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Henrique Dubugras
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Henrique Dubugras founded fintech giant Brex when he was twenty-one years old. In his journey from São Paulo to Stanford to the heights of Silicon Valley he made connections with some of the biggest names in the ecosystem. Now, they’re not just business connections, but friends.

  1. How Max Levchin Built the System Behind 90% of U.S. E-Commerce

    6D AGO

    How Max Levchin Built the System Behind 90% of U.S. E-Commerce

    “Don’t just believe that things work, actually find out how they work and ask the question, can they work better?” This has been Max Levchin’s constant pursuit since childhood, leading him to build PayPal, HVF, and Affirm, a perfect example of where engineering meets entrepreneurship. In this episode, we explore what it takes to begin again after success and how Max Levchin’s relentless pursuit of optimization has defined two decades of fintech innovation. We also get into: • how a cryptography thesis became a fintech revolution, PayPal • the psychology of merging with Elon Musk’s X.com • why founders are idealists and investors are cynics • how Max measures success in human lives improved • and how America’s entrepreneurial DNA became its greatest competitive advantage This episode was recorded on October 24th, 2025. 00:00 Intro 12:28 The PayPal Story 32:30 Founder CEOs vs. Hired CEOs 43:49 Entrepreneurship 48:47 The Media Industry 55:53 Credit Card Debt in the US 01:06:03 Affirm's Business Model 01:09:01 Challenges and Ethics in Lending 01:24:31 AI and Underwriting Models 01:32:51 Crypto and Stablecoins 01:46:26 Closing Remarks ABOUT US: We’re proudly sponsored by Brex—a brand I co-founded, now supporting over 30,000 businesses like Anthropic, DoorDash, and Scale AI, helping them make every dollar count. I’m grateful for their continued support as I bring you all conversations with some of the most exceptional founders of our generation. For more information, please go to: https://www.brex.com/?ref_code=bmk_audio_HDinHD Connect with us here: 1. Max Levchin- https://x.com/mlevchin  2. Brex- https://x.com/brexHQ 3. Henrique Dubugras- https://x.com/hdubugrasThis episode was produced and distributed by our friends at Atomik Growth: https://atomikgrowth.com/

    1h 47m
  2. How Deliveroo Got Acquired by Doordash for $3.9B | Will Shu

    OCT 31

    How Deliveroo Got Acquired by Doordash for $3.9B | Will Shu

    In a city built on great food, workers were still eating whatever was quickest. When Will Shu moved to London, he felt that disconnect firsthand and built Deliveroo to bridge it, transforming a local gap into a network spanning 10 markets. On this episode of HD in HD, Will shares how his belief in hard work and delayed reward helped him build Deliveroo into a global logistics leader, acquired by DoorDash for $3.9B. We also get into: • how they learned to manage riders, restaurants, and regulations  • how Deliveroo stood apart from competitors like Uber • what Will believes DoorDash and Deliveroo can learn from each other post-acquisition ABOUT US: We’re proudly sponsored by Brex—a brand I co-founded, now supporting over 30,000 businesses like Anthropic, DoorDash, and Scale AI, helping them make every dollar count. I’m grateful for their continued support as I bring you all conversations with some of the most exceptional founders of our generation. For more information, please go to: https://www.brex.com/?ref_code=bmk_audio_HDinHD Connect with us here: 1. Will Shu- https://x.com/WillShuRoo 2. Brex- https://x.com/brexHQ 3. Henrique Dubugras- https://x.com/hdubugras This episode was produced and distributed by our friends at Atomik Growth. 00:00 Intro 25:43 Will Shu's Early Life and Education 32:15 College Life and Career Beginnings 39:26 Wall Street Culture 46:15 The Birth of Deliveroo 01:04:58 Raising Funds 01:16:49 COVID-19 01:23:01 IPO and Market Reactions 01:36:54 AI and Future of Delivery

    1h 49m
  3. How Alex Bouaziz Built Deel Into a $17B Giant | Alex Bouaziz & Deel

    OCT 16

    How Alex Bouaziz Built Deel Into a $17B Giant | Alex Bouaziz & Deel

    Global payroll is a maze most companies dread navigating. Deel turned it into their MOAT by streamlining HR across borders, powering remote work, and hitting a $1B+ run rate with over 5,000 employees. Alex Bouaziz, Deel’s CEO and co-founder, grew up nerding out on Nintendo and hunted perfection from Paris to MIT. His relentless curiosity built a platform that’s rewriting how the world hires. In this episode, we explore: • why he wakes up obsessed with your problems, not his product • how a Disneyland obsession shaped his entrepreneurial spark • why he’s doubling down on AI and stablecoins ABOUT US: We’re proudly sponsored by Brex—a brand I co-founded, now supporting over 30,000 businesses like Anthropic, DoorDash, and Scale AI, helping them make every dollar count. I’m grateful for their continued support as I bring you all conversations with some of the most exceptional founders of our generation. Onward and upward, together. Connect with us: 1. Deel - https://x.com/deel 2. Brex - https://x.com/brexHQ 3. Henrique Dubugras- https://x.com/hdubugras This episode was produced and distributed by our friends at Atomik Growth: https://atomikgrowth.com/ 00:00 Introduction 01:35 Being happy 02:50 Big family 11:56 Video games and math 14:59 Confidence 16:12 College and older people 23:47 America, Nintendo, Disney 26:08 MIT 26:59 Helping yourself, cold emails 31:51 PhDs are super lonely 34:38 Trying to impress 39:16 Brex 40:06 Deel 45:05 Gaming forums and money struggles 49:49 San Francisco, Tel Aviv, Paris 52:26 Remote work 54:32 Growth and value 1:00:42 Marketing and getting old 1:02:09 Next decade 1:04:07 Crypto 1:08:42 AI and payroll 1:12:00 Outro

    1h 13m
  4. How Adversity Made Him Unstoppable | Barry Diller

    OCT 6

    How Adversity Made Him Unstoppable | Barry Diller

    How does someone with zero ambition rise to the top of Hollywood? Barry Diller started out as a ‘wayward’ kid with no plan, then took his first big risk in television by producing original TV movies, a gamble no one in Hollywood thought would work. In this episode, he shares how trusting his instincts and defying convention guided his journey from transforming Paramount to launching Fox Broadcasting Company and building IAC, now home to 10 publicly traded companies, leaving a lasting legacy. We also get into: • why adversity is the greatest training ground for instinct • what it took to launch Fox Broadcasting against three dominant networks • why sequels ruined Hollywood’s creative edge • spotting screen interactivity before the internet took over ABOUT US: We’re proudly sponsored by Brex—a brand I co-founded, now supporting over 30,000 businesses like Anthropic, DoorDash, and Scale AI, helping them make every dollar count. I’m grateful for their continued support as I bring you all conversations with some of the most exceptional founders of our generation. For more information, please go to: https://www.brex.com/?ref_code=bmk_audio_HDinHD Connect with us here: 1. Brex- https://x.com/brexHQ 2. Henrique Dubugras- https://x.com/hdubugras This episode was produced and distributed by our friends at Atomik Growth. 00:00 Intro 02:12 Barry Diller's Early Life 15:12 The ABC Network 25:30 Charles Bluhdorn 33:26 From TV to Paramount 42:34 Fox Broadcasting and Media Ventures 48:53 E-Commerce and Building IAC 59:07 Expedia

    1h 2m
  5. How Kalshi Sued the U.S. Government and Won | CEO Tarek Mansour

    SEP 25

    How Kalshi Sued the U.S. Government and Won | CEO Tarek Mansour

    When regulators tried to shut them down, Tarek Mansour took them to court, and made history. This week on HD in HD we're joined by the co-founder and CEO of Kalshi, the first fully regulated financial exchange for trading on events. He’s redefining how markets work by building a platform where people can trade on everything from elections to the economy, and proving that prediction markets can be both legitimate and transformative. In this episode, we also get into: why entrepreneurship has no clear destination, so you might as well enjoy the journey how trading shaped how he thinks about risk and decision-making how Kalshi survived its showdown with regulators the bet that event trading can make humanity more rational ABOUT US: We’re proudly sponsored by Brex—a brand I co-founded, now supporting over 30,000 businesses like Anthropic, DoorDash, and Scale AI, helping them make every dollar count. I’m grateful for their continued support as I bring you all conversations with some of the most exceptional founders of our generation. For more information, please go to: https://www.brex.com/?ref_code=bmk_audio_HDinHD Connect with us here: Tarek Mansour- https://x.com/mansourtarek_?lang=en Brex- https://x.com/brexHQ Henrique Dubugras- https://x.com/hdubugras This episode was produced and distributed by our friends at Atomik Growth: https://atomikgrowth.com/ 00:00:00 Intro 00:01:13 Brex Sponsorship 00:02:11 Early Years in Lebanon 00:08:41 Success and Stress 00:29:23 Expected Outcomes and Variance 00:41:43 MIT Experience 00:45:59 Goldman Sachs 00:53:08 Y Combinator 01:00:48 Legal Challenges 01:08:14 Raising Funds 01:14:02 The Election Market Challenge 01:35:45 Winning the Lawsuit 01:40:25 Mainstream Success 01:44:01 The Role of Support Systems

    2h 2m
  6. Sebastian's Journey From Flipping Burgers → $17B+ IPO

    SEP 15

    Sebastian's Journey From Flipping Burgers → $17B+ IPO

    How do you go from pitching Sequoia to ringing the bell on a US IPO? Sebastian Siemiatkowski, co-founder and CEO of Klarna was raised in a home where ambition met accountability. Even as Klarna thrived in Sweden, his parents reminded him: “That’s fantastic. When are you going to get your degree?” That grounding, paired with Sebastian’s own ambition to measure up to companies like Google and Facebook, pushed Klarna beyond local success to a global stage. In this episode, we also get into: • how sci-fi books inspired him to see entrepreneurship as an adventure • how Klarna brought Sequoia on board • how Klarna got ahead of Afterpay in the U.S market • navigating co-founder tensions and pivoting leadership • turning Sweden’s strict bill collection into Klarna’s advantage ABOUT US: We’re proudly sponsored by Brex—a brand I co-founded, now supporting over 30,000 businesses like Anthropic, DoorDash, and Scale AI, helping them make every dollar count. I’m grateful for their continued support as I bring you all conversations with some of the most exceptional founders of our generation. For more information, please go to: https://www.brex.com/?ref_code=bmk_audio_HDinHD Connect with us here: 1. Sebastian Siemiatkowski- https://x.com/klarnaseb 2. Brex- https://x.com/brexHQ 3. Henrique Dubugras- https://x.com/hdubugras This episode was produced and distributed by our friends at Atomik Growth: https://atomikgrowth.com/ Chapters: 00:00 Intro 05:03 Background and Immigration 12:59 University Life 23:55 Gap Year Adventures 37:57 Finding Multiple Jobs 41:57 The Birth of Klarna 53:42 The First Product 01:15:32 Sequoia's Investment 01:34:50 Entering the US Market 01:49:01 AI and the Future

    1h 51m
  7. The $2B AI Startup Changing Content Forever | Victor Riparbelli

    AUG 22

    The $2B AI Startup Changing Content Forever | Victor Riparbelli

    Before founding Synthesia, Victor Riparbelli grew up in Denmark with parents who struck a balance between ensuring his future security and giving him the freedom to pursue his passions, with his father steering him toward technology. At Stanford, the intense academics and ambitious peers challenged him to question the status quo and honed his approach to creating helpful tools. We also get into: • why complex video games were his first playground for building business • how Mark Cuban became their first investor without meeting them • why the future of communication is video ABOUT US: We’re proudly sponsored by Brex—a brand I co-founded, now supporting over 30,000 businesses like Anthropic, DoorDash, and Scale AI, helping them make every dollar count. I’m grateful for their continued support as I bring you all conversations with some of the most exceptional founders of our generation. For more information, please go to: https://www.brex.com/?ref_code=bmk_audio_HDinHD Connect with us here: 1. Victor Riparbelli- https://x.com/vriparbelli 2. Brex- https://x.com/brexHQ 3. Henrique Dubugras- https://x.com/hdubugras This episode was produced and distributed by our friends at Atomik Growth: https://atomikgrowth.com

    1h 46m
  8. How Vercel Saves Dev Teams $10M+ in Time | Guillermo Rauch

    JUL 21

    How Vercel Saves Dev Teams $10M+ in Time | Guillermo Rauch

    Before founding Vercel, Guillermo Rauch, was a self-taught teenager in Argentina earning his first dollars online to help his family. From early open-source work to remote freelancing, this episode traces how his drive to figure things out led to solving web performance at scale. We also get into: • how his dad instilled a mindset of pushing tech boundaries • what growing up during Argentina’s economic swings taught him • why he sees Minecraft as a healthy game for his kids • why he believes speed without direction is meaningless ABOUT US: We’re proudly sponsored by Brex—a brand I co-founded, now supporting over 30,000 businesses like Anthropic, DoorDash, and Scale AI, helping them make every dollar count. I’m grateful for their continued support as I bring you all conversations with some of the most exceptional founders of our generation. For more information, please go to: https://www.brex.com/?ref_code=bmk_audio_HDinHD Connect with us here: 1. Guillermo Rauch- https://www.linkedin.com/in/rauchg/ 2. Brex- https://x.com/brexHQ 3. Henrique Dubugras- https://x.com/hdubugras This episode was produced and distributed by our friends at Atomik Growth: https://atomikgrowth.com/ 00:00 Intro 02:00 Early Years 04:50 Parenting, First Experiences with Computers 07:40 Screen Time Rules 11:40 Video Games & Developing Programming Skills 15:30 Freelance Coding & Earning in U.S. Dollars 19:40 High School 24:10 Startup Offer 30:30 Silicon Valley & First Acquisition 41:45 Founding Vercel 54:40 AI Wave: v0, Agents & “Token Factories” 01:14:28 Vercel's Success and Client Impact 01:20:58 The Role of AI in Development 01:40:49 Iterating Towards Greatness 01:52:27 Balancing Luck and Skill

    2h 1m
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Henrique Dubugras founded fintech giant Brex when he was twenty-one years old. In his journey from São Paulo to Stanford to the heights of Silicon Valley he made connections with some of the biggest names in the ecosystem. Now, they’re not just business connections, but friends.

Information

  • Creator
    Henrique Dubugras
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2025
  • Episodes
    22
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2024-2025 Henrique Dubugras. All Rights Reserved.

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