From Google Sheets to Scalable SaaS: How PayTrack Transformed Travel & Expense Management in LATAM

The Nearshore Cafe

🎙️ Featuring Pedro Góes, CEO of PayTrack | The Nearshore Cafe Podcast

In this episode, host Brian Samson speaks with Pedro Góes, CEO of PayTrack, a Brazil-based fintech that evolved from startup hustle to enterprise-level execution—growing from 20 to nearly 400 employees, largely without outside investment.

Pedro reveals how PayTrack built an all-in-one travel and expense management platform for medium and enterprise companies, combining travel booking, expense tracking, and corporate cards into a single integrated SaaS solution. The company didn’t just survive the COVID-19 crisis—while competitors saw a 90% drop in revenue, PayTrack’s diversified model allowed them to pivot and support clients through shifting demands, including managing home-office expenses.

We dive into Pedro’s unique founder story, his insights on scaling under pressure, and his sharp advice for startup founders across Latin America.
🧠 Key Themes You’ll Hear:

• How PayTrack helps companies modernize expense workflows with an end-to-end solution

• Managing multi-currency challenges across Latin America

• Pivoting during COVID: from business travel to remote expense tracking

• Pedro’s rise from law school dropout to CEO after running seven departments

• Growing a nearly bootstrapped startup before securing a strategic investment from Riverwood Capital

• Navigating Brazilian business culture, taxes (~33%), and conservative venture capital

• Why Blumenau’s industrial roots helped create a thriving local tech ecosystem

• Pedro’s advice: Sales come first. Intelligence and infrastructure come second.
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Chapters

1. Introduction to PayTrack (00:00:00)

2. All-in-One Expense Management Solution (00:03:40)

3. Navigating Through COVID-19 Crisis (00:06:13)

4. Pedro's Journey to CEO (00:10:53)

5. Bootstrapping and Funding Story (00:18:34)

6. Entrepreneurship Challenges in Brazil (00:22:19)

7. Advice for Latin American Entrepreneurs (00:28:16)