Vitor Magalhaes

Connecting Online and Offline Worlds | Online Marketing | NewMedia | Social Media After my graduation in Computer Engineering, at Faculdade de Ciência e Tecnologia, da Universidade Nova de Lisboa, I started my professional life at PUUG - Portuguese Group of Unix systems - where I had the privilege of helping to build the first ISP - Internet Service Provider - Portuguese (was never a "job"!). "Social Networking" ... was at that time! We knew all the people connected to the Internet in Portugal... by name. PUUG become EUNET Portugal (PUUG transformation to the "business" world). In 1997, I founded my first company, Infopulse Portugal, Electronic Commerce Lda, in partnership with the Dutch company Infopulse bv. For those who followed, Infopulse was a reference at the beginning of the Web in Portugal. We develop e-business solutions in several areas (home, electronic procurement, marketplaces, electronic billing) and the first Internet and Intranet presences of Portugal Telecom (PT SGPS, PT Prime, PT Communications, SI, Marconi, etc.), the Portuguese incumbent telco. With Infopulse I've learned, among many other important things, that there are no life projects beyond our own lives and family. Although these seems common sense (I don't think it is), I've learned that companies have always a primary goal: revenue/profit! I've worked as a consultor at several companies and projects; at Portugal Telecom I've coordinated the Internet and Intranet of the company, and learned a lot about telecommunications. I was CoFundador of Webware, the company beyond the portal telemoveis.com. In 2003, resulting from the connection to the Internet and telecommunications world, I CoFunded Netcall, the first VoIP Operator in Portugal. With Netcall I met with the Venture Capital world (PME Investimentos/Inovcapital) and helped to raise investment needed to make it happen. Although I kept my position as shareholder (unfortunately!), in 2006 walked away from my own projects and did a "reset" to 8 years of entrepreneurship. I learned with Netcall not to lose control of my own projects, at least while they are not self-sustained. I've learned never to start a project without the right and trustable partners. Never to choose a Venture Capital partner that is more concerned with public image than profit and results. In "tabula rasa" mode, with a team that followed me in this path and that I am proud to have known, I've started BySide.com, pursuing the same vision, only (hopefully) more