El fundador de Trii nos cuenta su experiencia en Y Combinator | Carlos Guayara

Summary

In this episode of 'Trading Simple and Wise,' host Andrés interviews Carlos Guayara, the founder of Tri, a platform revolutionizing Latin American financial markets by allowing users to easily buy local and international shares from their mobile phones. Carlos shares his inspiring entrepreneurial journey from an academic background to the bustling world of fintech. The conversation delves into the challenges of entrepreneurship, the importance of resilience, and the future of trading and investing in the region, highlighting the impact of technology and the need for financial education.

Takeaways

• 😀 Carlos Guayama, an economist and business administrator, has significantly impacted Latin American markets and fintech entrepreneurship.
• 🎓 Carlos started his career with a strong academic background, focusing on trading and investments, which led him to operate his first portfolio before graduation.
• 🏦 He worked in the City's money desk, focusing on economic research, which helped him learn a lot about market research and data processing.
• 📈 Carlos transitioned from economic research to trading, eventually becoming a key figure in his firm's trading desk and later the director.
• 🤝 Carlos and his partner Esteban shared a similar journey and vision, leading to their collaboration in entrepreneurial ventures.
• 💡 The idea of creating a platform to buy local and international shares from a mobile phone was born from a regulatory change in Colombia that allowed digital linkage for investment products.
• 🚀 Despite initial challenges and delays in launching their platform, Tri, Carlos and his team demonstrated resilience and persistence, eventually achieving significant growth and user adoption.
• 🌐 Tri aims to be the financial marketplace for Latin Americans, offering a variety of investment products and tools tailored to individual preferences and strategies.
• 📊 The importance of defining key performance indicators (KPIs) and a 'northstar metric' for guiding business decisions and growth was highlighted.
• 🛑 Carlos emphasized the value of embracing failure as a learning opportunity and the need for continuous experimentation to find what works in business.
• 🌟 The conversation underscored the significance of personal growth, financial education, and the role of technology in democratizing access to financial markets.

Q & A

What is the main theme of the 'trading simple y sabio' podcast episode featuring Carlos Guayara?

The main theme of the episode is to discuss Carlos Guayara's impact on Latin American markets and the fintech entrepreneurship world, as well as his journey from an academic background to founding Tri, a platform for buying local and international shares from a mobile phone.

What educational background does Carlos Guayara have?

Carlos Guayara is an economist and business administrator, and he has pursued further education with diplomas in the stock market area.

What was Carlos Guayara's initial career path before founding Tri?

Carlos started his career in the stock market, working in the money desk of the City bank in the economic research area. He later became a trader and eventually the right-hand man of the director of the trading desk in Bogotá.

What inspired Carlos Guayara to transition from being a trader to an entrepreneur?

Carlos was inspired to become an entrepreneur after seeing a lack of depth in market knowledge among financial advisors and recognizing his own potential to do more with his trading skills.

How did Carlos Guayara's partnership with Esteban come about?

Carlos met Esteban during his time as a professor in a stock market school. They shared similar stories and interests, which led to Carlos inviting Esteban to do an internship and later working together on entrepreneurial ventures.

What challenges did Carlos Guayara and his team face during the development of Tri?

They faced challenges with regulation and technology integration, as they had to connect with a stockbroker directly to the Colombian Stock Exchange and the Central Securities Depository, which required complex software solutions.

What was the initial funding source for Tri, and how did it affect the project timeline?

The initial funding source was seed capital amounting to approximately $120,000, which gave them about 10 months to launch the project. However, the project took almost 3 years to launch due to various regulatory and technological challenges.

How did Tri's user growth compare to the initial projections?

Tri initially projected to close the first year with 2,000 users. However, after launching the application and gaining media attention, they ended the first month with 10,000 accounts created, which was a significant increase from their projections.

What is the long-term vision for Tri according to Carlos Guayara?

The long-term vision for Tri is to become the financial marketplace where Latin Americans can find investment products that fit their preferences, strategies, and needs, and have the tools to make their investments profitable.

What advice does Carlos Guayara give to individuals who are considering making trading their main source of income?

Carlos advises individuals to reflect on their life goals and lifestyle, understand the discipline and time commitment required for trading, and to treat trading as a serious endeavor if they wish to make it their primary source of income.

What role does Carlos Guayara see for technology in the future of trading and investing?

Carlos believes that with technological developments, trading and investing will become simpler and more profitable for everyone. He expects more sophisticated tools, including those with artificial intelligence, to facilitate tasks and make trading more accessible.