Module 1 Know your customer and market 4 hAnalyse
Every sound business in internet infrastructure begins with one clear customer and one clear problem. In São Paulo and the wider state, demand is real but crowded, so a small, well-described customer group wins before a broad one.
- In internet infrastructure: Customers need uptime numbers, location and support; list their critical systems.
- Write the customer in one sentence: a firm that needs steady online systems. Add the place, the moment of need and what they use today.
- List five rivals or substitutes within reach. For each, record price, strength, weakness and how people reach it.
- Interview at least eight real customers with open questions. Record exact words, not your summary.
- Count the market in units: how many racks could one area buy in a month? Use two public sources and your own count, then take the lower figure.
- Choose one first segment and say why the others wait.
Worked example. Weak: 'Everyone needs hosting, links or data-centre capacity.' Strong: 'Our first customer is a firm that needs steady online systems within 8 km of the centre, who today pays R$ 1.980 per rack and complains about delay. We target 36 racks a month by month three.'
Second worked scenario. Scenario: ten customers are interviewed for internet infrastructure. Seven say price, two say speed, one says trust. Question: which first message do you write, and which interview record backs it? Model answer: lead with the rack price and speed promise, keep trust proof as the second line, and cite the seven price answers by date.
Activity. Write the one-sentence customer, a five-row rival table and eight interview records. Share them with a peer for a challenge round.
Standard to meet. Define a specific customer, build a rival table with prices, and trace every claim to an interview or a source.
Module 2 Rules, registration and data duties in Brazil 4 hUnderstand
Brazil asks every trader to be visible and accountable. Know which register, tax regime and sector rules apply before the first sale, and check each against the current official text.
- In internet infrastructure: Operators must meet data protection duties and keep access logs; check any licence needed for services you resell.
- Choose a legal form: micro-entrepreneur (MEI) only if your activity appears on the official MEI list, or a company registered with a CNPJ. Regulated activities need their sector authorisation first. Check the current limits and lists on the official portal.
- Learn the tax regime that fits your size and write down which taxes you will collect and pay, and when.
- Find the sector rules for internet infrastructure: licences, inspections, professional registers. List each with the office that issues it and the renewal date.
- Personal data of customers falls under Brazil's data protection law (LGPD). Collect only what you need, say why, keep it safe, and name who answers questions.
- Consumer law gives buyers clear rights on information, returns and complaints. Put your terms in plain Portuguese.
Worked example. Checklist for a new internet infrastructure trader: 1) legal form (CNPJ, or MEI only if your activity is on the official list); 2) city operating licence; 3) sector licence or register; 4) tax set-up; 5) privacy notice; 6) written terms. Each has an owner and a date.
Second worked scenario. Scenario: a neighbour says registration can wait until the first R$ 9.000 of sales. Question: what do you do? Model answer: do not delay; write the compliance table first, confirm the register, tax and sector licence with the official office, and start only where the table shows no open blocker.
Activity. Build your own six-line compliance table for your first location. Mark what is done, what is pending and who confirms it.
Standard to meet. Cite an official source for every line, assume nothing, and date every pending item. Local law always wins over this course.
Module 3 Design the offer 4 hCreate
An offer states what the customer gets, how well, by when and at what price. For hosting, links or data-centre capacity, the offer must make the quality visible and the next step easy.
- In internet infrastructure: Offer service levels with uptime percentage, credit rules and response times.
- Describe the core offer in three lines: what is delivered (hosting, links or data-centre capacity), the standard it meets, and the time it takes.
- Add one proof for each promise: a sample, a test result, a guarantee or a customer record.
- Price from cost upward and from customer value downward, then pick a price inside both.
- Write a simple one-page terms sheet: what is included, what is extra, how to cancel.
- Create two options at most, so choice stays easy.
Worked example. Offer: 'Hosting, links or data-centre capacity, delivered within agreed time, checked against a written standard, price R$ 1.800 per rack. Proof: a dated record the customer can check and sign. Changes or cancellation by written agreement before work begins.'
Second worked scenario. Scenario: a customer asks for a discount from R$ 1.800 to R$ 1.620 per rack. Question: decide with numbers. Model answer: contribution falls from R$ 1.100 to R$ 920 per rack; offer an extra of value (for example faster service) before cutting price, and accept only if the lower contribution still clears break-even.
Longer notes. Choose a first coverage zone small enough to finish in a month: a few apartment blocks, a shopping street or a factory lane. Count the homes passed by walking the poles and conduits, and mark where a splice box or a radio hop is needed. Offer two or three plans, since ten plans confuse buyers and support. Promise only what you can keep: a fixed installation day, a repair window and a phone number that is answered. Add up the drop cable, router, connectors and labor to connect one home, then set the monthly price that returns it in a stated period. Read the regulator's current telecom rules for your zone before the first drop cable is sold.
Extra worked example. You rent racks in a small data room at R$ 1.800 per rack a month. Power, cooling and cross-connect cost R$ 700 per rack, so contribution is R$ 1.100, 61,1 percent of the price. At 60 racks revenue is R$ 108.000, variable cost R$ 42.000 and contribution R$ 66.000. After fixed cost of R$ 50.000 for lease, staff and uplink, profit is R$ 16.000. Break-even is R$ 50.000 / R$ 1.100 = 45,45, so 46 racks. Ten more racks would add 10 x R$ 1.100 = R$ 11.000 a month.
Activity. Write the offer card, the proof list and the terms sheet. Test them with three customers and note every point where they hesitated.
Standard to meet. Check that promise, proof and price are consistent, fit the terms on one page, and record three customer reactions.
Module 4 Run the work step by step 5 hApply
Good operations make results repeatable. For internet infrastructure, write each step so a new person could follow it on their first day, and measure each step.
- In internet infrastructure: Monitor power, cooling, links and capacity; record each incident with root cause.
- Map the process from first contact to paid and closed. Typical stages: enquiry, quote, preparation, delivery of the rack, check, payment, follow-up.
- Name the key resource at each stage: power, cooling and backup links. Note what happens if it is missing.
- Write a one-page standard procedure per stage: who, what, tool, time, record.
- Choose three measures: speed, quality (errors per 100) and customer rating. Review them every week.
- Fix the cause of a defect, not the symptom. Ask 'why' five times and record the answer.
Worked example. Stage record: 'Prepare. Owner: lead. Time: 30 min. Tool: checklist. Record: signed sheet. Defect found on 1 of 15 racks last week; cause: missing check on power, cooling and backup links; fix: add check at start, review next Friday.'
Second worked scenario. Scenario: of 60 racks last month, 4 had a defect traced to power, cooling and backup links. Question: what is the defect rate and what is your first action? Model answer: about 7 defects per 100; stop the cause (add a check at the start), correct affected customers, log the cause, and re-measure next week.
Activity. Draw the process map and write procedures for the two riskiest stages. Run each once and time it.
Standard to meet. Write procedures a stranger can follow, record weekly numbers for each measure, and trace one defect to a root cause.
Module 5 Safety, quality and risk 4 hEvaluate
The most serious risk in this field is downtime and slow recovery. A calm, written risk routine protects people first and the business second.
- In internet infrastructure: Fire, power failure and physical access are core risks; test generators and suppression systems on schedule.
- List ten things that could go wrong. Score each for how likely (1 to 5) and how serious (1 to 5). Multiply and sort.
- For the top five, choose a control: remove the hazard, replace it, guard it, train people, or use protective gear, in that order of preference.
- Write who does what in an emergency, and rehearse it once a quarter.
- Keep an incident and near-miss log. Near-misses are free lessons.
- Check that insurance and legal duties match the risk you actually carry.
Worked example. Risk row: 'Hazard: downtime and slow recovery. Likelihood 3, severity 5, score 15. Control: written check before each rack, trained staff, log sheet. Owner: site lead. Review monthly.'
Second worked scenario. Scenario: a near-miss occurs: downtime and slow recovery nearly happened but no one was hurt. Question: what do you do in the next 24 hours? Model answer: make safe, record the event, ask the five whys, add or tighten one control, brief the team, and set a review date; near-misses count as lessons, not blame.
Activity. Build a ten-row risk register and a one-page emergency plan. Run a ten-minute drill with a peer and note two improvements.
Standard to meet. Rank controls by preference for the top risks, run the drill, and start the log. Where a regulation applies, follow the official rule.
Module 6 People, skills and service 4 hApply
People deliver the promise. Define roles, train to a standard and give feedback in the open.
- In internet infrastructure: Train staff on change control: no change without a plan, a back-out and a window.
- Write a role card for each person: purpose, five tasks, the standard for each, and who to ask for help.
- Train by showing, doing with support, then doing alone with a check. Record sign-off per task.
- Set service rules for answering customers: reply times, tone, how to apologise and fix.
- Hold a ten-minute team check each day: yesterday's problem, today's plan, one risk.
- Build a growth path: what a new person can do in week 1, month 3 and month 12.
Worked example. Training record: 'Task: process a complaint. Shown 2 May; done with support 4 May; done alone 8 May, checked: apology, fix, follow-up call. Signed by lead.'
Second worked scenario. Scenario: a new hire completes training but a customer complaint shows a skipped step. Question: whose gap is it? Model answer: first the system: check the role card, the training sign-off and the checklist; then coach the person and fix the document so the step cannot be skipped.
Longer notes. Staff the network with four distinct roles: installer on the roof and in the ducts, network technician at the rack, support agent on the phone, billing assistant. Rehearse a full installation on a test rack, crimping, labeling and testing speed, before anyone climbs a pole. Send each new installer out with a veteran for the first ten jobs. Give support agents a three-question ladder before escalation: is the light on, is the cable firm, did a restart help. Count return visits per installer, not complaints. Publish a written on-call rota that rotates weekly so repairs never depend on one tired person.
Extra worked example. These visit counts and costs are worked-example figures, not market data. Remote hands handle 40 visits a month. A repeat visit costs R$ 220 in travel and credit. At a 15 percent repeat rate, 6 visits cost 6 x R$ 220 = R$ 1.320. After a handover checklist the rate falls to 5 percent, 2 visits, costing R$ 440, a saving of R$ 880 a month. Teaching the checklist to 2 technicians for 10 hours at R$ 75 costs R$ 1.500 and pays back in 1,70 months of fewer trips to the cage.
Activity. Write two role cards and a training plan for one new hire. Role-play a hard customer conversation twice and review.
Standard to meet. Write role cards with measurable standards, show the sign-off steps in training, and write the service rules in plain words.
Module 7 Money: cost, price and break-even 5 hAnalyse
A business lives or dies on a few numbers. Know your contribution per unit, your fixed costs and the volume you need.
- In internet infrastructure: Plan capacity ahead; power and cooling decide how many racks you can sell.
- Contribution per rack = price minus variable cost. Fixed costs are paid whether you sell or not.
- Break-even units = fixed cost divided by contribution. Plan to pass it by a safe margin.
- Make a 12-month cash plan. Cash timing matters as much as profit: customers may pay late, suppliers may want money first.
- Keep money for business and money for the owner apart.
- Test the plan: what if sales fall by a quarter, or cost rises by a tenth?
Worked example. Worked example, all figures in reais: price R$ 1.800, variable cost R$ 700, contribution R$ 1.100 per rack. Fixed cost R$ 50.000 a month. Break-even = R$ 50.000 / R$ 1.100 = 45,45, so 46 racks a month. At 60 racks a month, profit = R$ 1.100 x 60 - R$ 50.000 = R$ 16.000. These are teaching figures that belong to this example only; later examples and the case study use their own figures. Use your own.
Second worked scenario. Scenario: sales fall to 45 racks a month. Question: what is the monthly result? Model answer: R$ 1.100 x 45 - R$ 50.000 = R$ -500; compare with break-even of 46 racks and decide whether to cut fixed cost or raise volume first. Teaching figures only.
Activity. Build your own table: price, variable cost, contribution, fixed cost, break-even and a downside case at 75% of sales. Show it to a peer or mentor.
Standard to meet. Calculate correctly, give every figure a source or mark it as an assumption, and show a downside case.
Module 8 Grow, measure and renew 4 hEvaluate
Growth should follow proof. Measure, learn, then add; and keep returning to the customer.
- In internet infrastructure: Grow by adding redundancy and certifications that large buyers ask for.
- Pick one growth lever at a time: new customers, a higher repeat rate, a better price, or a new offer.
- Set one measurable target for 90 days, such as 'raise repeat customers from 20% to 30%'.
- Ask each customer how they found you, and record it. Spend more where the record shows results.
- Review monthly: numbers, defects, complaints, cash. Write three decisions each time.
- Plan the renewal of licences, equipment and skills a year ahead.
Worked example. 90-day plan: 'Lever: repeat customers. Action: follow-up call after every rack. Target: repeat rate from 20% to 30%. Check: weekly count. Review date: day 45 and day 90.'
Second worked scenario. Scenario: you can add 12 racks a month by one of two levers: a follow-up call to past customers or a price rise of R$ 180 to R$ 1.980. Question: how do you choose? Model answer: test the cheaper reversible lever first (the call), measure for 30 days, and only then try the price change, so you can tell which one worked.
Longer notes. Keep a monthly sheet with new connections, cancellations, hours to repair and complaints per hundred customers. Divide cancellations by customers at the start of the month to get churn, then rank neighborhoods by churn and fix the worst one first. Phone people whose promotion ends next month and offer a speed check rather than a discount. Ask each person who cancels one question and write the answer word for word. Never advertise a speed your last-mile cable cannot sustain at night. Before you reword a cancellation clause, read the current consumer rules on contract exit and keep the old paper on file.
Extra worked example. In a worked example, not market data, you start the month with 60 racks and 3 customers leave, so churn is 3 / 60 = 5 percent. Each lost rack removes R$ 1.100 of contribution, so the loss is 3 x R$ 1.100 = R$ 3.300 a month. A faster repair routine cuts churn to 2 percent, about 1 rack, so you keep 2 more racks. That is worth 2 x R$ 1.100 = R$ 2.200 a month. With 59 racks at month end, profit is R$ 14.900 instead of R$ 16.000.
Activity. Write a 90-day plan with one target, three actions and a review date. Present it in five minutes and take questions.
Standard to meet. Set a measurable, dated target, break the actions down small enough to start this week, and put the review date in the calendar.
