dubugras- https://x.com/hdubugras This episode was produced and distributed by our friends at Atomik Growth: https://atomikgrowth.com Fri, 22 Aug 2025 13:34:00 -0000 full Henrique Dubugras Before founding Synthesia, Victor Riparbelli grew up in Denmark with parents who struck a balance between ensuring his future security and giving him the freedom to pursue his passions, with his father steering him toward technology. At Stanford, the intense academics and ambitious peers challenged him to question the status quo and honed his approach to creating helpful tools. We also get into: • why complex video games were his first playground for building business • how Mark Cuban became their first investor without meeting them • why the future of communication is video ABOUT US: We’re proudly sponsored by Brex—a brand I co-founded, now supporting over 30,000 businesses like Anthropic, DoorDash, and Scale AI, helping them make every dollar count. I’m grateful for their continued support as I bring you all conversations with some of the most exceptional founders of our generation. For more information, please go to: https://www.brex.com/?ref_code=bmk_audio_HDinHD Connect with us here: 1. Victor Riparbelli- https://x.com/vriparbelli 2. Brex- https://x.com/brexHQ 3. Henrique Dubugras- https://x.com/hdubugras This episode was produced and distributed by our friends at Atomik Growth: https://atomikgrowth.com Before founding Synthesia, Victor Riparbelli grew up in Denmark with parents who struck a balance between ensuring his future security and giving him the freedom to pursue his passions, with his father steering him toward technology.


At Stanford, the intense academics and ambitious peers challenged him to question the status quo and honed his approach to creating helpful tools.


We also get into:

• why complex video games were his first playground for building business

• how Mark Cuban became their first investor without meeting them

• why the future of communication is video


ABOUT US:


We’re proudly sponsored by Brex—a brand I co-founded, now supporting over 30,000 businesses like Anthropic, DoorDash, and Scale AI, helping them make every dollar count.


I’m grateful for their continued support as I bring you all conversations with some of the most exceptional founders of our generation. For more information, please go to: https://www.brex.com/?ref_code=bmk_audio_HDinHD


Connect with us here:

1. Victor Riparbelli- https://x.com/vriparbelli

2. Brex- https://x.com/brexHQ

3. Henrique Dubugras- https://x.com/hdubugras


This episode was produced and distributed by our friends at Atomik Growth: https://atomikgrowth.com

]]> 6338 yes How Vercel Saves Dev Teams $10M+ in Time | Guillermo Rauch Before founding Vercel, Guillermo Rauch, was a self-taught teenager in Argentina earning his first dollars online to help his family. From early open-source work to remote freelancing, this episode traces how his drive to figure things out led to solving web performance at scale. We also get into: • how his dad instilled a mindset of pushing tech boundaries • what growing up during Argentina’s economic swings taught him • why he sees Minecraft as a healthy game for his kids • why he believes speed without direction is meaningless ABOUT US: We’re proudly sponsored by Brex—a brand I co-founded, now supporting over 30,000 businesses like Anthropic, DoorDash, and Scale AI, helping them make every dollar count. I’m grateful for their continued support as I bring you all conversations with some of the most exceptional founders of our generation. For more information, please go to: https://www.brex.com/?ref_code=bmk_audio_HDinHD Connect with us here: 1. Guillermo Rauch- https://www.linkedin.com/in/rauchg/ 2. Brex- https://x.com/brexHQ 3. Henrique Dubugras- https://x.com/hdubugras This episode was produced and distributed by our friends at Atomik Growth: https://atomikgrowth.com/ 00:00 Intro 02:00 Early Years 04:50 Parenting, First Experiences with Computers 07:40 Screen Time Rules 11:40 Video Games & Developing Programming Skills 15:30 Freelance Coding & Earning in U.S. Dollars 19:40 High School 24:10 Startup Offer 30:30 Silicon Valley & First Acquisition 41:45 Founding Vercel 54:40 AI Wave: v0, Agents & “Token Factories” 01:14:28 Vercel's Success and Client Impact 01:20:58 The Role of AI in Development 01:40:49 Iterating Towards Greatness 01:52:27 Balancing Luck and Skill Mon, 21 Jul 2025 16:49:00 -0000 full Henrique Dubugras Before founding Vercel, Guillermo Rauch, was a self-taught teenager in Argentina earning his first dollars online to help his family. From early open-source work to remote freelancing, this episode traces how his drive to figure things out led to solving web performance at scale. We also get into: • how his dad instilled a mindset of pushing tech boundaries • what growing up during Argentina’s economic swings taught him • why he sees Minecraft as a healthy game for his kids • why he believes speed without direction is meaningless ABOUT US: We’re proudly sponsored by Brex—a brand I co-founded, now supporting over 30,000 businesses like Anthropic, DoorDash, and Scale AI, helping them make every dollar count. I’m grateful for their continued support as I bring you all conversations with some of the most exceptional founders of our generation. For more information, please go to: https://www.brex.com/?ref_code=bmk_audio_HDinHD Connect with us here: 1. Guillermo Rauch- https://www.linkedin.com/in/rauchg/ 2. Brex- https://x.com/brexHQ 3. Henrique Dubugras- https://x.com/hdubugras This episode was produced and distributed by our friends at Atomik Growth: https://atomikgrowth.com/ 00:00 Intro 02:00 Early Years 04:50 Parenting, First Experiences with Computers 07:40 Screen Time Rules 11:40 Video Games & Developing Programming Skills 15:30 Freelance Coding & Earning in U.S. Dollars 19:40 High School 24:10 Startup Offer 30:30 Silicon Valley & First Acquisition 41:45 Founding Vercel 54:40 AI Wave: v0, Agents & “Token Factories” 01:14:28 Vercel's Success and Client Impact 01:20:58 The Role of AI in Development 01:40:49 Iterating Towards Greatness 01:52:27 Balancing Luck and Skill Before founding Vercel, Guillermo Rauch, was a self-taught teenager in Argentina earning his first dollars online to help his family.


From early open-source work to remote freelancing, this episode traces how his drive to figure things out led to solving web performance at scale.


We also get into:

• how his dad instilled a mindset of pushing tech boundaries

• what growing up during Argentina’s economic swings taught him

• why he sees Minecraft as a healthy game for his kids

• why he believes speed without direction is meaningless


ABOUT US:


We’re proudly sponsored by Brex—a brand I co-founded, now supporting over 30,000 businesses like Anthropic, DoorDash, and Scale AI, helping them make every dollar count.


I’m grateful for their continued support as I bring you all conversations with some of the most exceptional founders of our generation. For more information, please go to: https://www.brex.com/?ref_code=bmk_audio_HDinHD


Connect with us here:

1. Guillermo Rauch- https://www.linkedin.com/in/rauchg/

2. Brex- https://x.com/brexHQ

3. Henrique Dubugras- https://x.com/hdubugras


This episode was produced and distributed by our friends at Atomik Growth: https://atomikgrowth.com/


00:00 Intro 02:00 Early Years 04:50 Parenting, First Experiences with Computers 07:40 Screen Time Rules 11:40 Video Games & Developing Programming Skills 15:30 Freelance Coding & Earning in U.S. Dollars 19:40 High School 24:10 Startup Offer 30:30 Silicon Valley & First Acquisition 41:45 Founding Vercel 54:40 AI Wave: v0, Agents & “Token Factories” 01:14:28 Vercel's Success and Client Impact 01:20:58 The Role of AI in Development 01:40:49 Iterating Towards Greatness 01:52:27 Balancing Luck and Skill

]]> 7240 yes Betting on the Cloud Before it was Cool: The Rise of Box w/ Aaron Levie With an insatiable appetite for “what’s the new model,” Aaron Levie, Co-founder and CEO of Box, grew up chasing ideas without hesitation: performing magic at birthday parties, building websites, and making short films. In this episode of HD in HD, he shares how a curious mind from early ages became his greatest strength, and how staying slightly uncomfortable kept him ahead of the biggest tech shifts, from SaaS to AI. Today, Box powers content for 100k+ organizations and 68% of the Fortune 500, and is still driven by the same restless energy Aaron had as a teenager, always chasing what’s next. In this episode, we also get into: overcoming critical challenges when scaling storage capacity the move that set Box apart from Dropbox how AI is becoming the next major accelerator for Box 00:00 Intro 00:57 Brex Sponsorship 01:44 Aaron Levy's Early Years 02:24 High School 13:04 College 17:29 The Early Days of Box 23:17 Technological Shifts and Challenges 29:39 Navigating Competition 30:00 Enterprise Differentiation 32:24 Brex Sponsorship 33:12 AI’s Impact on Software and Work 44:51 AI's Role in Enterprise Knowledge Management 48:07 Future of Organizational Design 55:50 AI's Influence on Sales and Marketing 01:03:50 Reflections on Luck, Strategy, and Mistakes ABOUT US: We’re proudly sponsored by Brex—a brand I co-founded, now supporting over 30,000 businesses like Anthropic, DoorDash, and Scale AI, helping them make every dollar count. I’m grateful for their continued support as I bring you all conversations with some of the most exceptional founders of our generation. For more information, please go to: https://www.brex.com/?ref_code=bmk_audio_HDinHD Connect with us here: 1. Aaron Levie- https://www.linkedin.com/in/boxaaron/ 2. Brex- https://x.com/brexHQ 3. Henrique Dubugras- https://x.com/hdubugras This episode was produced and distributed by our friends at Atomik Growth: https://atomikgrowth.com/ Mon, 07 Jul 2025 16:20:00 -0000 full Henrique Dubugras With an insatiable appetite for “what’s the new model,” Aaron Levie, Co-founder and CEO of Box, grew up chasing ideas without hesitation: performing magic at birthday parties, building websites, and making short films. In this episode of HD in HD, he shares how a curious mind from early ages became his greatest strength, and how staying slightly uncomfortable kept him ahead of the biggest tech shifts, from SaaS to AI. Today, Box powers content for 100k+ organizations and 68% of the Fortune 500, and is still driven by the same restless energy Aaron had as a teenager, always chasing what’s next. In this episode, we also get into: overcoming critical challenges when scaling storage capacity the move that set Box apart from Dropbox how AI is becoming the next major accelerator for Box 00:00 Intro 00:57 Brex Sponsorship 01:44 Aaron Levy's Early Years 02:24 High School 13:04 College 17:29 The Early Days of Box 23:17 Technological Shifts and Challenges 29:39 Navigating Competition 30:00 Enterprise Differentiation 32:24 Brex Sponsorship 33:12 AI’s Impact on Software and Work 44:51 AI's Role in Enterprise Knowledge Management 48:07 Future of Organizational Design 55:50 AI's Influence on Sales and Marketing 01:03:50 Reflections on Luck, Strategy, and Mistakes ABOUT US: We’re proudly sponsored by Brex—a brand I co-founded, now supporting over 30,000 businesses like Anthropic, DoorDash, and Scale AI, helping them make every dollar count. I’m grateful for their continued support as I bring you all conversations with some of the most exceptional founders of our generation. For more information, please go to: https://www.brex.com/?ref_code=bmk_audio_HDinHD Connect with us here: 1. Aaron Levie- https://www.linkedin.com/in/boxaaron/ 2. Brex- https://x.com/brexHQ 3. Henrique Dubugras- https://x.com/hdubugras This episode was produced and distributed by our friends at Atomik Growth: https://atomikgrowth.com/ With an insatiable appetite for “what’s the new model,” Aaron Levie, Co-founder and CEO of Box, grew up chasing ideas without hesitation: performing magic at birthday parties, building websites, and making short films.

In this episode of HD in HD, he shares how a curious mind from early ages became his greatest strength, and how staying slightly uncomfortable kept him ahead of the biggest tech shifts, from SaaS to AI.

Today, Box powers content for 100k+ organizations and 68% of the Fortune 500, and is still driven by the same restless energy Aaron had as a teenager, always chasing what’s next.


In this episode, we also get into:

  • overcoming critical challenges when scaling storage capacity
  • the move that set Box apart from Dropbox
  • how AI is becoming the next major accelerator for Box


  • 00:00 Intro

    00:57 Brex Sponsorship

    01:44 Aaron Levy's Early Years

    02:24 High School

    13:04 College

    17:29 The Early Days of Box

    23:17 Technological Shifts and Challenges

    29:39 Navigating Competition

    30:00 Enterprise Differentiation

    32:24 Brex Sponsorship

    33:12 AI’s Impact on Software and Work

    44:51 AI's Role in Enterprise Knowledge Management

    48:07 Future of Organizational Design

    55:50 AI's Influence on Sales and Marketing

    01:03:50 Reflections on Luck, Strategy, and Mistakes


    • ABOUT US:

    We’re proudly sponsored by Brex—a brand I co-founded, now supporting over 30,000 businesses like Anthropic, DoorDash, and Scale AI, helping them make every dollar count.

    I’m grateful for their continued support as I bring you all conversations with some of the most exceptional founders of our generation. For more information, please go to: https://www.brex.com/?ref_code=bmk_audio_HDinHD


    Connect with us here:

    1. Aaron Levie- https://www.linkedin.com/in/boxaaron/

    2. Brex- https://x.com/brexHQ

    3. Henrique Dubugras- https://x.com/hdubugras


    This episode was produced and distributed by our friends at Atomik Growth: https://atomikgrowth.com/

    ]]>     4103 yes     From $300M to $1B in Revenue: How Navan Scaled Travel Tech to 50+ Countries (Ariel Cohen) When Ariel Cohen, co-founder and CEO of Navan, first set out to modernize corporate travel, he wasn’t an industry insider. What he did bring was a relentless focus on fundamentals, constantly asking, “Is it a good business?”, an instinct that arose from his family’s financial struggles, working in cafés, and participating in virtual business competitions in Israel. And that is exactly what led him to build a travel tech giant. In this episode, we also get into: • why building a startup while raising kids gave Ariel motivation to do better. • the supply chain problem in the travel industry. • will AI replace travel agents in the near future? • how Navan’s chatbot helps reduce customers’ travel expenses. ABOUT US: We’re proudly sponsored by Brex—a brand I co-founded, now supporting over 30,000 businesses like Anthropic, DoorDash, and Scale AI, helping them make every dollar count. I’m grateful for their continued support as I bring you all conversations with some of the most exceptional founders of our generation. For more information, click here. Connect with us here: Ariel Cohen Brex Henrique Dubugras This episode was produced and distributed by our friends at Atomik Growth: https://atomikgrowth.com/ Mon, 30 Jun 2025 16:42:00 -0000 full Henrique Dubugras When Ariel Cohen, co-founder and CEO of Navan, first set out to modernize corporate travel, he wasn’t an industry insider. What he did bring was a relentless focus on fundamentals, constantly asking, “Is it a good business?”, an instinct that arose from his family’s financial struggles, working in cafés, and participating in virtual business competitions in Israel. And that is exactly what led him to build a travel tech giant. In this episode, we also get into: • why building a startup while raising kids gave Ariel motivation to do better. • the supply chain problem in the travel industry. • will AI replace travel agents in the near future? • how Navan’s chatbot helps reduce customers’ travel expenses. ABOUT US: We’re proudly sponsored by Brex—a brand I co-founded, now supporting over 30,000 businesses like Anthropic, DoorDash, and Scale AI, helping them make every dollar count. I’m grateful for their continued support as I bring you all conversations with some of the most exceptional founders of our generation. For more information, click here. Connect with us here: Ariel Cohen Brex Henrique Dubugras This episode was produced and distributed by our friends at Atomik Growth: https://atomikgrowth.com/ When Ariel Cohen, co-founder and CEO of Navan, first set out to modernize corporate travel, he wasn’t an industry insider.


    What he did bring was a relentless focus on fundamentals, constantly asking, “Is it a good business?”, an instinct that arose from his family’s financial struggles, working in cafés, and participating in virtual business competitions in Israel.


    And that is exactly what led him to build a travel tech giant.


    In this episode, we also get into:

    • why building a startup while raising kids gave Ariel motivation to do better.

    • the supply chain problem in the travel industry.

    • will AI replace travel agents in the near future?

    • how Navan’s chatbot helps reduce customers’ travel expenses.


    ABOUT US:


    We’re proudly sponsored by Brex—a brand I co-founded, now supporting over 30,000 businesses like Anthropic, DoorDash, and Scale AI, helping them make every dollar count.


    I’m grateful for their continued support as I bring you all conversations with some of the most exceptional founders of our generation. For more information, click here.


    Connect with us here:


    1. Ariel Cohen
    2. Brex
    3. Henrique Dubugras


    This episode was produced and distributed by our friends at Atomik Growth: https://atomikgrowth.com/

    ]]>     7064 yes     How This Dropout Built a $3B Fintech Giant | André Street Before co-founding StoneCo, a $3.67B fintech giant, André Street was already thinking like a founder at the age of 14, skipping school not to rebel, but to build. His teacher was life itself, learning discipline from Jiu-Jitsu, gaining “environment intelligence” from being robbed on Rio’s streets, and maturity from an import-export class with 50 year olds. In this episode he joins Henrique Dubugras to unpack: - why he never wanted to be CEO - the prediction he made five years ahead that made StoneCo Brazil’s first independent credit card acquirer - why prioritizing customers early on became the foundation of StoneCo’s business model - the hiring mantra that built one of fintech’s tightest cultures ABOUT US: We’re proudly sponsored by Brex—a brand I co-founded, now supporting over 30,000 businesses like Anthropic, DoorDash, and Scale AI, helping them make every dollar count. I’m grateful for their continued support as I bring you all conversations with some of the most exceptional founders of our generation. Onward and upward, together. Connect with us here: 1. StoneCo- https://x.com/SejaStone 2. Brex- https://x.com/brexHQ 3. Henrique Dubugras- https://x.com/hdubugras This episode was produced and distributed by our friends at Atomik Growth Tue, 10 Jun 2025 15:11:00 -0000 full Henrique Dubugras Before co-founding StoneCo, a $3.67B fintech giant, André Street was already thinking like a founder at the age of 14, skipping school not to rebel, but to build. His teacher was life itself, learning discipline from Jiu-Jitsu, gaining “environment intelligence” from being robbed on Rio’s streets, and maturity from an import-export class with 50 year olds. In this episode he joins Henrique Dubugras to unpack: - why he never wanted to be CEO - the prediction he made five years ahead that made StoneCo Brazil’s first independent credit card acquirer - why prioritizing customers early on became the foundation of StoneCo’s business model - the hiring mantra that built one of fintech’s tightest cultures ABOUT US: We’re proudly sponsored by Brex—a brand I co-founded, now supporting over 30,000 businesses like Anthropic, DoorDash, and Scale AI, helping them make every dollar count. I’m grateful for their continued support as I bring you all conversations with some of the most exceptional founders of our generation. Onward and upward, together. Connect with us here: 1. StoneCo- https://x.com/SejaStone 2. Brex- https://x.com/brexHQ 3. Henrique Dubugras- https://x.com/hdubugras This episode was produced and distributed by our friends at Atomik Growth Before co-founding StoneCo, a $3.67B fintech giant, André Street was already thinking like a founder at the age of 14, skipping school not to rebel, but to build. His teacher was life itself, learning discipline from Jiu-Jitsu, gaining “environment intelligence” from being robbed on Rio’s streets, and maturity from an import-export class with 50 year olds. In this episode he joins Henrique Dubugras to unpack: - why he never wanted to be CEO - the prediction he made five years ahead that made StoneCo Brazil’s first independent credit card acquirer - why prioritizing customers early on became the foundation of StoneCo’s business model - the hiring mantra that built one of fintech’s tightest cultures ABOUT US: We’re proudly sponsored by Brex—a brand I co-founded, now supporting over 30,000 businesses like Anthropic, DoorDash, and Scale AI, helping them make every dollar count. I’m grateful for their continued support as I bring you all conversations with some of the most exceptional founders of our generation. Onward and upward, together. Connect with us here: 1. StoneCo- https://x.com/SejaStone 2. Brex- https://x.com/brexHQ 3. Henrique Dubugras- https://x.com/hdubugras This episode was produced and distributed by our friends at Atomik Growth

    ]]>     11216 yes     The 10% Bet That Built a $12B Company | Howie Liu (Airtable) Howie Liu built Airtable into one of the most powerful no-code platforms in the world—used by over 450,000 companies and backed by everyone from Benchmark to Thrive to YC. In this episode of HD in HD, I was joined by the founder and CEO of Airtable as he reelected on the unexpected turns that shaped his entrepreneurial path—from cold-pitching algo trading models at a college career fair, to building software that powers teams at scale. In our conversation, we get into: why Airtable took 2.5 years to launch—and why it was worth it how a CRM for his personal contacts became his first YC-backed startup what Salesforce taught him about B2B scale (and what it didn’t) how he talked his way into a quant internship that disappeared overnight the $0-to-financial freedom moment that let him finally think big We only scratched the surface on the Airtable chapter, so don’t be surprised if there’s a part two. ABOUT US: We’re proudly sponsored by Brex —a brand I co-founded, now supporting over 30,000 businesses like Anthropic, DoorDash, and Scale AI, helping them make every dollar count. Connect with us: 1. Howie Liu– https://x.com/howietl 2. Henrique Dubugras– https://x.com/hdubugras This episode was produced and distributed by our friends at Atomik Growth: https://atomikgrowth.com 00:00 Intro 01:20 Introducing Howie and Airtable 02:10 Early life and family 07:33 Early tech 14:13 Building Websites 32:18 Dreaming big 34:07 Middle-Class Entrepreneur Theory 35:55 High school 44:57 College applications 56:40 Duke University 1:05:10 High-paying jobs 1:07:10 Internships and early career 1:09:23 Neural networks and quant trading 1:16:10 New internship 1:22:02 First startup and lessons learned 1:34:22 The birth of Airtable 1:38:27 Outro Mon, 26 May 2025 18:26:00 -0000 full 1 10 Henrique Dubugras Howie Liu built Airtable into one of the most powerful no-code platforms in the world—used by over 450,000 companies and backed by everyone from Benchmark to Thrive to YC. In this episode of HD in HD, I was joined by the founder and CEO of Airtable as he reelected on the unexpected turns that shaped his entrepreneurial path—from cold-pitching algo trading models at a college career fair, to building software that powers teams at scale. In our conversation, we get into: why Airtable took 2.5 years to launch—and why it was worth it how a CRM for his personal contacts became his first YC-backed startup what Salesforce taught him about B2B scale (and what it didn’t) how he talked his way into a quant internship that disappeared overnight the $0-to-financial freedom moment that let him finally think big We only scratched the surface on the Airtable chapter, so don’t be surprised if there’s a part two. ABOUT US: We’re proudly sponsored by Brex —a brand I co-founded, now supporting over 30,000 businesses like Anthropic, DoorDash, and Scale AI, helping them make every dollar count. Connect with us: 1. Howie Liu– https://x.com/howietl 2. Henrique Dubugras– https://x.com/hdubugras This episode was produced and distributed by our friends at Atomik Growth: https://atomikgrowth.com 00:00 Intro 01:20 Introducing Howie and Airtable 02:10 Early life and family 07:33 Early tech 14:13 Building Websites 32:18 Dreaming big 34:07 Middle-Class Entrepreneur Theory 35:55 High school 44:57 College applications 56:40 Duke University 1:05:10 High-paying jobs 1:07:10 Internships and early career 1:09:23 Neural networks and quant trading 1:16:10 New internship 1:22:02 First startup and lessons learned 1:34:22 The birth of Airtable 1:38:27 Outro Howie Liu built Airtable into one of the most powerful no-code platforms in the world—used by over 450,000 companies and backed by everyone from Benchmark to Thrive to YC.


    In this episode of HD in HD, I was joined by the founder and CEO of Airtable as he reelected on the unexpected turns that shaped his entrepreneurial path—from cold-pitching algo trading models at a college career fair, to building software that powers teams at scale.


    In our conversation, we get into:

    • why Airtable took 2.5 years to launch—and why it was worth it
    • how a CRM for his personal contacts became his first YC-backed startup
    • what Salesforce taught him about B2B scale (and what it didn’t)
    • how he talked his way into a quant internship that disappeared overnight
    • the $0-to-financial freedom moment that let him finally think big


    We only scratched the surface on the Airtable chapter, so don’t be surprised if there’s a part two.


    ABOUT US:

    We’re proudly sponsored by Brex —a brand I co-founded, now supporting over 30,000 businesses like Anthropic, DoorDash, and Scale AI, helping them make every dollar count.


    Connect with us:

    1. Howie Liu– https://x.com/howietl

    2. Henrique Dubugras– https://x.com/hdubugras


    This episode was produced and distributed by our friends at Atomik Growth: https://atomikgrowth.com


    00:00 Intro

    01:20 Introducing Howie and Airtable

    02:10 Early life and family

    07:33 Early tech

    14:13 Building Websites

    32:18 Dreaming big

    34:07 Middle-Class Entrepreneur Theory

    35:55 High school

    44:57 College applications

    56:40 Duke University

    1:05:10 High-paying jobs

    1:07:10 Internships and early career

    1:09:23 Neural networks and quant trading

    1:16:10 New internship

    1:22:02 First startup and lessons learned

    1:34:22 The birth of Airtable

    1:38:27 Outro

    ]]>     5926     Why Pfizer, Dell, and Uber Trust This Man With Their Data | Alex Rinke Everyone ignored this problem—until it became an opportunity. Alexander Rinke, co-founder of Celonis, turned a student project into a $13B+ process mining giant from Germany. Born and raised in Berlin, he went on to build a software empire that has saved companies like Pfizer $300M. This episode of HD in HD explores Alex’s path from student founder to CEO—and how he sees AI transforming the way companies run. Alex and I also unpack: • how 1,500 handwritten letters helped him land Siemens • why AI’s next wave hinges on process overhaul • how a $50K project outgrew his McKinsey dreams ABOUT US: We’re proudly sponsored by Brex—a brand I co-founded, now supporting over 30,000 businesses like Anthropic, DoorDash, and Scale AI, helping them make every dollar count. Connect with us: 1. Alex - https://x.com/alexanderrinke 2. Henrique Dubugras- https://x.com/hdubugras This episode was produced and distributed by our friends at Atomik Growth: https://atomikgrowth.com/ 00:00:00 Trailer 00:01:20 Introduction 00:02:40 Process Mining 00:03:59 Real-World Applications 00:06:46 Early Life 00:09:48 Education and Early Career 00:24:32 The Birth of Celonis 00:42:36 Initial Funding Challenges 00:49:45 Scaling and Venture Capital 01:01:15 Mentorship and Role Models 01:05:39 The Future of Celonis and AI 01:13:28 Reflections on Success and Upbringing 01:24:24 Closing Thoughts Wed, 16 Apr 2025 11:16:00 -0000 full Henrique Dubugras Everyone ignored this problem—until it became an opportunity. Alexander Rinke, co-founder of Celonis, turned a student project into a $13B+ process mining giant from Germany. Born and raised in Berlin, he went on to build a software empire that has saved companies like Pfizer $300M. This episode of HD in HD explores Alex’s path from student founder to CEO—and how he sees AI transforming the way companies run. Alex and I also unpack: • how 1,500 handwritten letters helped him land Siemens • why AI’s next wave hinges on process overhaul • how a $50K project outgrew his McKinsey dreams ABOUT US: We’re proudly sponsored by Brex—a brand I co-founded, now supporting over 30,000 businesses like Anthropic, DoorDash, and Scale AI, helping them make every dollar count. Connect with us: 1. Alex - https://x.com/alexanderrinke 2. Henrique Dubugras- https://x.com/hdubugras This episode was produced and distributed by our friends at Atomik Growth: https://atomikgrowth.com/ 00:00:00 Trailer 00:01:20 Introduction 00:02:40 Process Mining 00:03:59 Real-World Applications 00:06:46 Early Life 00:09:48 Education and Early Career 00:24:32 The Birth of Celonis 00:42:36 Initial Funding Challenges 00:49:45 Scaling and Venture Capital 01:01:15 Mentorship and Role Models 01:05:39 The Future of Celonis and AI 01:13:28 Reflections on Success and Upbringing 01:24:24 Closing Thoughts Everyone ignored this problem—until it became an opportunity. Alexander Rinke, co-founder of Celonis, turned a student project into a $13B+ process mining giant from Germany.


    Born and raised in Berlin, he went on to build a software empire that has saved companies like Pfizer $300M.


    This episode of HD in HD explores Alex’s path from student founder to CEO—and how he sees AI transforming the way companies run.


    Alex and I also unpack:

    • how 1,500 handwritten letters helped him land Siemens

    • why AI’s next wave hinges on process overhaul

    • how a $50K project outgrew his McKinsey dreams


    ABOUT US:


    We’re proudly sponsored by Brex—a brand I co-founded, now supporting over 30,000 businesses like Anthropic, DoorDash, and Scale AI, helping them make every dollar count.


    Connect with us:


    1. Alex - https://x.com/alexanderrinke

    2. Henrique Dubugras- https://x.com/hdubugras


    This episode was produced and distributed by our friends at Atomik Growth: https://atomikgrowth.com/


    00:00:00 Trailer

    00:01:20 Introduction

    00:02:40 Process Mining

    00:03:59 Real-World Applications

    00:06:46 Early Life

    00:09:48 Education and Early Career

    00:24:32 The Birth of Celonis

    00:42:36 Initial Funding Challenges

    00:49:45 Scaling and Venture Capital

    01:01:15 Mentorship and Role Models

    01:05:39 The Future of Celonis and AI

    01:13:28 Reflections on Success and Upbringing

    01:24:24 Closing Thoughts

    ]]>     5175     Inside Revolut: How Nikolay Storonsky Built a $45B Fintech Empire Old-school banking leans on control and complacency. Revolut charted its own course—flourishing by bending conventions, outrunning oversight, and favoring execution over protocol. Nikolay Storonsky, Revolut’s co-founder and CEO, was forged by a mix of physics-driven upbringing and competitive swimming. This drilled in his mantra: systems can be cracked, and tenacity outshines flair. That drive transformed Revolut from a currency workaround to a global financial juggernaut, clashing with the establishment. In this episode, we dig into: • Why Nik fueled the start with trading earnings despite later raising $2 billion • How Revolut leapfrogged regulators and legacy players • Why breakneck expansion needs discipline when costs soar and margins tighten explore Nikolay's background other fintech innovators ABOUT US: We’re proudly sponsored by Brex—a brand I co-founded, now supporting over 30,000 businesses like Anthropic, DoorDash, and Scale AI, helping them make every dollar count. I’m grateful for their continued support as I bring you all conversations with some of the most exceptional founders of our generation. Onward and upward, together.  Connect with us:  1. Revolut - https://x.com/RevolutApp 2. Brex - https://x.com/brexHQ 3. Henrique Dubugras- https://x.com/hdubugras 00:00 Trailer 00:49 Introduction 01:52 Nik's Early Life and Education 11:50 Transition to Finance and Trading 14:19 The Collapse of Lehman Brothers 25:15 Starting Revolut 36:28 YC Combinator and Fundraising Challenges 41:24 Product Development and Market Fit 44:23 Company Culture and Hiring Philosophy 47:01 Management Style and Systems 59:52 Expansion and Systematizing Processes 01:06:30 Reflections on Success and Challenges 01:09:00 Closing Thoughts This episode was produced and distributed by our friends at Atomik Growth: https://atomikgrowth.com/ Fri, 28 Feb 2025 20:30:00 -0000 Inside Revolut: How Nikolay Storonsky Built a $45B Fintech Empire full Henrique Dubugras Old-school banking leans on control and complacency. Revolut charted its own course—flourishing by bending conventions, outrunning oversight, and favoring execution over protocol. Nikolay Storonsky, Revolut’s co-founder and CEO, was forged by a mix of physics-driven upbringing and competitive swimming. This drilled in his mantra: systems can be cracked, and tenacity outshines flair. That drive transformed Revolut from a currency workaround to a global financial juggernaut, clashing with the establishment. In this episode, we dig into: • Why Nik fueled the start with trading earnings despite later raising $2 billion • How Revolut leapfrogged regulators and legacy players • Why breakneck expansion needs discipline when costs soar and margins tighten explore Nikolay's background other fintech innovators ABOUT US: We’re proudly sponsored by Brex—a brand I co-founded, now supporting over 30,000 businesses like Anthropic, DoorDash, and Scale AI, helping them make every dollar count. I’m grateful for their continued support as I bring you all conversations with some of the most exceptional founders of our generation. Onward and upward, together.  Connect with us:  1. Revolut - https://x.com/RevolutApp 2. Brex - https://x.com/brexHQ 3. Henrique Dubugras- https://x.com/hdubugras 00:00 Trailer 00:49 Introduction 01:52 Nik's Early Life and Education 11:50 Transition to Finance and Trading 14:19 The Collapse of Lehman Brothers 25:15 Starting Revolut 36:28 YC Combinator and Fundraising Challenges 41:24 Product Development and Market Fit 44:23 Company Culture and Hiring Philosophy 47:01 Management Style and Systems 59:52 Expansion and Systematizing Processes 01:06:30 Reflections on Success and Challenges 01:09:00 Closing Thoughts This episode was produced and distributed by our friends at Atomik Growth: https://atomikgrowth.com/ Old-school banking leans on control and complacency.

    Revolut charted its own course—flourishing by bending conventions, outrunning oversight, and favoring execution over protocol.

    Nikolay Storonsky, Revolut’s co-founder and CEO, was forged by a mix of physics-driven upbringing and competitive swimming. This drilled in his mantra: systems can be cracked, and tenacity outshines flair.

    That drive transformed Revolut from a currency workaround to a global financial juggernaut, clashing with the establishment.

    In this episode, we dig into:

    • Why Nik fueled the start with trading earnings despite later raising $2 billion

    • How Revolut leapfrogged regulators and legacy players

    • Why breakneck expansion needs discipline when costs soar and margins tighten

    explore Nikolay's background

    other fintech innovators




    ABOUT US:

    We’re proudly sponsored by Brex—a brand I co-founded, now supporting over 30,000 businesses like Anthropic, DoorDash, and Scale AI, helping them make every dollar count.

    I’m grateful for their continued support as I bring you all conversations with some of the most exceptional founders of our generation. Onward and upward, together. 

    Connect with us: 

    1. Revolut - https://x.com/RevolutApp

    2. Brex - https://x.com/brexHQ

    3. Henrique Dubugras- https://x.com/hdubugras


    00:00 Trailer

    00:49 Introduction

    01:52 Nik's Early Life and Education

    11:50 Transition to Finance and Trading

    14:19 The Collapse of Lehman Brothers

    25:15 Starting Revolut

    36:28 YC Combinator and Fundraising Challenges

    41:24 Product Development and Market Fit

    44:23 Company Culture and Hiring Philosophy

    47:01 Management Style and Systems

    59:52 Expansion and Systematizing Processes

    01:06:30 Reflections on Success and Challenges

    01:09:00 Closing Thoughts


    This episode was produced and distributed by our friends at Atomik Growth: https://atomikgrowth.com/

    ]]>     4853     Tinder Founder on How Swiping Changed Dating Forever | Justin Mateen Justin Mateen set out to make dating simple—no lengthy profiles, no uncertainty—just a "yes" or "no" swipe. Today, Tinder’s user base has expanded to 75 million monthly active users. Justin Mateen has continued building on his success by investing early in promising startups such as Brex, Curative Health, Deel, Home Chef, Kalshi, Speak, Whop, and many others, becoming a billionaire along the way. In 2020 he launched JAM Fund, one of the largest Solo VC firms in the world, which has raised approximately $500 million, with $330 million dedicated to its second fund. Business Insider listed Justin Mateen as the number 1 ranked investor in the “Top 100 list of US seed investors” in both 2020 and 2021, with Forbes including Mateen on their list of the decade's top 10 tech entrepreneurs. In this episode, he and I sat down to discuss Tinder’s highs, struggles, and the lessons learned along the way. We also unpack: • the evolution of the 'swipe left/right' phenomenon • whether Facebook played to his subconscious while building Tinder, and why • putting all your eggs in one basket → asymmetric returns Justin’s investing firm, Jam Fund, raised about $300 million from investors for its second fund last year. ABOUT US: We’re proudly sponsored by Brex—a brand I co-founded, now supporting over 30,000 businesses like Anthropic, DoorDash, and Scale AI, helping them make every dollar count. I’m grateful for their continued support as I bring you all conversations with some of the most exceptional founders of our generation. Onward and upward, together. Connect with us here:  1. Justin Mateen- https://x.com/Justin_Mateen 2. Brex- https://x.com/brexHQ 3. Henrique Dubugras- https://x.com/hdubugras (00:00:00) Intro (00:01:37) Inquisitive childhood (00:05:07) Learning on both fronts (00:10:08) Bullied and trading stocks (00:12:36) Relationship with money (00:15:26) USC and the freshman experience (00:20:47) Lover boy (00:23:47) Financial stability and freedom (00:27:41) From riches to rags (00:31:20) Some things are best lived in your... (00:35:22) Brex (00:36:09) Pre-Tinder (00:40:44) Taylor Swift's website (00:43:43) Ask Me Out (00:50:04) Building trust (00:53:07) The numbers skyrocketed (00:58:20) Existential risk (01:01:04) 13 and a half Staple Centers (01:05:30) Marketing for the first million users (01:15:30) Becoming profitable (01:21:04) Interesting stats (01:23:01) Through a bad breakup (01:34:12) Post-Tinder, Peter Thiel, investing (01:40:26) Short-term options (01:44:48) Never say never (01:48:44) Outro Thu, 30 Jan 2025 16:08:00 -0000 Tinder Founder on How Swiping Changed Dating Forever | Justin Mateen full 1 6 Henrique Dubugras Justin Mateen set out to make dating simple—no lengthy profiles, no uncertainty—just a "yes" or "no" swipe. Today, Tinder’s user base has expanded to 75 million monthly active users. Justin Mateen has continued building on his success by investing early in promising startups such as Brex, Curative Health, Deel, Home Chef, Kalshi, Speak, Whop, and many others, becoming a billionaire along the way. In 2020 he launched JAM Fund, one of the largest Solo VC firms in the world, which has raised approximately $500 million, with $330 million dedicated to its second fund. Business Insider listed Justin Mateen as the number 1 ranked investor in the “Top 100 list of US seed investors” in both 2020 and 2021, with Forbes including Mateen on their list of the decade's top 10 tech entrepreneurs. In this episode, he and I sat down to discuss Tinder’s highs, struggles, and the lessons learned along the way. We also unpack: • the evolution of the 'swipe left/right' phenomenon • whether Facebook played to his subconscious while building Tinder, and why • putting all your eggs in one basket → asymmetric returns Justin’s investing firm, Jam Fund, raised about $300 million from investors for its second fund last year. ABOUT US: We’re proudly sponsored by Brex—a brand I co-founded, now supporting over 30,000 businesses like Anthropic, DoorDash, and Scale AI, helping them make every dollar count. I’m grateful for their continued support as I bring you all conversations with some of the most exceptional founders of our generation. Onward and upward, together. Connect with us here:  1. Justin Mateen- https://x.com/Justin_Mateen 2. Brex- https://x.com/brexHQ 3. Henrique Dubugras- https://x.com/hdubugras (00:00:00) Intro (00:01:37) Inquisitive childhood (00:05:07) Learning on both fronts (00:10:08) Bullied and trading stocks (00:12:36) Relationship with money (00:15:26) USC and the freshman experience (00:20:47) Lover boy (00:23:47) Financial stability and freedom (00:27:41) From riches to rags (00:31:20) Some things are best lived in your... (00:35:22) Brex (00:36:09) Pre-Tinder (00:40:44) Taylor Swift's website (00:43:43) Ask Me Out (00:50:04) Building trust (00:53:07) The numbers skyrocketed (00:58:20) Existential risk (01:01:04) 13 and a half Staple Centers (01:05:30) Marketing for the first million users (01:15:30) Becoming profitable (01:21:04) Interesting stats (01:23:01) Through a bad breakup (01:34:12) Post-Tinder, Peter Thiel, investing (01:40:26) Short-term options (01:44:48) Never say never (01:48:44) Outro Justin Mateen set out to make dating simple—no lengthy profiles, no uncertainty—just a "yes" or "no" swipe. Today, Tinder’s user base has expanded to 75 million monthly active users.


    Justin Mateen has continued building on his success by investing early in promising startups such as Brex, Curative Health, Deel, Home Chef, Kalshi, Speak, Whop, and many others, becoming a billionaire along the way.


    In 2020 he launched JAM Fund, one of the largest Solo VC firms in the world, which has raised approximately $500 million, with $330 million dedicated to its second fund.


    Business Insider listed Justin Mateen as the number 1 ranked investor in the “Top 100 list of US seed investors” in both 2020 and 2021, with Forbes including Mateen on their list of the decade's top 10 tech entrepreneurs.


    In this episode, he and I sat down to discuss Tinder’s highs, struggles, and the lessons learned along the way. We also unpack:


    • the evolution of the 'swipe left/right' phenomenon

    • whether Facebook played to his subconscious while building Tinder, and why

    • putting all your eggs in one basket → asymmetric returns


    Justin’s investing firm, Jam Fund, raised about $300 million from investors for its second fund last year.


    ABOUT US:


    We’re proudly sponsored by Brex—a brand I co-founded, now supporting over 30,000 businesses like Anthropic, DoorDash, and Scale AI, helping them make every dollar count.


    I’m grateful for their continued support as I bring you all conversations with some of the most exceptional founders of our generation. Onward and upward, together.


    Connect with us here: 


    1. Justin Mateen- https://x.com/Justin_Mateen


    2. Brex- https://x.com/brexHQ


    3. Henrique Dubugras- https://x.com/hdubugras


    (00:00:00) Intro

    (00:01:37) Inquisitive childhood

    (00:05:07) Learning on both fronts

    (00:10:08) Bullied and trading stocks

    (00:12:36) Relationship with money

    (00:15:26) USC and the freshman experience

    (00:20:47) Lover boy

    (00:23:47) Financial stability and freedom

    (00:27:41) From riches to rags

    (00:31:20) Some things are best lived in your...

    (00:35:22) Brex

    (00:36:09) Pre-Tinder

    (00:40:44) Taylor Swift's website

    (00:43:43) Ask Me Out

    (00:50:04) Building trust

    (00:53:07) The numbers skyrocketed

    (00:58:20) Existential risk

    (01:01:04) 13 and a half Staple Centers

    (01:05:30) Marketing for the first million users

    (01:15:30) Becoming profitable

    (01:21:04) Interesting stats

    (01:23:01) Through a bad breakup

    (01:34:12) Post-Tinder, Peter Thiel, investing

    (01:40:26) Short-term options

    (01:44:48) Never say never

    (01:48:44) Outro

    ]]>     6492     Being a Leader People Talk About with Bill McDermott Bill McDermott bought his first business when he was in high school, and he never looked back. Now, he sits down with Henrique to talk about his early days as a teenage entrepreneur, coming home from his first job interview with his employee badge in his pocket, and what it takes to be the type of leader people still talk about decades later. This episode is brought to you by Brex—a brand I'm proud to have co-founded and one thats shaped by the same journey many of you are on. Brex has everything startups and fast growing companies need to make every dollar count, from modern corporate cards, banking, and treasury to accounting automation, travel, and expenses. Over 25,000 companies, including DoorDash, Scale AI, and Anthropic spend smarter on Brex. For more information, please go to: https://www.brex.com/?ref_code=bmk_audio_HDinHD Tue, 07 Jan 2025 10:00:00 -0000 full 1 5 Henrique Dubugras Bill McDermott bought his first business when he was in high school, and he never looked back. Now, he sits down with Henrique to talk about his early days as a teenage entrepreneur, coming home from his first job interview with his employee badge in his pocket, and what it takes to be the type of leader people still talk about decades later. This episode is brought to you by Brex—a brand I'm proud to have co-founded and one thats shaped by the same journey many of you are on. Brex has everything startups and fast growing companies need to make every dollar count, from modern corporate cards, banking, and treasury to accounting automation, travel, and expenses. Over 25,000 companies, including DoorDash, Scale AI, and Anthropic spend smarter on Brex. For more information, please go to: https://www.brex.com/?ref_code=bmk_audio_HDinHD Bill McDermott bought his first business when he was in high school, and he never looked back. Now, he sits down with Henrique to talk about his early days as a teenage entrepreneur, coming home from his first job interview with his employee badge in his pocket, and what it takes to be the type of leader people still talk about decades later.


    This episode is brought to you by Brex—a brand I'm proud to have co-founded and one thats shaped by the same journey many of you are on. Brex has everything startups and fast growing companies need to make every dollar count, from modern corporate cards, banking, and treasury to accounting automation, travel, and expenses. Over 25,000 companies, including DoorDash, Scale AI, and Anthropic spend smarter on Brex. For more information, please go to: https://www.brex.com/?ref_code=bmk_audio_HDinHD

    ]]>     4766     Building One of Latin America’s Most Successful Companies with Marcos Galperin An early adopter of the Arpanet, Marcos Galperin went from Buenos Aires to Penn to establishing one of Latin America’s most successful companies, Mercado Libre. Marcos sits down for a candid conversation with Henrique where the two discuss the unique problems of building a South American company, the pivot away from the eBay model of online auctions and Marcos’s run as a champion rugby player. This episode is brought to you by Brex—a brand I'm proud to have co-founded and one thats shaped by the same journey many of you are on. Brex has everything startups and fast growing companies need to make every dollar count, from modern corporate cards, banking, and treasury to accounting automation, travel, and expenses. Over 25,000 companies, including DoorDash, Scale AI, and Anthropic spend smarter on Brex. For more information, please go to: https://www.brex.com/?ref_code=bmk_audio_HDinHD Tue, 17 Dec 2024 10:00:00 -0000 full 1 4 Henrique Dubugras An early adopter of the Arpanet, Marcos Galperin went from Buenos Aires to Penn to establishing one of Latin America’s most successful companies, Mercado Libre. Marcos sits down for a candid conversation with Henrique where the two discuss the unique problems of building a South American company, the pivot away from the eBay model of online auctions and Marcos’s run as a champion rugby player. This episode is brought to you by Brex—a brand I'm proud to have co-founded and one thats shaped by the same journey many of you are on. Brex has everything startups and fast growing companies need to make every dollar count, from modern corporate cards, banking, and treasury to accounting automation, travel, and expenses. Over 25,000 companies, including DoorDash, Scale AI, and Anthropic spend smarter on Brex. For more information, please go to: https://www.brex.com/?ref_code=bmk_audio_HDinHD An early adopter of the Arpanet, Marcos Galperin went from Buenos Aires to Penn to establishing one of Latin America’s most successful companies, Mercado Libre. Marcos sits down for a candid conversation with Henrique where the two discuss the unique problems of building a South American company, the pivot away from the eBay model of online auctions and Marcos’s run as a champion rugby player.

    This episode is brought to you by Brex—a brand I'm proud to have co-founded and one thats shaped by the same journey many of you are on. Brex has everything startups and fast growing companies need to make every dollar count, from modern corporate cards, banking, and treasury to accounting automation, travel, and expenses. Over 25,000 companies, including DoorDash, Scale AI, and Anthropic spend smarter on Brex. For more information, please go to: https://www.brex.com/?ref_code=bmk_audio_HDinHD

    ]]>     3472     Behind the Growth of Plaid with Zach Perret Beginning in a small town in North Carolina, Zach Perret would eventually go on to form one of the most consequential fintech companies in all of Silicon Valley. Now, the Co-Founder and CEO of Plaid sits down with Henrique Dubugras to talk about being shaped ideologically by Occupy Wall Street, selling and then un-selling to Visa, and how a lead investor once pulled out of a round at the last minute, leading to Plaid being saved by three guys named "Justin". Tue, 03 Dec 2024 10:00:00 -0000 full 1 3 Henrique Dubugras Beginning in a small town in North Carolina, Zach Perret would eventually go on to form one of the most consequential fintech companies in all of Silicon Valley. Now, the Co-Founder and CEO of Plaid sits down with Henrique Dubugras to talk about being shaped ideologically by Occupy Wall Street, selling and then un-selling to Visa, and how a lead investor once pulled out of a round at the last minute, leading to Plaid being saved by three guys named "Justin". Beginning in a small town in North Carolina, Zach Perret would eventually go on to form one of the most consequential fintech companies in all of Silicon Valley. Now, the Co-Founder and CEO of Plaid sits down with Henrique Dubugras to talk about being shaped ideologically by Occupy Wall Street, selling and then un-selling to Visa, and how a lead investor once pulled out of a round at the last minute, leading to Plaid being saved by three guys named "Justin".

    ]]>     4902     From Wildlife to Benchmark with Victor Lazarte Victor Lazarte took a flyer on his first company, leaving a prestigious job at JP Morgan to make mobile games. Now he sits on the board of one of the most prestigious Venture Capital firms in the world. Victor opens up to Henrique about his early attempts to grow his business, making money in the competitive world of online games, and making the transition from founder to VC. Plus, the two talk shop about growing up in Brazil and how Victor was able to talk his way out of being expelled from grade school. Tue, 19 Nov 2024 10:00:00 -0000 full 1 2 Henrique Dubugras Victor Lazarte took a flyer on his first company, leaving a prestigious job at JP Morgan to make mobile games. Now he sits on the board of one of the most prestigious Venture Capital firms in the world. Victor opens up to Henrique about his early attempts to grow his business, making money in the competitive world of online games, and making the transition from founder to VC. Plus, the two talk shop about growing up in Brazil and how Victor was able to talk his way out of being expelled from grade school. Victor Lazarte took a flyer on his first company, leaving a prestigious job at JP Morgan to make mobile games. Now he sits on the board of one of the most prestigious Venture Capital firms in the world. Victor opens up to Henrique about his early attempts to grow his business, making money in the competitive world of online games, and making the transition from founder to VC. Plus, the two talk shop about growing up in Brazil and how Victor was able to talk his way out of being expelled from grade school.

    ]]>     6821 yes     Inside the Growth of Robinhood with Vlad Tenev Growing up, Vlad Tenev didn’t see himself as an entrepreneur. The son of immigrants in the suburbs of Washington, DC he saw himself going into law, research, math. But when he cracked the problem of providing low-latency trades for free, he knew he was onto something. Shortly after that came Robinhood, and the rest was history. Vlad sits down with Henrique to unpack the road so far: his childhood, his time at Stanford, and the genesis of what was at one point the number one app in the app store. He discusses growing the company and his vision for its future. Plus, he goes deep into the Gamestop controversy, providing the true story of what really happened inside Robinhood during one of the most chaotic episodes in recent stock market history. Tune in to hear the real unfiltered account of fighting online conspiracy theories, testifying before Congress and what it’s like to have an Avenger play you in a movie. Tue, 05 Nov 2024 10:00:00 -0000 full 1 1 Henrique Dubugras Growing up, Vlad Tenev didn’t see himself as an entrepreneur. The son of immigrants in the suburbs of Washington, DC he saw himself going into law, research, math. But when he cracked the problem of providing low-latency trades for free, he knew he was onto something. Shortly after that came Robinhood, and the rest was history. Vlad sits down with Henrique to unpack the road so far: his childhood, his time at Stanford, and the genesis of what was at one point the number one app in the app store. He discusses growing the company and his vision for its future. Plus, he goes deep into the Gamestop controversy, providing the true story of what really happened inside Robinhood during one of the most chaotic episodes in recent stock market history. Tune in to hear the real unfiltered account of fighting online conspiracy theories, testifying before Congress and what it’s like to have an Avenger play you in a movie. Growing up, Vlad Tenev didn’t see himself as an entrepreneur. The son of immigrants in the suburbs of Washington, DC he saw himself going into law, research, math. But when he cracked the problem of providing low-latency trades for free, he knew he was onto something. Shortly after that came Robinhood, and the rest was history.


    Vlad sits down with Henrique to unpack the road so far: his childhood, his time at Stanford, and the genesis of what was at one point the number one app in the app store. He discusses growing the company and his vision for its future. Plus, he goes deep into the Gamestop controversy, providing the true story of what really happened inside Robinhood during one of the most chaotic episodes in recent stock market history. Tune in to hear the real unfiltered account of fighting online conspiracy theories, testifying before Congress and what it’s like to have an Avenger play you in a movie.



    ]]>     6982     Coming Soon... HD in HD Henrique Dubugras, founder and chairman of Brex sits down with some of the brightest minds in business and fintech for real discussions that cut through the noise. Hear from luminaries like Robinhood’s Vlad Tenev, Plaid’s Zach Perret, and Mercado Libre’s Marcos Galperin as they share their insights and talk about what’s really going on behind the scenes. To hear all the unexpected, unfiltered insights be sure to subscribe to HD in HD - Unscripted Conversations with Henrique Dubugras, wherever you get your podcasts. Mon, 28 Oct 2024 19:04:26 -0000 trailer 1 Henrique Dubugras Henrique Dubugras, founder and chairman of Brex sits down with some of the brightest minds in business and fintech for real discussions that cut through the noise. Hear from luminaries like Robinhood’s Vlad Tenev, Plaid’s Zach Perret, and Mercado Libre’s Marcos Galperin as they share their insights and talk about what’s really going on behind the scenes. To hear all the unexpected, unfiltered insights be sure to subscribe to HD in HD - Unscripted Conversations with Henrique Dubugras, wherever you get your podcasts. Henrique Dubugras, founder and chairman of Brex sits down with some of the brightest minds in business and fintech for real discussions that cut through the noise. Hear from luminaries like Robinhood’s Vlad Tenev, Plaid’s Zach Perret, and Mercado Libre’s Marcos Galperin as they share their insights and talk about what’s really going on behind the scenes. To hear all the unexpected, unfiltered insights be sure to subscribe to HD in HD - Unscripted Conversations with Henrique Dubugras, wherever you get your podcasts.

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