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Now we will have a very interesting interview, very nice...
also with a very intelligent person, Luis Robbio.
He is CEO of an argentine company, Belatrix, dedicated to software.
So this will be a conversation for young entrepreneurs
and for anyone interested in joining such an interesting project for the world
that has been opened since the scientific and technological revolution, the computer.
Welcome to the program Luis. - Thank you very much, thanks for having us.
Today we have a very special event, we moved into our new offices.
We are not new in Lima, we have over two years here.
Our original company is in the province of Mendoza in Argentina.
Our business is focused on exporting software to First World,
the United States, Canada, England, Germany, France.
Mendoza is a city of one million inhabitants�
- People should know those who have been,
Mendoza is a beautiful city full of green trees, parks and extraordinary wines,
and I did not know there were also software experts.
- Well, it was a challenge. The truth is that we have done very well exporting wine
but we thought we had also intelligence to export, and not liquid.
So we took this challenge in 2002 and we have done very well.
Today we have a company of 240 people.
- In Mendoza? - In total, of which we are almost 40 here in Lima, Peru,
and as I said we started doing well, a client referred us to another,
and suddenly we find some challenges as
a major customer appears needing 50 good engineers in a month.
This challenge, we said,
we have to take it diversifying geographic locations,
and we chose Lima.
I have 2 kids, which are members of the company
and one of them, had friends who knew a little of Peru
and he came here, explore universities that are the factory of our raw materials.
He returned very excited about Lima,
very astonished at the level of education, universities and people,
so the decision was to come to Lima.
But with little fear and prudence that entrepreneurs must have
since their skin is in risk,
we opened an office for 20, 25 people to see how we were doing.
We are moving to an office for 80 people.
We have ambitions to continue to grow here,
we feel we have a good feeling with the Peruvians,
we have taken several Peruvian to Mendoza,
we brought Mendoza�s to Lima,
and so we're doing serious Latin American integration, really working together.
In December last year
the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) invited me to give a talk in China
because we also had offices in China.
- where? In Shanghai, in Beijing�
- In a city called Donghai, 400 km from Shanghai,
we did well, cultural issues take time.
But the IDB invited the few Latin Americans
who have gone insane and put something in China
and invited me.
And the truth is that when I was there, I said what we are doing is excellent,
because for China, there is not Argentina, Peru,
there is Latin America and that is a size that they respect.
For them, Argentina is hardly a country.
So we have to work *** doing things together.
I tell you another enlightening experience
a month ago we were chose as �Entrepreneurs Endeavor�
Endeavor is an organization based in California, and helps entrepreneurs.
To get you an idea of the process, we were a year and a half working.
From 160 Argentine companies that began, we only arrived 2.
In this process, one of the things that they saw very positive
is that Bellatrix is already in Peru and they want us to help them
work with Peruvian businessmen to strengthen entrepreneurship,
new ideas, new generation companies, and the technological generation.
Actually I'm happy for this Latin-Americans project.
Neither Peru nor Argentina. Latin American.
I�m not asking for diplomatic words, what do you think of entrepreneurship of Peruvians?
Is perceived, is felt, there is a difference?
Well, I think if you compare it with the rest of Latin America
for what we have seen in recent years, Peru likes modern ideas,
do new things and are shown with the investment you are making,
with people coming, so I would say that there are tools we need continuing using.
And these people want us to help, because they see potential.
So I am very optimistic, I'm very happy.
- and which software specialties do you do?
We actually do not sell software products. We sell development services,
and our clients basically have 2 trends:
Or are companies whose management depends entirely on the software,
to cite one example, Amazon.
If Amazon software does not work, it's as if the supermarket cannot open the door.
So these people take software as the heart of their business.
Or, the other type of client we have is the company that sells software.
These are the two customers we have.
Within vertical market, we have specialized,
I would say several years, in finance, biotechnology
and what is called direct marketing: people who sell directly.
I would say these are the areas where we have a fairly large experience level.
This is in terms of market.
In terms of technology we have worked with Microsoft, Java,
and the area that is growing at an impressive way is the mobil,
phones and tablets, I think, as you may know,
lately are sold less pc and sold more mobile devices.
Fortunately we took a strategic decision, six years ago.
We have to prepare for this coming. Luckily we are prepared.
- but people say that the tablet will disappear in a span of 5, 6 years, right?
- it's like everything is converging - Yes, exactly
Maybe we will not talk more about the Tablet, the notebook, the mobile,
it's all converging.
Well, it is a revolution, and it is best that we had the vision to see what was coming.
- a real revolution.
- Yes, it is
- The only, because the other revolutions like Venezuela, are rob-olutions
And that implies a change in the lives of people, in everyday life, change in business
is a profound change, with both good and bad things, but it is a change.
bad things can be handled, may diminish, decrease,
but the good thing is that technology, oddly enough was said,
that we would get separated from each other.
Rather it has approached us, binds us, help us, makes life simpler, easier. right?
- Yes, it has
- is wonderful this incessant scientific and technological revolution
- Well, how nice that there is the opportunity for the countries of Latin America,
that we were a little behind on technology topics.
Imagine, we are working from Lima, and we have 3 clients.
I tell you who they are: one of them is a company called Chatham Financial,
which obviously you will not know, but ask a banker in the world and will make "wow".
These people are dedicated to making financial risk analysis for major investments.
Last year we advise our clients in transactions that totaled 3,500 million.
No! Sorry, I'm saying it wrong. 3.5 trillion dollars.
This is a client that we are attending from here, with friends from Lima,
and is very happy and is expanding the team.
The other customer we have, I do not know if you know,
but most American companies
are based in a small state called Delaware in the United States,
because it has some tax advantages.
Well, these people are dedicated to register U.S. companies.
It is a very large company, very important
and any U.S. businessman also known. It�s called CSC.
The third and this is almost a novelty, a company called M FOUNDRY,
and just signed contract to bring part of the development
we were doing in Mendoza, to Lima,
because they want to continue to expand with us
and we said that now we are working with people of Lima.
They have almost an exclusive contract and they do all mobile telephony to the Bank of America,
which is the largest bank in the United States.
So from Lima and from Mendoza we are doing applications
for all the customers of the largest bank in the United States.
Well, that's new in the world, right? And congratulations also.
I feel excited that the Latin Americans share in those things,
because it seemed we were doomed to export copper, gold, soybeans.
No, we are not doomed. We can do something else...
Mendoza has a location strategic issue,
because geographically you have to leave for Santiago
unfortunately you spoke of "rob-olution". I have to say that...
there was a Peruvian company
that wanted to make a direct flight Mendoza - Lima,
and they did it, but the lobby of the companies that felt touched
made them stop flying.
- And now you�.
- We have to go through Santiago
- Sure, do Mendoza - Santiago, Santiago - Lima.
But you are constantly communicated.
Continually, or we have people form Peru in Mendoza and viceversa
- When one thinks of progress in poor countries like Peru,
Well or countries that are emerging from poverty,
human development index in 77th place.
Chile is ranked 40 and Argentina is ranked 43.
Chile move forward to become a first world country,
in five years is probably already part of the first world.
We still have a huge distance to walk to get there.
and I sadly say that Argentina is going backwards lately
in politics, Argentina curiously going backwards, right?
Now, how can you help entrepreneurs, small businesses,
those that want to get ahead.
Because every day in Peru are created companies,
go ahead, produce something, sell, etc.. Peru had an export portfolio...
that did not exceed 100, 200 products.
Today we have over 5000 products sold in the world.
- and much of this revolution is owed to entrepreneurs.
Not to large companies, to entrepreneurs.
- What we can do?
- What this organization does, which is what they have done to us,
is that there is people with experience that deepens,
analyze the company and says "you are weak in this,
you have to improve marketing, finances are not getting along,
do focus on doing an exports plan", in the background is the know-how.
And the entrepreneur, I'm personally suffered,
often must focus on a day to day and lose vision.
And these people say they have to choose the north
and do not lose focus even with that.
- and you can make a software...
No, are personal experiences, I would say, almost.
We're not talking about software,
we are talking about people transmitting experience.
- Yeah, I know. But we can think about making software
that can be shared with many small businesses , which could have patterns
- Yes, things are generated, but it is still difficult replicate
the creativity of the people... luckily I think...
Because one of the major software creator�s countries is India�
Well, I wouldn�t say so. I would say that India
is one of the major producers, but the creation of software
is still heavily based in the United States.
So it's like there are the creators,
and in India are the makers and executors.
- Because the large accountancy of U.S, i.e., is carried in India.
- Sure. Look how nice you mentioned about India. India was our big challenge,
because salaries are very low and there are many people,
many engineers, we thought we couldn�t compete with them
in the software world. And you know how we have won?
With Latin American creativity.
The Indian is very structured, serious, and studious.
Being structured is sometimes good and sometimes very bad.
Latin Americans have creativity, the ability to improvise,
that's why we recover from all the ups and downs that we live,
perhaps, but as is said what doesn�t kill you makes you stronger,
and well, I think somehow there are things that have remained
and who are making software appreciate them.
Instead of just giving us the exact recipe of all there is to do, we discuss ideas.
And I'll say with great pride that there are people in my company,
arguing as equals with a couple of Americans
when they are preparing something. I am very happy with all this going on.
how do you recruit Peruvians employees?
Well, you hit the key. It is one of the most delicate processes,
I don�t want to be offensive with what I say, but is the selection
of our raw material. We have a specialized people.
It is a function that we don�t outsource. There are many companies
to select people, ours is so delicate that we have skilled people,
we have process, and we do interviews, technical interviews,
personality interviews.
We have learned in a very hard way that sometimes is more importantly
the attitude of the people, than their expertise,
because we give them technical knowledge.
We have some internal training programs that are more ambitious
than you can imagine.
The training average for the Fortune�s 500 (companies in the United States)
is approximately 40 hours. Between 30 and 40 hours of training
per person per year. Our average is 120.
- 120?
- The number Impacts.
Then, we give great prominence to the attitude.
Whoever wants to learn, whoever has opportunities,
could be in our team and we give them the tools to learn.
- which universities are the professionals
working at your company?
The truth is that today I don�t have the data.
I'd be lying if I tell you. But we are happy
and have sent many people to give talks to Peruvian universities.
We brought in a specialist from United States last year,
and certified a very important group of our people
working with new methodologies
that are called "Agile Methodologies Software Development",
and I would bet
that today our company is which has more certified engineers Peru,
in these methodologies.
We have invested money, brought an American specialist,
actually he�s Dutch living in the States.
He came, gave courses and we officially certified professionals.
- Very well.
Okay, the only thing left to say is to wish you every success,
that most Peruvians join the company, and that Lima will become
the focal point of the activity of this wonderful company, Bellatrix,
which produces software for the world from Mendoza,
and now from Lima. Thank you.
- Has been a pleasure.
- And we'll be back in a few seconds.