The Nearshore Cafe
Hear from Nearshoring veterans about what it's like living and doing business in LATAM. Join our hosts and numerous guests from LATAM & the U.S. with interesting real life experiences. This podcast is full of great stories and useful advice on how to navigate the world's most untapped talent market along with travel tips.
Episodes
🎙️ The Nearshore Cafe Podcast | Hosted by Brian Samson
In this episode, Brian Samson — founder of Plugg Technologies and host of The Nearshore Cafe Podcast — shares a powerful success story from a booming Series A tech startup based in Atlanta. With over $50 million raised, this company had the resources to hire from anywhere in the world. But instead of battling the fierce 2022 Silicon Valley talent wars, they chose a smarter path...
In this episode of The Nearshore Cafe Podcast, host Brian Samson (founder of Plugg Technologies) dives deep with Fernando Soto, a senior Business Analyst working remotely from Guadalajara, Mexico. From humble roots in Tijuana to leading global tech projects, Fernando reveals the real story of life as a nearshore tech professional.
📉 Laid off after 16 years at HP.
🚀 Reinvented his career through remote work.
🌐 Now shaping produ...
What happens when a Series B startup in San Francisco realizes they’re paying over $200K per year for a remote engineer—and getting no extra value from being in the Bay Area?
They go nearshore.
And they win. Big.
In this episode of The Nearshore Cafe Podcast, host Brian Samson (Founder of Plugg Technologies) shares the true story of how one founder turned to LATAM developers to scale faster, cut costs, and build better—without s...
In this episode of The Nearshore Cafe Podcast, host Brian Samson, founder of Plugg Technologies, chats with Amir Reiter, CEO of CloudTask, about how Medellín, Colombia has become a hidden gem for building high-performing global sales teams.
From building his first team in an Airbnb to scaling a $6M+ revenue operation with over 265 contractors, Amir shares how CloudTask evolved from a service agency into a full-blown B2B marketplace ...
In this episode of The Nearshore Cafe Podcast, host Brian Samson, founder of Plugg Technologies, sits down with Jared Andreassen, executive at Blue Coding, to break down the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) model—an emerging strategy reshaping how mid-market and enterprise tech companies scale teams across Latin America.
From setting up entire operations in Mexico City and Bogotá to navigating employee severance laws in LATAM, Jared sha...
In this episode of The Nearshore Cafe Podcast, host Brian Samson, founder of Plugg Technologies, sits down with Ron Noden, SVP of Tech M&A at Quorum Group, to unpack the real value of nearshoring, how international staffing impacts valuations, and why 60% of tech M&A deals involve two or more countries.
From building massive teams in Costa Rica to closing high-growth tech deals across Latin America, Ron shares his journey fr...
Not all regions are created equal when it comes to building high-performing remote teams.
In this new Nearshore Cafe Podcast short, I spoke with global BPO executive Stewart Wolfenson, who broke down how cultural and operational strengths vary across:
✅ Philippines – Service-first mindset. Perfect for support and customer care.
✅ Dominican Republic – Fast-paced, energetic, and ideal for outbound sales roles.
✅ Eastern Europe – Hig...
In this solo episode of The Nearshore Cafe Podcast, host Brian Samson, founder of Plugg Technologies, tackles the 7 most frequently asked questions about Nearshoring. With over a decade of hands-on experience connecting U.S. companies with top-tier talent in Latin America, Brian offers a direct, insightful breakdown of what businesses need to know in 2025.
From understanding the real difference between Nearshoring and Outsourcing, t...
In this episode of The Nearshore Cafe Podcast, host Seb Wichmann talks with Brian Samson, founder of Plugg Technologies, about scaling remote tech teams by hiring elite Latin American software engineers.
Brian shares authentic hiring strategies, from using video job descriptions to running pop-up coding challenges, helping U.S. companies attract and retain top-tier nearshore talent.
If you’re a founder, HR leader, or tech recruiter l...
🎙️ 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, comb...
🌍 With global talent more accessible than ever, many companies are asking:
Is nearshoring the key to building scalable, high-performing remote teams in 2025?
In this episode of The Nearshore Café Podcast, host Brian Samson sits down with Josh Allan Dykstra, CEO of Work Revolution, to explore the pros and pitfalls of nearshoring—based on real-life experience hiring across Ecuador, Mexico, Venezuela, Israel, Brazil, and the U.S.
...
In this episode of The Nearshore Café Podcast, host Brian Samson sits down with Evan Greenberg, Director of Client Solutions at Plug Technologies (PLUGG.tech), to explore what traveling to 47 countries taught him about global culture—and how that experience shapes his approach to building remote tech teams in Latin America.
🚀 Whether you're passionate about world travel, hiring international talent, or scaling your engineering...
In this episode of The Nearshore Cafe Podcast, host Brian Samson sits down with Arturo Garcia, CEO & Co-Founder of DNAMIC | Databricks Data Solutions, to discuss how Costa Rica has emerged as Latin America’s Silicon Valley for AI & Data Solutions.
Arturo shares his journey from medical school to building DNAMIC, a company that grew from a small startup to a million-dollar enterprise in just one year. Learn how the company’s ...
Are you considering nearshoring to Argentina or Mexico? This episode of The Nearshore Cafe dives into the key challenges and opportunities, including how to navigate inflation and find top tech talent in these dynamic markets. We discuss practical strategies for managing remote teams, cultural considerations, and tips for success. Jonathan Roitman shares his insights from years of experience working with nearshore teams in Latin A...
Miguel Munoz from Digital Geko shares insights about Guatemala's growing position in the nearshore tech ecosystem and why it remains Central America's "best-kept secret" for software development partnerships. As the most populated country in Central America with economic stability and a strong talent pool, Guatemala offers compelling advantages for companies seeking quality development services at competitive ra...
We dive deep with Brian Sampson, founder of Plug Technologies, exploring how businesses can tap into top-tier Latin American talent to scale effectively while navigating today's changing hiring landscape.
• Brian relocated to Argentina to build a tech company from scratch, scaling to 80 employees
• Nearshore hiring (same time zone regions) offers 40-60% cost savings compared to US hiring
• Latin American talen...
How did Matt Steinberg, a seasoned technical recruiter, find himself at the forefront of a nearshoring revolution in Latin America? Join us as he recounts his unexpected journey into recruiting, which began in Argentina in 2005 when the concept of nearshoring was just gaining traction. Matt shares invaluable insights about the pivotal role communication skills played in his career and reveals his secret to achieving fluency in Engl...
Step into the future of global talent strategy with Brian Samson on the Global Leadership Innovation & Tech Podcast. This episode unpacks the rise of nearshoring—a game-changing approach that’s redefining efficiency, collaboration, and cost-effectiveness in international business with host Tosin Sho.
Brian breaks down the differences between nearshoring and traditional offshoring, revealing how companies can leverage regional ta...
Discover the secrets of building powerful, global tech communities with Mariana Lemus, a community expert hailing from Latin America. Mariana shares her fascinating journey, transitioning from finance to marketing at MuleSoft, where she played a pivotal role in nurturing a vibrant community of developers. Her story is a testament to the importance of understanding diverse cultures and the dedication required to cultivate successful...
What if the political shifts from Trump's inauguration could reshape Latin America’s economic landscape?
Join me, Brian Samson, as I sit down with Luis Lozano, an expert on the region, to unravel these potential impacts. We dissect how Trump's policies might pressure Latin American countries, yet create opportunities for nations like Argentina. Mexico's unique position in the wake of tariffs and U.S. trade policies is...
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