Haroldo Jacobovicz, Civil Engineer, Businessman and Brazilian Investor. Founder of Arlequim Technologies S/A.
The entrepreneurial journey is often romanticized, but those of us who have lived it know it’s anything but easy. It’s a path filled with unpredictable twists, turns and moments of self-doubt.
My story is no different. While I’m grateful for the accomplishments I’ve achieved over the years with multiple businesses, these successes are deeply rooted in the lessons I’ve learned from my earlier failures. Specifically, it was the experience of closing my first business that shaped the course of my future ventures.
The First Venture: Starting With A Spark Of Ambition
From a young age, I had a passion for technology, fueled by a desire to make a tangible impact on the business world. In 1983, my first company was born out of this ambition, and I was eager to bring fresh technological solutions to the market. I had a vision, partners with expertise in the field, a dedicated team and early successes that seemed to confirm I was on the right path.
However, reality hit much harder than I anticipated. Despite my enthusiasm and drive, the business faced significant obstacles. There were several factors I hadn’t considered deeply—factors like market readiness, technology maturity, scalability and cash flow management. We had good ideas, but the current demand and the infrastructure to support those ideas wasn’t there yet.
Facing Setbacks: The Hard Reality
The first real blow came when I realized that our ability to grow and sustain operations was hindered by things beyond my control. Despite working tirelessly to keep things running, the company wasn’t gaining the traction we needed to stay afloat. Closing that chapter only two years after the launch was one of the most challenging moments of my professional life. Yet, I came to see that every adversity is a step closer to the goal if you’re willing to stay alert to the lessons that life offers.
This experience turned out to be a defining moment for me, showing that setbacks like these can become the foundation for growth.
Persistence And Resilience
While the failure stung, it gave me the chance to reflect. As I analyzed what had gone wrong, I realized that my first company failed not only because of market timing but also because I hadn’t fully embraced the flexibility needed in entrepreneurship. If I wanted to create something lasting, I had to be willing to step out of my comfort zone and develop a foundation that was sustainable under changing circumstances. This commitment to resilience and adaptability has defined much of my approach in the businesses I ran moving forward.
I also applied this lesson when I decided to sell one of my companies in 2021. After 11 years of success in serving B2B customers with telecommunications services, I understood, by analyzing the scenario, that the right decision was to sell the company and invest in a new project, which led to the creation of my current business.
Timing Is Key
One of the most critical lessons I learned during those early years was that timing can make or break a business. When I launched my first company, I believed we had the right solutions, but the market wasn’t ready. It’s about more than having a groundbreaking idea; it’s about having the right idea at the right time.
This insight stayed with me when I founded my other businesses. I took a more measured approach, ensuring the businesses were positioned to succeed when the market was ready for the services we offered. My experience had taught me that being patient, waiting for the right moment and building a solid foundation were crucial to long-term success.
Advice For Entrepreneurs
Today, my company embodies many of the values that emerged from my early experiences: resilience, adaptability, and a commitment to delivering value to the market. I wanted it to be a solution not only for businesses but also for addressing broader societal needs. I’m passionate about our work in offering technologies as a way to empower people and help close the access gap.
Based on these experiences, if there’s one piece of advice I would give to aspiring entrepreneurs, it’s this: Don’t be afraid to fail. Every setback brings with it the opportunity to learn, reflect and grow. My early failure taught me more than any success could have. It gave me resilience, perspective and, perhaps most importantly, patience.
Understand that timing is everything. You might have a great idea, but the market might not be ready for it. That doesn’t mean your idea is bad; it just means you need to be strategic about when and how you bring it to life. Building a company is a marathon, not a sprint.
Another lesson is that passion alone won’t carry you to success. It needs to be backed by robust business fundamentals. This includes understanding your market, knowing how to manage finances and building a team that shares your vision.
Finally, embrace persistence. There will be hard days, and there will be moments when you question yourself. It’s in these moments that you grow as an entrepreneur.
My journey has been far from smooth, but each bump along the way has shaped who I am as a business leader today. My ventures are testaments to the lessons learned from my early experiences. While success is something to be celebrated, it’s the moments of failure that have had the most profound impact on me.
At the end of the day, entrepreneurship is not about avoiding failure; it’s about embracing it, learning from it and using it to fuel your next steps. That’s what has made all the difference for me.
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