Now there was a vision; the challenge was to get the right people behind it. Farahat, known as a
believer in great ideas, provided support from Caracas. But Azevedo had to enlist supporters and
execute in Brazil in order to make the idea materialize. “The clock was really against us,” she recalled.
Farahat waited to notify Cincinnati while the team honed the Básico concept, product, and cost. He
said, “Cincinnati doesn’t yet know about it because the idea was so different. If we tell them the idea
without the concept and initial results, it’s not going to have the desired support, because it’s not
common. We had to give the idea a chance to succeed.” Instead, he chose to “send vibes” and plant
seeds, hoping to elicit curiosity. His tactic was to “let people know unofficially that there is
something brewing. They will not stop it. But if you go and ask, raise your hand, can I please work on
a very different idea while my business is struggling, you know what people tell you, no don’t, fix
what you have,” he explained. “This is the reality of leading change. You have to plan your steps
wisely and gain credibility in every step. People rush during stressful times, and in the process they
risk making shallow proposals. The tougher it gets, the wiser and more calculating you need to be.”