From Amazon to VTEX: Alexandre Gusmão on the Art and Science of Product

From New York to Mexico City, Brazil, and the U.S., Alexandre Gusmão, Senior Director of Product Management at VTEX, has built a career shaped by diverse cultures, entrepreneurship, and global product leadership. After co-founding a digital investment startup in Brazil and leading personalization at Amazon Retail, Alexandre now heads product at VTEX, where he helps define the balance between SaaS foundations and customer differentiation. In this episode of VTEX Live, Alexandre joins Santiago Naranjo to share how to decide what’s “table stakes” versus a true differentiator, why prioritization across 40+ countries and industries is both an art and a science, and how product teams can avoid becoming “glorified backlog managers.” He also reflects on hiring for curiosity and domain expertise, creating direct customer loops, and the importance of always articulating vision behind every feature request. If you’ve ever wondered how a global platform scales while still enabling unique customer value, this episode shows why clarity, extensibility, and vision make all the difference.