Scaling Engineering Teams in LatAm: Guillermo Ortega, Improving
Guillermo Ortega co-founded and scaled iTexico before its 2020 acquisition by Improving. He currently leads Mexico Operations at Improving and advises Redwood Ventures on technology investments.
In our latest interview, we sit down with Guillermo Ortega, a serial entrepreneur with over 25 years of experience and the co-founder of iTexico, which was acquired by Improving in 2020. Guillermo currently serves as President of Mexico Operations at Improving, a modern digital services organization. He previously co-founded iTexico, establishing a pioneering Austin-Guadalajara partnership that served major US clients before its acquisition. He shares insights on building high-quality nearshore teams in Mexico, the critical importance of cross-border business partnerships, navigating cultural differences in service delivery, and why execution matters more than perfect timing.
Q&A
Tell us about your journey and how you started iTexico.
I started my first company in 1998, and then another company, another company, always in the services side. My focus originally was servicing clients in Mexico, which gave me very good experience knowing the market—not only Guadalajara but Northern Mexico, Sinaloa, Tamaulipas, Nuevo León. That gave me this sensitivity about how to do business in Mexico.
Later on, I started a joint venture with an automotive technology company building hardware and software for laboratory environments—hydraulic systems for testing, electronic systems. I’m a double E, I studied electrical engineering. But then 2008 came and I decided to go back to software development services and started looking in the US.
I met my partner Anurag in Austin—that’s why I’m in Austin right now and why we started in Austin and Guadalajara. He’s a very experienced Indian engineer who worked for TCS, Bell, IBM—all these big companies. In 2009, he was curious: Mexico? Software development services? I thought it was India. Even TCS had like 4,000 people in Guadalajara back then.
I told him, you don’t have to believe me, we just met, come over and I will show you. The merit is that he took a plane, landed in Guadalajara, met the team, had conversations with the people, and he was amazed. That was when we decided to start something together. At the beginning, it didn’t have the form or shape of a new company, but later on we started iTexico.
What were the key differences you noticed between engineers serving regional markets versus export markets?
We realized that our people in my previous company, DW Software, and the people in iTexico couldn’t mix because they were totally different. An engineer working in a company that exports services versus an engineer working in a company that services the regional market—they’re completely different profiles.
When you’re servicing US clients, you need different capabilities—better English, different communication styles, understanding of business context, ability to work across time zones and cultures. It’s not just about technical skills—it’s about being a true business partner to your clients.
How did you scale iTexico and what was the partnership dynamic with Anurag?
I think the key to iTexico’s success was the partnership structure. I remember Anurag telling me at the very beginning, “I’m worried about you being able to deliver this project,” and I told him, “I’m worried about you being able to scale the sales in the US.”
So we agreed: you worry about your stuff, I’ll worry about mine. You do your job, I’m going to do my job. And we both delivered. He tended to be more client-facing with the sales and marketing team in the States, and I focused on the operation side of things in Mexico. It was a very good setup for keeping an eye on both sides of the business.
What’s been your most rewarding moment in building nearshore teams?
The most rewarding moment is when you have a client telling you, “Oh my God, I can build my team here. I can scale here with great people, with great talent.” It’s like a moment of epiphany for them, you know?
Once again, we did it. We convinced another US company that Mexican talent is world-class. That’s very rewarding to me and to my team—proving that we can deliver at the highest level.
What’s your vision for Mexico’s role in global software development over the next decade?
Fifteen years ago when we started iTexico, we had to have more conversations about informing or educating people about Mexico and the benefits. Now you don’t have to have all these conversations. Mexico has gained mindshare, and it will keep increasing through the years.
Mexico is probably the most pure nearshore concept as a business partner for the US. We’re trying to be business partners of our clients, not just service providers. It’s something we’re doing to change the perception of the IT professional or tech professional in Mexico.
I don’t see anything but improvement coming—improvement in mindshare, in reputation. We’re full of success stories and referrals from clients. It’s like a snowball going downhill. It’s not going to be stopped by anything. The transformational force of business and conscious capitalism—the more human capitalism that is possible by working with your partner in Mexico—will keep the ball rolling.
Yes, 2023 and 2024 had some slowdown with the cost of money, but it wasn’t Mexico specifically—it was the world economy. We became a little more expensive because the dollar hit record lows around 16.40, but now it’s at a more reasonable level. The general trend is up, and we’re still competitive in the marketplace. I see a very positive landscape for the next five, ten years and more.
For founders looking to scale internationally, what’s the one piece of advice you wish someone had given you?
Partner with a local. Do not be naive thinking that the United States is a different country but somehow operates the same as Mexico. Can you imagine an American trying to come to Mexico and do the same things he’s doing in the US to sell to government or companies here? He will fail, even if he’s traveling to Mexico every other week. He will fail.
It’s the same from Mexico to the US—you need a local guy, a local partnership. For the US entrepreneur, find your Guillermo. For the Mexican entrepreneur, find your Anurag. These business partnerships are super important. In my opinion, that was the reason why iTexico was so successful, and why Improving has been successful—because we had that balanced partnership where each person focused on their strengths.
What advice would you give to service companies about growth?
This business is about growing. If you’re not growing, you’re shrinking. That’s a key piece of advice. I’ve talked with people who say they don’t want more people because managing people is difficult, all the labor liabilities and everything.
Well, man, if you’re in the services business, you need to grow. You need to scale. If you’re not scaling, if you’re not growing, you are shrinking. Don’t be afraid of growth. Build your company, grow your team. There’s space for more companies like iTexico in the world. We need more Mexico represented globally.
Any book recommendations that have helped you in your career?
The “Scaling Up” methodology from Verne Harnish—I think it’s a good methodology. “Exponential Organizations” is another one. But there’s one that has a funny title: “The Strategy and the Fat Smoker.”
Connect33 is a full-service consulting firm specializing in market entry, expansion, and software engineering team building in Latin America. With extensive experience in the region, we help companies scale efficiently by providing experience-based insights and services with on-the-ground experts.
Our list of companies we’ve scaled with includes mid-to-large enterprises such as Apexon, Atrium, Bain, Braze, C3 AI, EPAM, phdata, Terminal, and more.