I often wonder what’s holding back so many talented people in our country from making a living with computing.

We always seem to be selling labor and time, whether it’s through fixed employment or short-term contracts. And yet, we rarely invest in products. It’s strange for a country like Brazil to have few globally used products. There are some exceptions, but they’re quite rare.

I recently came across an interesting post on Mesquita’s Blog about bananas and banana economics. This story might give us some ideas.

What’s missing for Brazil to become a true entrepreneurial nation? I remember taking entrepreneurship courses in college, and one of the topics was business planning.

Planning an enterprise is useful, and having a business plan can help with that. But back in 2000, it seemed like everyone thought they were going to make it big with new websites and services. These sites required thousands of dollars to get off the ground, and investors would invest money in exchange for shares, rather than taking out loans from banks.

This model didn’t work out so well. If everything went wrong, the companies would go bankrupt, and the investors would lose their money. But if things worked out, they’d receive their investment back and a share of the profits.

In Brazil, this model did happen to some extent. Not sure if it still happens today in the US either. It’s happening again now, but with more feet on the ground.

I started earning money from computers when I was 12 years old. I had been playing with them since 1984, and then began selling things like paper for printers, stickers, labels, and Picotex. We were in a period of market reserve, under military rule, etc.

I thought becoming president required being a general. Then someone explained that wasn’t exactly the case. In those days, there were Brazilian computers like the TK90X, TK2000, EXATO CCE, UNITRON, and other gadgets. It was a different time in Manaus… the 80s!

I had a friend named Mingo who always had an entrepreneurial spirit. I learned a lot from him. Mingo used to sell something every day, then started writing programs and distributing them on disquetes. Back then, without the Internet, it was much harder.

One of his programs is still available: Mingo Assembler.

Before there was a problem with distribution - who would buy software? Would we record the disquettes or CD-ROMs and make a cardboard box?

Software came with manuals printed out, which added to the cost. Today, it’s all about the Internet, making it possible for us to reach not just our own country but every corner of the world.

I believe that the problem is still living in an era of commercial software. Imagine creating a program to control stock or manage a small shop. Most people dream of just getting some clients and living off maintaining the software.

Why don’t we think about products?

The lack of thoughts like these condemned Portugal and Brazil to a delay in development compared to other countries. We exported our sugar, but those who refined and sold it made more money than us. The risk of maintaining colonies was ours, while they reaped all the profits.

Is this true for software too? I see the Indian model and get worried. They have many talented programmers. But I still can’t find out about big Indian software companies or products.

There are great consulting firms and off-shore development companies in India, but what about software as a product?

They’re in some of the best universities worldwide, with well-trained people who work for US giants like Google and Microsoft, producing the products we use today. But they do it in the US!

Success for them means changing lives, but most of the money stays in the States.

The Brazilian model is different, as we don’t export software services. Or better said, we don’t export what we could.

In my previous job, I worked with companies in the US and Europe, developing software for them. The problem was that they eventually stopped working with us. Not a single product was developed during our partnership.

This is the issue of selling time and talent. In the end, nothing remains except high-quality personnel who are expensive to keep on staff.

We need to start the cycle again, in search of the next client or project.

In recent years, it seems like things have only gotten worse. I hear more about software products from the 80s than today. And I worry.

In Belgium, due to the high cost of labor, consulting firms are the ones who make a profit with customized software. People think of products because the cost of support is very high and development even higher.

The software industry isn’t common in the Amazon region yet, but entrepreneurial companies still pop up. My friends ask me if they’ll be able to sell their idea.

When I surf the Internet, it’s clear that everything can be sold online - as long as you think about how much money you need to make it worth your while. But why not try going in the right direction?

It’s not easy, and I know that. It seems like a problem of lack of faith and self-confidence.

Software eliminates many barriers like distance and distribution. Brazilians can compete with anyone else around the world. This is rare, and we’re not used to believing it. But you have to believe it.

I’ve had two companies already. I’ll keep trying until I die. It’s Brazilian spirit!