Successful technology
entrepreneurship requires delicate balance between forward-looking technical
vision and practical market realities. Throughout his career spanning multiple
decades and technology
generations, Brazilian entrepreneur Haroldo Jacobovicz has demonstrated
remarkable capacity to maintain this equilibrium—recognizing technological
possibilities while adapting implementation approaches based on market
readiness and specific contextual requirements.
Early Lesson in
Market Readiness
Haroldo Jacobovicz’s
entrepreneurial journey began with a valuable lesson regarding the relationship
between technical
possibility and market readiness. Before completing his civil engineering
studies at the Federal University of Paraná, he founded Microsystem with three
technically proficient friends in the 1980s. The company aimed to provide
automated inventory control and cash register systems to small retail
businesses, pharmacies, and supermarkets.
Despite its technical
merit, this venture closed after two years, with Jacobovicz noting that
“that market was not yet ready for computerization.” This early
experience demonstrated that technical
capability alone does not ensure market success—implementation timing and
contextual readiness prove equally crucial for effective technology deployment.
Recalibration
Based on Market Learning
Rather than abandoning
his technological focus after this initial timing challenge, Haroldo Jacobovicz
recalibrated his approach based on market learning. He recognized that larger
organizations might demonstrate greater readiness for computerization than
small retailers, leading him to join Esso (now Exxon Mobil) where he gained
exposure to corporate technology applications.
This professional
shift represented not retreat from technical vision but rather strategic
repositioning to environments where implementation possibilities better aligned
with organizational readiness. His rapid advancement at Esso—from reserve
salesman to positions handling commercial tactics and new business development
based on computer-processed data—demonstrated the
effectiveness of this recalibration.
Institutional
Context Recognition
During subsequent
professional experience at the Itaipu Hydroelectric Plant as an advisor to the
Technical Director, Haroldo Jacobovicz developed sophisticated understanding of
how institutional contexts influence technology implementation. He observed
“the difficulty in adopting computers given the bureaucracy involved in
immobilizing permanent assets”—recognizing that organizational processes and
regulatory requirements often shape technology adoption pathways beyond
technical considerations alone.
This contextual
understanding would significantly influence his subsequent business approaches.
Rather than promoting technical solutions requiring institutional
restructuring, Jacobovicz would develop implementation models that accommodated
existing organizational patterns while enabling technological
advancement—demonstrating pragmatic balance between vision and reality.
Innovative
Implementation Model
When Haroldo
Jacobovicz returned to entrepreneurship in the 1990s, he established Minauro
with a business model specifically designed to accommodate institutional
realities while enabling technological progress. The company offered
“four-year contracts with machine replacement every 18 months, including
maintenance” to governmental agencies.
This approach
represented sophisticated balance between technical vision and practical
implementation. By structuring
technology provision as a service rather than capital acquisition, Minauro
created adoption pathway that accommodated bureaucratic procedures while
ensuring access to current technology through regular equipment replacement.
The model maintained technical advancement vision while adapting implementation
approach to institutional realities.
Comprehensive
Technology Integration
As computerization
became more established in Brazilian institutions, Haroldo Jacobovicz
recognized increasing market readiness for more comprehensive technology
solutions. Through strategic acquisitions of companies including Consult,
Perform, and Sisteplan, he expanded his business offerings to incorporate
specialized software applications alongside hardware provision.
This integrated
approach reflected balanced assessment of both technical possibilities and
market requirements. Rather than promoting abstract technological concepts,
Jacobovicz developed practical solutions addressing specific operational needs
within particular organizational contexts—”tax, financial, administrative,
health and education management software” aligned with public sector
functions.
Market-Appropriate
Infrastructure Development
When Haroldo
Jacobovicz founded Horizons Telecom in 2010, he again demonstrated balanced
consideration of technical capabilities and market requirements. Rather than
pursuing cutting-edge technological experimentation, the company focused on
building reliable telecommunications infrastructure specifically designed for
corporate applications.
This approach
emphasized practical implementation quality over technical novelty—building
“from scratch using the best technical, human and strategic
resources available” to ensure reliable service delivery rather than
showcasing experimental capabilities. The resulting operation became “a
reference in the corporate niche” of telecommunications within a decade,
validating this balanced approach to infrastructure
development.
Current
Virtualization Focus
Haroldo Jacobovicz’s
most recent venture, Arlequim Technologies founded in 2021, continues his
pattern of balancing technical vision with market realities. The company
focuses on computer virtualization to enhance existing equipment performance—an
approach that recognizes both technical possibilities of virtualization and
practical constraints affecting hardware replacement.
By enabling
organizations to boost “an outdated computer, making its performance
compatible with state-of-the-art equipment” without requiring new hardware
purchases, Arlequim addresses both technical capabilities and economic
realities. This balanced approach acknowledges budget limitations, procurement
delays, and sustainability concerns that complicate equipment replacement while
still enabling performance
improvements.
Technical Possibility
versus Implementation Reality
Throughout his various
ventures spanning multiple decades and technology generations, Haroldo
Jacobovicz has consistently demonstrated sophisticated understanding of the
relationship between technical possibility and implementation reality. Rather
than promoting technological concepts requiring ideal conditions, he has
developed practical solutions that function effectively within actual
operational contexts.
This balanced approach
differs significantly from technology entrepreneurship focused primarily on
technical innovation without detailed attention to implementation pathways. By
recognizing that successful technology deployment requires alignment between
technical capabilities and contextual realities, Jacobovicz has
created sustainable business value across changing market conditions.
Lessons for
Technology Entrepreneurs
For current technology
entrepreneurs, Haroldo Jacobovicz’s career offers valuable perspective
regarding effective balance between technical vision and market pragmatism. His
experience suggests that successful technology ventures require not only
identifying valuable technical possibilities but also developing implementation
approaches aligned with specific organizational contexts and market readiness
conditions.
The key insight
involves recognizing that technology value emerges through practical
application within particular operational environments rather than abstract
technical superiority. By focusing on how technical capabilities can address
specific contextual needs rather than promoting technology for its own sake,
entrepreneurs can create solutions that generate sustainable value across
different market conditions.
He
is also at social media: https://instagram.com/institutoharoldojacobovicz