How She Scaled Howdy From $400 Left to $50M in Recurring Revenue | Entrepreneurship | How We Profit | E11

Young and Profiting (YAP) with Hala Taha: Entrepreneurship and Self-Improvement PodcastWednesday, September 23, 2026

Show Notes

When Jacqueline Samira started her business, she recognized a massive market inefficiency: U.S. tech companies were struggling to source and retain experienced talent, while skilled professionals across Latin America were being overlooked. She built Howdy to bridge that gap and help companies build dedicated international teams. In this episode, Jacqueline shares how she built Howdy into a $50 million recurring-revenue business, survived a near-collapse during COVID, and scaled the company through strong retention, smart funding, and a simple staffing model.

In this episode, Hala and Jacqueline will discuss:

(01:36) Howdy’s Core Financial Model

(05:20) Revenue, Payroll, and Cash Flow

(10:25) Starting Howdy and Surviving COVID

(21:15) Raising Capital After $3 Million ARR

(31:10) Ideal Customers and High-Touch Marketing

(40:08) Retention, Referrals, and Customer Expansion

(43:24) Why Psychologists Recruit Howdy Talent

(50:57) Expanding Howdy Across Latin America

(54:33) How AI Is Reshaping Hiring

(57:34) How to Copy This Business Model

Jacqueline Samira is the founder and CEO of Howdy.com, an Austin-based company that helps U.S. tech companies hire and manage teams across Latin America. Before founding Howdy in 2018, she built her career in sales and operations, including leadership roles at Y Combinator-backed technology companies. Howdy joined Y Combinator’s Winter 2021 batch and has appeared on the Inc. 5000 in 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026. Jacqueline was also named to Inc.’s 2026 Female Founders 500 for leading Howdy’s expansion into Mexico and Peru and establishing a branded office in Guadalajara.

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