My Story
Daniel Detoni
Founder, Builder, Scaler
Growing up in the vibrant city of São Paulo within a Brazilian-Italian family, I was perceived as a creative and adventurous child. As a child of the 80s, inspired by movies like "Goonies" and "Back to the Future," I was always trying to create something, sell something. I remember buying and reselling sweets around the neighborhood or organizing raffles for cheap toys, and I was always able to sell it all. I think people supported me because it was cute to see a little boy “entrepreneur” selling things. However, I had no clear direction during my college years. I started law school, and after one year, I switched to marketing. I knew something big was waiting for me, but at that time, I had no clue what I really wanted to do.
During college, I secured a trainee position at Bridgestone (Firestone). Even so, during my final years of college, I accepted a job at a .com company called NeoMarket. It offered a great salary and benefits for an early 20-year-old, but I felt a calling for bigger things. In December 2002, I left the comfort of my job and home to embark on an adventure in Europe. I moved to London with no savings, just a desire to live new experiences. With a strong belief in myself, I was convinced I would succeed.
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At the time, I was doing some freelance marketing and internet consulting work, but my clients were from Brazil, and the Brazilian currency was much lower than the UK pound. So, like any immigrant, I worked low-paying jobs for a couple of years but always continued with my marketing/advertising consulting gigs. As Jim Rohn said, I was working full-time on my job and part-time on my fortune.
As an entrepreneur at heart, I have spent the past decade as a founder and consultant. During my time as a consultant and marketing agency owner, I was fortunate to work with companies like Sony, Splash News, Warner, and Unilever. This journey culminated in my successful exit from Lodging Home, a property management company specializing in short-term rentals, acquired by Boardwalk. Throughout this journey, I have developed a profound passion for witnessing industries transform and playing a pivotal role in the evolving market.
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Having lived and worked across various parts of the world, I consider myself a global citizen. This exposure has provided me with invaluable insights into different cultures and markets. My experiences in Europe, South America, and the United States have honed my capabilities in business development, marketing, and sales strategies across diverse industries.
Notably, I had the privilege of working on one of the pioneering online MP3 stores in London during the early 2000s, successfully selling high-quality digital music files before the industry's major boom. Additionally, I take great pride in launching "Coletivo Social," the first crowdfunding platform aimed at raising capital for social projects and aiding disadvantaged communities in Brazil. This initiative gained significant support from television producers, actors, and on-air talent, including MTV hosts.
As a founder, I have raised Angel, pre-seed, and seed rounds of financing. As a consultant, I have helped entrepreneurs bring ideas from concept to market validation to launch. I find great satisfaction in helping founders see clearer, try quicker, prevent problems sooner, and build startups faster.
For the past few years, I have invested in a few startups and I have been wholly dedicated to my startup I co-founded, TENNTS. This experience has allowed me to assume numerous roles, wearing multiple hats in areas such as sales, advertising, pitching to investors, negotiating with strategic partners, and collaborating with board members. Through these endeavors, I have amassed valuable insights and experience, and I am thrilled about the opportunity to pass forward what I have learned to help startups and businesses scale.
