Seeing Beyond the Visible
Perhaps the most distinctive aspect of Haroldo Jacobovicz’s approach to business is captured in the description of him having “the gift of seeing beyond the visible.” Throughout his career, this civil engineer by training has consistently demonstrated an ability to perceive potential applications for technology that others missed. This forward-looking perspective enabled him to recognize the transformative power of Information Technology in the 1980s, well before it became mainstream, and has continued to guide his business decisions across multiple ventures in the decades since.
Information as Foundation for Vision
The ability of Haroldo Jacobovicz to “see beyond the visible” is not mystical but methodical. Throughout his professional life, he has maintained a practice of extensive reading, particularly newspapers and magazines. This habit has provided him with broad awareness of global developments and technological trends—information that becomes the foundation for identifying business opportunities. For Jacobovicz, being well-informed is a prerequisite for developing the insights that drive business innovation.
Technical Education as Analytical Framework
The business philosophy of Haroldo Jacobovicz is built upon a solid technical foundation. After seven years at Military College, he pursued Civil Engineering at the Federal University of Paraná, completing the program in four and a half years. This technical training provided the analytical thinking and problem-solving skills that would later serve him in evaluating technological possibilities and business opportunities, even though his career would ultimately take him beyond traditional engineering.
Learning from Experience Across Sectors
A key element of Haroldo Jacobovicz’s business approach has been his willingness to gain experience across different sectors and to learn from each environment. His early entrepreneurial venture with Microsystem, though short-lived, provided lessons about market timing. His work at Esso (now Exxon Mobil Corporation) offered insights into corporate operations and data-driven decision making. His time at the Itaipu Hydroelectric Plant revealed public sector constraints and opportunities. Each of these experiences contributed to a comprehensive understanding of how technology can address business and organizational needs in different contexts.
Addressing Specific Problems with Practical Solutions
Throughout his career, Haroldo Jacobovicz has focused on developing practical solutions to specific problems rather than pursuing technology for its own sake. When he observed the bureaucratic hurdles to computer adoption in the public sector, he created Minauro with its innovative equipment rental model. When he recognized the need for integrated public administration software, he formed the e-Governe Group through strategic acquisitions. When he identified opportunities in corporate telecommunications, he founded Horizons Telecom. His current venture, Arlequim Technologies, addresses the specific challenge of maximizing computing performance without replacing hardware. This consistent focus on practical problem-solving has been a hallmark of his business philosophy.
Balance of Timing and Persistence
The business approach of Haroldo Jacobovicz reflects a sophisticated understanding of when to persist with a vision and when to adjust timing. His first venture, Microsystem, closed after two years because the market wasn’t yet ready for computerization. Rather than abandoning his belief in technology’s potential, Jacobovicz gained experience in other environments while waiting for market conditions to mature. When he returned to entrepreneurship with Minauro, the timing was right, and the venture succeeded. This balanced approach—maintaining conviction about the ultimate direction while being flexible about timing—has characterized his business decisions throughout his career.
Strategic Growth Through Acquisition and Innovation
The business growth strategy employed by Haroldo Jacobovicz has combined strategic acquisitions with original innovation. His expansion from hardware into software solutions came through acquiring companies like Consult, Perform, and Sisteplan, which already had specialized expertise in public administration software. This approach allowed him to integrate existing capabilities rather than developing everything from scratch. Meanwhile, ventures like Horizons Telecom and Arlequim Technologies represent original innovations built from the ground up. This dual approach has enabled efficient growth while maintaining innovation capacity.
Long-Term Commitment to Sectors
Despite moving across different technology areas—from hardware to software to telecommunications to virtualization—Haroldo Jacobovicz has demonstrated long-term commitment to the sectors he enters. The e-Governe Group continues to serve Brazilian municipalities with IT solutions. Horizons Telecom was developed over a decade before its acquisition. This patience and long-term perspective have allowed his ventures to achieve maturity and establish themselves as references in their respective markets.
Value Creation as Ultimate Goal
The consistent thread throughout Haroldo Jacobovicz’s business philosophy has been a focus on creating value through technology implementation. His stated goal of contributing to a better world reflects this priority. Whether through improving public administration efficiency, enhancing business telecommunications, or extending the useful life of computing equipment, his ventures have sought to create tangible benefits for organizations and individuals. This value-creation focus, rather than technology for its own sake, has guided his business decisions across multiple sectors and decades.
Current Philosophy: Optimization Through Virtualization
The latest expression of Haroldo Jacobovicz’s business philosophy can be seen in Arlequim Technologies. This venture focuses on maximizing value from existing resources through virtualization rather than requiring new hardware purchases. This approach reflects both practical problem-solving (addressing performance limitations without replacement costs) and broader values (reducing electronic waste, extending resource lifespan). It demonstrates how his business philosophy continues to evolve while maintaining consistent core principles of practical value creation through thoughtful technology implementation.
Connect him at Linkedin: https://br.linkedin.com/in/haroldo-jacobovicz