climbers & scalers
Federico Eisner
This is the story of Mercado Libre told in first person by its protagonists, using their own professional AI cloned voices, with full authorizations. Escaladores combines two words when translating from Spanish to English – climbers and scalers. Climbers, because they climbed mountains of difficulties and prejudices and mountain ranges of impossibilities. And scalers, because they managed to scale their initial idea. climbers & scalers is the story of people who think they can. Reaching the summit is not only touching the top, but also enjoying competing in the most challenging league with the best in the world.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Sep 15, 2025 • 29min
S1:E8 Pedro Arnt: The fear of the Lake Como moment
Pedro explains, among other things, the concept of permanent beta. And why being in a spectacular hotel on the shores of Lake Como in Italy, drinking incredible wines and eating dishes prepared by international chefs, is the greatest fear everyone at Mercado Libre has.
Producer & Host: Federico Eisner | https://www.linkedin.com/in/feisner/
Sep 15, 2025 • 30min
S1:E7 Pedro Arnt: No titles, doing a little bit of everything
Mercado Libre needs to find a CFO, the top executive in charge of the company’s finances. What kind of profile should they look for? Probably someone who studied political science and Latin American literature wouldn’t be the most logical choice. Pedro Arnt explains how he managed to convince not only those who had to choose him, but also himself.
Producer & Host: Federico Eisner | https://www.linkedin.com/in/feisner/
Sep 15, 2025 • 20min
S1:E6 Hernán Kazah: Technology will save us
For someone who was able to see the future more than twenty years ago, it would be very easy to just sit back and enjoy the results of that vision. But Hernán Kazah has another idea: to use his experience to find and support those who are seeing the future today. And, along the way, to tell us what that future will look like.
Producer & Host: Federico Eisner | https://www.linkedin.com/in/feisner/
Sep 15, 2025 • 21min
S1:E5 Hernán Kazah: Good luck can help you, but bad luck can kill you
What happens when the world changes and no one is interested anymore in investing in your organization, your people, or your idea — no matter how exceptional they are? You find yourself an exceptional partner who buys into your company, you learn from their mistakes, and then you surpass them. Hernán Kazah, co-founder of Mercado Libre, explains this in this episode.
Producer & Host: Federico Eisner | https://www.linkedin.com/in/feisner/
Sep 15, 2025 • 26min
S1:E4 Hernan Kazah and Susan Segal: Entrepreneurship in the desert
Hernán Kazah explains how you go from being a middle-class kid in public school to raising seven million dollars for your startup in its first funding round. Susan Segal says she bet on them because she saw exceptional people, with an exceptional idea, and an exceptional organization.
Producer & Host: Federico Eisner | https://www.linkedin.com/in/feisner/
Sep 9, 2025 • 29min
S1:E3 Dani Rabinovich and Sole Dematteo: Racing a regatta or sailing on a cruise
Dani doesn’t really enjoy awards, or celebrations. Not even results. For him, the key to success is sustainable enjoyment. A much-needed concept whether you’re running a regatta, managing the systems of a company like Mercado Libre, or playing the tango El Choclo on a guitar duo.
Producer & Host: Federico Eisner | https://www.linkedin.com/in/feisner/
Sep 9, 2025 • 24min
S1:E2 Dani Rabinovich and Sole Dematteo: The app you get fired or rewarded for
Mercado Libre needed to develop a mobile app. The company’s future depended on it. Consultants and specialized firms charging millions couldn’t find the solution. Until Dani Rabinovich discovered that three of his employees were doing something behind his back. Any other boss would have fired them on the spot. But Dani isn’t just any boss. That’s why he decided to reward them. Sole Dematteo shares the B-side of the story.
Producer & Host: Federico Eisner | https://www.linkedin.com/in/feisner/
Sep 9, 2025 • 30min
S1:E1 Dani Rabinovich: The grill designed 19 times
In this discussion, Dani Rabinovich, a tech visionary at Mercado Libre, shares his journey from Buenos Aires to revolutionizing e-commerce. He highlights the importance of product focus over mere technology, emphasizing teamwork in developing internal tools. Dani recalls the challenges of working in a garage office and his gritty iterative design processes, including his unique grill project. He reflects on the need for robust technology to scale, revealing the pivotal moment when Mercado Libre decided to rebuild its platform, inspired by Amazon's execution standards.
