Felipe de Castro Leão went from the buy-side (VC/alternative assets) to advising founders and SMBs on fundraising, credit, and M&A. We break down how to choose the right type of capital (debt, equity, SAFE, project finance), how to build a transparent, investor-ready story, and why most deals fail before the first meeting even starts.
Chapters (drop in final times):
00:00 Intro — tobacco club story, happy hour vibes (adjust timestamp)
02:00 Felipe’s path: buy-side to advisor; why he switched (adjust)
05:20 “PJ” autonomy → productized advisory; building UNITA (adjust)
08:30 What founders get wrong: transparency, numbers, clarity (adjust)
11:30 Products: 6–8 week Strategic Planning + Fundraising/M&A (adjust)
14:30 Picking capital: debt vs equity vs SAFE vs project finance (adjust)
18:00 The M&A Canvas: mapping buyers, positioning, and story (adjust)
21:00 Jay on “money has many colors” — find fit, not just funds (adjust)
24:00 Brazil’s “jabuticabas”: market asymmetries = opportunity (adjust)
27:30 Live plug: on-location episode in Monte Alegre do Sul (adjust)
29:00 How faith, conviction, and clarity shape leadership (adjust)
31:00 Wrap + how to reach Felipe / UNITA (adjust)
Key takeaways
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Capital fit > capital availability: instrument, terms, and target matter.
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Investor POV first: solve for their objections before you pitch.
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Productize the process: planning → data room → targeted outreach.
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Brazil thesis: inefficiencies + instruments (FIDCs, credit, club deals) create asymmetric upside for prepared operators.
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