Gonzalo Ucar, Hogaru: Empowering Colombia’s Cleaners to Earn Stable Wages, Ep 103

<p><span style="font-weight: 400; font-size: 24pt;">Gonzalo Ucar, Hogaru: Empowering Colombia’s Cleaners to Earn Stable Wages, Ep 103</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As an engineer, Gonzalo Ucar wanted to solve real world problems. Originally from Spain, he decided to move to Latin America to become an entrepreneur and tap into the region’s opportunities. Today, he lives in Bogota and is co-founder of Hogaru, an on-demand cleaning company in Colombia.</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Gonzalo and his partner recognized a huge pain point in Colombia’s cleaning industry: a deeply-rooted informal economy. Most cleaners in Colombia do not have a steady income or a social security number, which restricts their ability to realize their full economic potential. That’s why Hogaru’s cleaning service functions on a direct employment basis and avoids encouraging a gig economy. </span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In this episode, I sit down with Gonzalo to talk about how a Spaniard ended up in Colombia, Hogaru’s unique business model, and the lessons he’s learned as an engineer that he applies as an entrepreneur. We also discuss his major takeaways from participating in Y Combinator and working with Endeavor.</span></p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">The YCombinator experience</span></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">For the first couple of years, Gonzalo bootstrapped Hogaru. After receiving funds from the accelerator Wayra, he applied to YCombinator, and, after a few tries, Gonzalo and his partner finally made it through. At YC, Gonzalo received advice from some of the best entrepreneurs and advisors in the US. Although the experience opened up a lot of doors for them, fundraising for Hogaru was tough. Gonzalo explains that running a business on limited funds taught him and his team great lessons.</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Learn more about Hogaru’s YCombinator journey on this episode of</span> <em><span style= "font-weigh