Felipe Asfura

The company Jorge and I co-founded, Abacum, just wrapped up an incredible Q3. I want to share my 3 biggest wins and learnings from the past 3 months: Wins: 1. We’ve more than 2x our growth velocity QoQ in Q2 and also Q3. The product is dope. We’re now operating on a whole new level. 2. We signed impressive logos like Strava, Hawk-Eye Innovations Ltd, Cortex, Ursa Major, Mangopay, join.com, and many more. These highly sophisticated finance teams deal with high business complexity in a fast-moving market. I cannot be prouder that Abacum has become their long-term partner. 3. We’ve continued heavily investing in our product, shipping a number of AI-driven features like AI Forecasting and AI Classifiers. We've leveraged ML in the product since our MVP years ago. Now, AI is deeply embedded in what we’re building, and we’re excited about where it’s headed. Learnings: 1. We’ve learned that missing small details can lead to underperformance. Going forward, we’re focusing on tightening up execution at every level and obsessing over details. 2. This year, we’ve had a good number of key teammates become parents. With so many key people on leave it’s been all hands on deck. Basically none of us were sleeping during this time. Not the new parents and not the rest of us. My co-founder Jorge and I have 3 children each. We are proud to see our teammates grow their families and have fulfilling lives amidst our relentless commitment to better serve our customers. 3. We’re getting serious about infosec and legal measures, making sure that as we grow, our security is top-tier and ready to scale with us. This quarter has been a wild ride, I'm thrilled about what's coming next!

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𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐋𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐁𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬 📍 As a Fulfillment Product Manager at Rappi and a former Data Scientist for Real Estate Projects, something I've realized is that distribution centers are key in the supply chain business to fulfilling customer expectations across different markets. If you're in the same industry, you've likely experienced how challenging it can be to balance costs with customer expectations. Distribution centers (DCs) actually hold the secret to boosting profitability and staying competitive in supply chain businesses. A clear example of this is Amazon, which grew to become one of the biggest companies in the world by leveraging data and optimizing operational processes. Here are some key uses: Smarter Inventory Management Think of your distribution center as the brain of your operation. Centralizing your inventory here means you have better control over stock levels, reducing the risk of overstocking or running out of key products. This allows you to respond swiftly to market changes, keeping costs low and efficiency high. The result? Less waste and more money saved. Cutting Transportation Costs Transportation can quickly eat into your bottom line, but strategically placed distribution centers can turn this around. By reducing the distance your products need to travel, you not only lower shipping costs but also speed up delivery times. Bulk shipments from a central hub mean fewer trips, lower expenses, and a greener operation. It’s a win-win for the business. Elevating Customer Satisfaction with Delivery Times Today’s customers expect fast, reliable delivery. By positioning your distribution centers close to key markets, you can meet these expectations with same-day or next-day delivery. Happy customers are loyal customers, and that means repeat business and positive reviews, driving your profitability even further. Adapting to Market Changes In a fast-moving market, flexibility is crucial to handle different seasonal demand patterns or trends. A well-managed distribution center gives you the ability to scale operations quickly, whether you’re dealing with seasonal spikes or launching new products. This agility keeps you ahead of the competition and ready to seize new opportunities as they arise. Harnessing the Power of Data and Technology Today’s distribution centers are tech hubs that leverage data to optimize every aspect of your supply chain. From predictive analytics to automation, these tools help you make smarter decisions, cut costs, and reduce errors. The result? A more efficient operation that drives profitability. In Summary If you or your company haven’t already, from my experience it’s time to rethink the use of data for real distribution centers real estate investments and operations management. #SupplyChain #Profitability #Logistics #RealEstate #DataDriven

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📢 📢 Walmart Chile is transforming retail with Shopic's AI-Powered Shopping Carts! 🛒💡 Now available in 5 stores in the Metropolitan Region, these smart carts are revolutionizing the shopping experience by reducing checkout times by an impressive 25%. And this is just the beginning! Walmart Chile plans to expand this innovative solution to 25 stores in the next semester, bringing cutting-edge technology to even more shoppers. This milestone highlights Walmart Chile’s commitment to enhancing in-store customer experiences through seamless integration of AI and retail—making shopping faster, smarter, and more convenient. Thank you to Diario Financiero for sharing this inspiring news. 🌟 #WalmartChile #DigitalTransformation #IntelligentRetail #AI #SmartCarts #CustomerExperience #Líder #ComputerVision

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Rappi is a LATAM unicorn valued at over $5 billion. It saw its revenue double over the past 3 years. And it's profitable enough to consider an IPO. Rappi doubled down on 2 things that fueled their profitable network effects: 1. High frequency 2. High AOV High-frequency businesses included restaurants, supermarkets, and pharmacies. This frequency helped in: - Scale advantage - Unit economics - Drop density High AOV businesses included travel, e-commerce, and RappiPay. The higher value helped in: - Lower cost per order - Reinvestments - Optimization Thanks to this strategy, Rappi is now: - Operating in 400 cities - Via 350,000 delivery workers - And 500,000 affiliated stores When companies reach a certain number of customers, data can tell them exactly what they need to double down on. Double down on the customers that buy more frequently. Trim the areas that don't convert or bring in less revenue. Happy to share that Voyantis.ai is working with Rappi to help them optimize for their most profitable customers. To more profit! 🚀 #artificialintelligence #marketing #growth #strategy #VBB Sources: Sacra & PYMNTS

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Do you know what positioning is? Most startups fail not because of a bad product, but because of poor positioning. As the cofounder of Crezes, a location intelligence platform for retailers in México, I'm always on the lookout for insights that can shape our growth and strategy. Recently, I came across an enlightening article by Lenny Rachitsky on positioning, and it truly resonated with me. In "Positioning: The Overlooked Lever to Turbocharge Your Startup's Growth", Lenny Rachitsky dives deep into the importance of positioning, emphasizing that it's not just about defining what your product is, but rather, how it fits into the lives of your customers. This perspective is crucial for any startup aiming to stand out in a crowded market. At Crezes, we are committed to harnessing the power of location intelligence to provide valuable insights to businesses across México. Lenny’s article reminded me of the importance of clarity in our messaging and the need to consistently communicate the unique value we bring to our users. Key takeaways: - Differentiation: Ensuring that we clearly articulate what sets Crezes apart from other solutions in the market. - Customer Focus: Continuously aligning our offerings with the evolving needs of our clients to stay relevant and indispensable. - Simplicity and Clarity: Striving for simplicity in our communication to ensure that our value proposition is easily understood. Thanks to Lenny, for sharing his insights and helping startups like ours navigate the complexities of positioning. I highly recommend reading this article to understand how you can leverage positioning to boost your startup’s growth. Link to the article here: https://lnkd.in/ePYq5sAx

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Startups before 2021 → focused on growth Startups now → innovation + profitability Why? Rappi is a perfect example. They are a consumer tech company. They provide on-demand delivery and financial services in Latin America. Rappi attracts users with deals they love—and keeps them coming back. But there are 2 major concerns: 1) High customer acquisition costs 2) Reliance on discounts As a result of which they struggle to be profitable. Their growth has not been sustainable. Lesson: Growth without a sustainable model isn’t enough. So a founder needs to adopt a balanced approach; A balance of ‘Growth’ & ‘Profit’. 1) Build first: Start with an MVP to validate your idea. 2) Prove traction: Show real-world success before scaling. 3) Profitability matters: Demonstrate a path to sustainable earnings early on. Of course, there are exceptions to this rule. Deep tech and capital-intensive sectors may still require upfront funding before generating revenue. Otherwise, the formula for startup success has evolved. ↳ Build MVPs quickly, ↳ Prove they work, and ↳ Prioritize profits from the start. What’s your take: Growth or profitability first?

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🚀 Big News from MercadoLibre! 🌟 Mercado Libre Marcos Galperin, CEO of MercadoLibre, Latin America's e-commerce leader, is gearing up for massive growth! 📈 With plans to triple their user base and expand their online payment platform Mercado Pago, the company is set to revolutionize the region’s digital landscape. 🌐💳 Despite the economic challenges in Argentina, including high inflation and financial instability, Galperin remains optimistic and focused on organic growth. 🚀💪 MercadoLibre's impressive performance, including a 1,600% increase in share price over the past decade, highlights their success and resilience. 🌟📊 As MercadoLibre continues to innovate with AI 🤖, drones 🚁, and fintech, the future looks bright! 🌟🔍 #Ecommerce #TechInnovation #FinTech #LatinAmerica #MarketGrowth #MercadoLibre #AI #Drones https://lnkd.in/gF6b76ae

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#ecommerceday 2024 Celebrating 25 years of Digital Commerce in Latam ! Amazing inspiration day to learn as an ecosystem. Big thanks for the invitation Marcos Pueyrredon - CMX Cámara Comercio Electrónico to join the panel on New Perspectives in B2B/DTC Que buena moderadora ! Ana Martinez Vivot y compañero de panel Eduardo Andrés Lopez Segura Sharing 3 key themes that are accelerating traction as eB2B continues fast pace in Latam ; - Co-existence of multiple models is accelerating.The ability to orchestrate complexity will be key - Phy-gital : Physical + digital behaviour is growing and journeys will need to evolve to seamless integration impacting operations. - eB2B : The B is a person . Barbara, Benito, expect to have experiences at the level they get as consumers everyday. No less! The Bar for experiences is getting higher

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LATAM has some so-called "papercorns". Unicorns, but only on paper. Here's how Claudio Barahona Jacobs from ALAYA CAPITAL frames it: " “Papercorns” are companies that have achieved unicorn status on paper, but whose metrics don’t match that valuation. Some of these papercorns were given that valuation at the height of the funding bonanza. Their valuation is a reflection of the period’s zeal rather than a reflection of their performance. Massive checks by actors such as Softbank and Tiger created multiple papercorns, now struggling to defend their valuations. This doesn’t bar them from becoming “real unicorns” in the future. But for now, they need to show real-world traction to match their supposed valuations.  We can’t forget the fundamentals: how much are you selling and are your customers happy? Only a company’s exit will reflect its true value. Any prior valuation is a semi-sophisticated guess, influenced by macro-factors unmoored from the company itself. " Read Claudio's full Realistic Optimist piece here: https://lnkd.in/g8MbVESm

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I really enjoyed this article from Rappi's engineering team. It's a really good survey of what it takes to put together reproducible research for a DS/ML team (article link will be posted in the comments). This doesn't address the whole issue however (this isn't a knock on the article, I just think there are reproducibilty issues in deployment as well). One problem that I've seen in the past is that even if you get reproducible research correct, It's possible that something else (like real time vs historical data) can cause subtle issues with the actual production results. What tools do you use for reproducible DS/ML? Our users typically combine Saturn Cloud with tools like Weights & Biases, Comet or neptune.ai for their reproducible stack. Would love to know in the comments. #python #machinelearning #datascience

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Thrilled to see Outropy's customer Kodus recognized by Latitud as a leader in AI-first companies in LATAM! 🚀 (And I 👀 a few of our prospects are in final talks... but 🤐) What makes Kodus special is how Gabriel Malinosqui, Wellington Santana, and their incredible team aren't just building another AI code reviewer that spits out what you'd get from asking GPT like everyone else. They're doing something fundamentally different: using AI to truly understand each company's unique collaboration styles, codebase, preferences, and engineering culture. While others push generic best practices from pre-trained models, Kodus delivers personalized, context-aware code reviews that actually make sense for your team. This is exactly the kind of sophisticated AI use case we built Outropy for: enabling software developers to create production-ready AI features that go far beyond chaining prompts and hoping for the best. Huge congrats to the Kodus team! Check out how they're transforming code reviews at kodus.io/en

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In fintech, the ease with which customers can switch services means they often jump from one online platform to another. We know all too well how this drains promotions budget dry. From allocating budgets and picking the right channels to crafting the perfect incentives for activation and retention... How do you choose the right path? The right channel mix? The right budget? It becomes a never-ending challenge to balance LTV and CAC. We know early funnel events, like account openings, may look promising but they don’t always translate into profitability. So we want customers who generate revenue quickly—through fees, loans, savings, or cash advances AND retain. But that's easier said than done when on Day 1, all users look the same. It can take weeks, even months, to understand each user’s true value and retention potential. Conversion signals that come later are much less useful because ad network algorithms give higher weight to early data. They need early signals—ideally within the first seven days, with day one being the most critical. Without these early insights, fintech companies have to rely on upper-funnel events that offer little long-term value. Here's the light at the end of this very dark tunnel: 🔦 Fintech has access to rich data sets. With AI, anonymized data points can be transformed into precise predictions and actionable recommendations. This allows for optimized acquisition efforts, enhanced product experiences, improved user flows, and a personalized touch for every customer. See here some supporting case studies: Notion → https://t2m.io/cYLwawSx Miro → https://t2m.io/yhtfdotY #artificialintelligence #marketing #growth #strategy #VBB

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👉 Unlock the potential of your supply chain data and gain actionable insights with AWS Supply Chain Analytics 🚀☁️📊 #aws #supplychain #awspartners

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Here's my 2024 LinkedIn Rewind, by Coauthor.studio: 2024: Sometimes the smallest questions transform the entire supply chains. Questions that make us reflect and find out the best answers. This year 2024, while leading demand and supply planning across LATAM, I discovered that true leadership isn't about optimizing processes—it's about understanding and driving people for their best versions. My starting MBA journey at FranklinCovey Brasil wasn't just about gaining a degree; it was about reimagining how we build teams, drive performance, and create meaningful impact with a legacy behind our Purpose Driven to exist. Key moments that shaped my perspective: 1. Launching the D.R.I.V.E. Group at Envu, we created a support network for working parents that goes beyond policies with the main purpose to build the culture we would like to be—it's about genuine community to foster work life balance . "Today, we celebrate the incredible effort it takes to balance raising children and pursuing a career." https://lnkd.in/dAt5fjQU 2. My supply chain efficiency insights reminded me: "A verdadeira eficiência começa na análise crítica nos 3 Pilares: PPS (Pessoas, Processos e Sistemas)." Translation: True efficiency starts with critical analysis of three pillars - People, Processes, Systems. https://lnkd.in/ddFHh6W3 3. Starting my MBA with a profound realization: "Proud to drive results learning the most important pillar we have: People." https://lnkd.in/d5__BvQU inside this amazing organization FranklinCovey Brasil and exceptional teachers and group; Community service anchored these professional insights. Supporting vulnerable mothers in São José dos Campos wasn't just an initiative—it was a powerful reminder that our work's true value lies in human connection. Thanks Luís Fernando Macul to make this activity possible. Looking ahead to 2025: I'm committed to bridging technical excellence with human-centered leadership together with my team Michele Cristo Cavaco, Matheus Araujo, Karine Alves Barbosa, Thaís Bianchi Gama, Lucas Salateo Caramori, Juan Ernesto and Diego Avalos Balmori. For supply chain professionals across LATAM, our greatest innovation isn't in algorithms or forecasts—it's in how we understand, support, and elevate our teams to the next level of excellence growing the Business. Let's continue transforming challenges into opportunities! Envu FranklinCovey Brasil #SupplyChainLeadership #PeopleDevelopment #LATAM #LinkedInRewind #2024Wrapped -- Get your 2024 LinkedIn Rewind! Go to coauthor.studio 

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In the world of payments, timing is everything. A delay of even a few minutes can lead to thousands in lost sales, frustrated customers, and missed revenue opportunities. With Yuno, Rappi didn’t just improve their payment anomaly response times—they elevated their entire payment experience. It’s not just about speed; it’s about delivering a seamless, reliable process that keeps customers coming back. The right tools make all the difference. Are your payments as efficient and customer-focused as they could be? #Payments #Fintech #BusinessGrowth #APMs #Yuno #CustomerSuccess

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🌐 The future of cloud management is here – AI agents are revolutionizing how we operate at Belcorp! 🚀 We’re leveraging autonomous cloud agents from Sedai, and the results speak for themselves: 💰 27% reduction in cloud costs for our AWS account – impactful savings at scale! ⚡ 26% latency reduction in our Lambda functions, saving us over 6 years of processing time – that’s real speed! One of the most fascinating things about these AI agents is their adaptability. Just like our work with generative AI in beauty tech, we’re fine-tuning how they manage our cloud infrastructure: 🤖 Autonomous Mode: Now handling 43% of our resources completely independently 🤝 Collaborative Mode: Partnering with our engineers, executing with approval 🔍 Insight Mode: Offering AI-driven recommendations for our team to evaluate Here’s where AI has identified additional opportunities: ✦ 43% savings potential on EC2 VMs ✦ 24% savings potential on ECS containers ✦ 30% savings potential on EBS storage A big shoutout to our innovative team – Miguel Tenorio Leyva, Jose Alcibiades Salinas Cari, and Edgardo Cornejo  – for driving these new technologies forward! Their work is essential as we get ready for the holiday season. What excites me most? How AI enhances our team’s expertise, allowing us to focus on strategic initiatives and exploring even more AI-driven opportunities across our business. How are you incorporating AI and autonomous agents into your infrastructure? What’s been your experience? Let’s discuss! #AIinTech #AutonomousAgents #CloudOptimization #DigitalTransformation #TechForGood

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Rappi's Turbo Revolution: The $5 Billion App Dominating Latin America's Quick Commerce From its Bogotá warehouse, Rappi Inc. is leading the quick-commerce race in Latin America with its “Turbo” service, promising deliveries in under 10 minutes. This ultra-fast delivery model has helped propel the company into a $5.25 billion enterprise, spanning countries from Mexico to Argentina. Turbo handles hundreds of orders per hour, with pickers and delivery drivers working in tandem to get items to customers within minutes. Co-founder Simón Borrero attributes Rappi’s success to its unique business model and the cost advantages Latin America offers, from labor to real estate. Since its 2015 launch as a grocery and food delivery app, Rappi has diversified into multiple services, including travel, financial products, and more. Backed by investments from SoftBank and Sequoia Capital, the company is now eyeing a potential IPO in 2025. Turbo has also transformed the restaurant industry, with businesses like Bogotá’s Bacu leveraging the platform for faster delivery, significantly boosting their sales. Rappi’s logistics network and strategic warehouse locations are key to making Turbo work, as deliveries are restricted to a 3-kilometer radius for maximum efficiency. As Rappi continues to expand its footprint in Latin America, its Turbo service is setting a new standard for convenience, driving growth in one of the world’s fastest-growing e-commerce markets. Stay ahead with the latest in food delivery news from the weekly Boolanga Bites newsletter, brought to you by Boolanga Business. Sign up for our LinkedIn newsletter now to receive weekly updates directly to your inbox every Monday.

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