The inaugural post for The Start Zone was published in February 2014, over 4 years ago. There, I talk about the feeling of starting something new, as something I love. But more importantly, it is crucial to keep momentum going and to persevere. Resilience, I have come to realise, is one of the most important traits one can have. I sometimes, as everyone, have my doubts. And … [Read more...]
Hugo de Sousa – Interview
Hugo de Sousa has been working in the IT world for over 15 years. He's been involved in several Digital Transformation projects, namely in the Portuguese Justice Department. He has recently moved to Dublin, and I caught up with him to find out more about the move, and about his take on some digital issues. How did you first get interested in Digital Transformation? After … [Read more...]
Lisa Welchman – Interview
Lisa Welchman is an expert on digital governance. She's been working in digital issues since the early 1990s. I met her at the UXLX conference in 2015 and have stayed in touch since. We talked about her beginnings, about managing chaos, about digital transformation and digital governance, and about the future. How did you first get involved with digital issues? I worked in … [Read more...]
Pop the Bubble – Interview
According to the message on their site, Pop The Bubble is all about beautiful things. They are an online shop of lifestyle products. They recently had an offline experience at Topshop in London. I talked to founder Dina Horta about the company, their recent activity, the future, and the Portuguese startup scene. In a nutshell, what is Pop the Bubble and how did the idea come … [Read more...]
Luís Pedro Martins (Zaask) – Interview
Zaask is a service marketplace, helping consumers easily find services online. I talked with their CEO, Luís Pedro Martins, to find out more about the company, their plans and the future. In a nutshell, what is Zaask and how did the idea come about? At the time I finished my MBA, when I was working in a telecommunications company - which obliged me to travel regularly - I … [Read more...]
Startup Santarém – Entrevista
A região de Santarém oferece boas condições para o aparecimento e crescimento de novos projectos. A capacidade de acolhimentro da Startup Santarém duplicará em breve. Conversei com António Manuel Campos, Presidente da Comissão Executiva da Nersant, para saber mais sobre o projecto. Qual foi a origem da Startup Santarém? Esta startup teve origem na necessidade de criar uma … [Read more...]
Walter Palma – Interview
Continuing our "Investment series", I talked with Walter Palma, Investment Manager at Caixa Capital. We discussed the role of investors, the traits startups and founders should have, and how the Portuguese ecosystem can compete, among other topics. Enjoy. What’s the best way an investor can help a new company? There are several ways and investor can help a company, … [Read more...]
Web Summit 2017
And just like that, the sixth edition of the Web Summit is upon us. November 6-9 marks the dates when 60 thousand people descend on Lisbon to attend the event that has been coined by Bloomberg "Davos for geeks". Participants from over 170 countries will be present and be able to attend hundreds of talks with technology's (and not only) biggest names. Over 2500 journalists … [Read more...]
Indie Campers – Interview
The Portuguese, and the European in general, are travel lovers. Indie Campers brings the campervan rental market closer to them. I chatted with Hugo Oliveira, founder of the company. We talked about the idea, their expansion plans, the Portuguese startup scene, and more. In a nutshell what is Indie Campers and how did the idea come about? While working & travelling in … [Read more...]
MindProber – Interview
Today I talk with Pedro Almeida, Founder & CEO of MindProber, a company providing content producers tools to understand the impact that their material has on viewers, using physiological and behavioural measures. We talked about his work, the company, the future, and the Portuguese startup landscape. In a nutshell, how did the idea for MindProber come about? The first … [Read more...]