Vicente Valencia

🤔 Risk-Averse Renegade 💪 | Helping others take the leap of faith | Entrepreneur & Investor | Personal Growth, Business. 🐭 Join the free rat race 🐭

If you need PPP Advice or Training that you WON'T get from the World Bank go to: https://vicentevalencia.com.

I love infrastructure delivery and I have good reasons for that. 

I still remember my third day working in PPPs, around 20 years ago. 

I was put on a Board meeting, and my boss told the rest of the board members that "I was the new PPP advisor". 

Not bad for the third day. 

I didn't know what a PPP was, nor even a what a Board was, or shareholders, or construction contracts, or back-to-backs... and there I was. 

Now, after having tendered, managed, delivered, refinanced, sold, a few PPPs in Europe, North America and New Zealand, as a COO, CEO and Board Member, I can tell you many more stories... some of them, "terror stories": extra costs, claims, delays, incompetence, bad clients, terrible contractors, evil designers, etc. 

But I can also tell you many great stories about people. 

Happy people enjoying a new and fantastic piece of infrastructure. 

These assets have transformed for the better lives, cities and even countries. 

I’ll never forget the 15 December 2012, when I opened as the COO, the A30 Project in Montreal. 

I put my beautiful and very patient Spanish wife on a toll both to enjoy. 

Many nights working at night and she supported me all the way long, and I wanted her to live the experience. 

During a break to have diner – it was a long day – she told me that users thanked her saying “Gracias”. 
I’ll never forget the joy and happiness of thousands of people that wanted to cross the bridges that we built.
 
This is the power of great infrastructure, properly delivered. 

This is why, I love that business. 

I also have two secret passions: Real Estate Investing, and a popular newsletter. Everyday, I send a free tip about business, project management, investment, motivation and personal growth. All this comes with Spanish spice. Subscribe, join other +2k free minds and enjoy.

Co-Founder and Investor

Love the challenges, the design and changing spaces and cities for the better. 

We give a second opportunity to old buildings and houses creating unique homes.

Most PPP projects don’t fail because of construction issues.
Or financing.
Or KPIs.

They fail because people ignore the basics.
The fundamentals.

The principles nobody teaches you in those “PPP certifications.”
The laws I’ve learned after 20 years sitting on all four sides of the table:
government, contractor, equity, and operator.

So here they are.
The 15 Commandments of the PPP Movement.
The no-BS rules that separate a bankable project…
from a headline on the front page of the newspaper.

Swipe.

Learn them.

Break them at your own risk.

_
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#PPP #Infrastructure #PublicPrivatePartnerships #MegaProjects #ProjectFinance #Governance #PublicSector #RiskManagement #InfrastructureInvestment #Construction

PPP Executioner | Providing Clarity to PPP Professionals, Agencies and Investors | Join the PPP MOVEMENT for Infra tips and stories

The 15 Commandments of the PPP Movement

Most governments say they want world-class infrastructure.
But then they panic when world-class people show up.
The Ministry of Transport of Quebec didn’t.
They opened the door.
To foreigners.
To competition.
To courage.
The result?
A-30 Expressway. In my modest opinion, one of the most successful PPPs in North America.
Delivered on time. 
On budget. 
With pride.
I was there.
And I still remember the chaos, the cold, and that night before opening when we almost forgot to put live the tolling system.
Today's article is about courage.
Not the PowerPoint kind. 
The real one.

_
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#Leadership #PPP #Infrastructure #Courage #ProjectManagement #PublicPrivatePartnerships #Canada #Construction

View newsletter: PPP & Real Estate stories

Most governments say they want world-class infrastructure. But few have the guts to bring in world-class people. But the Ministry of Transport of Queb

Open article: Dark and Cold by Vicente Valencia • 2 min read

Do you want cheap infrastructure?
Then stop building one-offs.
Create a pipeline.
A few weeks ago someone told me:
“Madrid delivered the cheapest tunnels in the world… how did they do it?”

I did not know if that was true... but my answer was simple:

Do you know how many TBMs were working in Madrid at the same time?

For more than 10 years, Madrid had:
7–8 tunnel boring machines
Working almost continuously
Same operators
Same ground
Same learning curve... improving every single day

Mobilization costs? Almost zero.
Training? Zero.
Excuses? Zero.

The exact opposite of how most countries operate.

Because here’s the truth:
Repetition creates mastery.
Mastery creates confidence.
Confidence creates better, faster, safer and cheaper projects.

Madrid didn’t wait for “perfect timing” or “market conditions.”
They committed to building.
Pipeline. After pipeline. After pipeline.

Results?
They retained experts
They attracted capital and innovation
They built a competitive industry

You want better infrastructure?
You want lower prices?
You want to stop bleeding public money?
Create a pipeline.

Or keep paying the “one-off” stupidity tax.

Is your country building a pipeline? Or killing one?

_
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#infrastructure #construction #megaprojects #PPP #tunneling #publicpolicy

It happens a few weeks ago. “Tell me about Madrid and Spain, how do you do it? I heard a business case that Madrid has been able to deliver the cheape

Open article: How to build infrastructure faster and cheaper by Vicente Valencia • 2 min read

How to build infrastructure faster and cheaper

Most people say: “It’s too small for a PPP.”

They’re wrong.
In fact, this one proves size doesn’t matter... clarity and discipline do.

When Nairobi (and Kenya’s counties) decided to overhaul street-lighting through a PPP, they weren’t chasing headlines. 
They were chasing reliability, cost-efficiency and smart governance.
Here’s why the “small” project deserves a place in the PPP Hall of Fame... and why you should be paying attention.

See all the change it brought with only 23 million US dollars. 

_
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#PPP #Kenya #Africa #UrbanInfra #StreetLighting #SmartCities #ValueForMoney #RiskManagement #Infrastructure

Most people say: “It’s too small for a PPP.” They’re wrong. In fact, this one might be your best lesson yet. In Eldoret, Kenya, the local government p

Open article: The Street Lights Nobody Believed Could Be a PPP by Vicente Valencia • 2 min read

The Street Lights Nobody Believed Could Be a PPP

A $165 million PPP success story.
And the person who built it is now unemployed.

Imagine this. 

A $165 million Education PPP.
Funded by USAID.
Implemented in Sindh, Pakistan.
State-of-the-art schools.
A pioneering EMO (Education Management Organization) model.
A PPP toolkit still used today.
And yet…
The person who led the entire reform for a decade is now struggling to find work.

No headlines.
No recognition.
No consulting contracts.
No “thought leadership” invitations.

Meanwhile, governments keep paying millions to the usual suspects:
 - Big logos.
 - Shiny PowerPoints.
 - Generic frameworks.
 - Minimal local impact.

Look. 
This is why I've learnt after 20 years doing this. 

PPP success doesn’t come from branding.
It comes from people who actually built the system.
And most of them are invisible.

Eliminate PPPs if you want.
Any infrastructure project. 

Engineers, commercial managers, that guy that had the idea that save millions... 

In this case, it's the Director of the PPP NODE in Sindh:
- Designed an indigenous EMO model
- Launched one of the only unsolicited PPPs in Pakistan
- Built a full PPP guide for Education
- Led reform for 10 years

Yet today, he’s told:
“You’re not technical enough.”
“You’re not financial enough.”
“You’re not legal enough.”

As if one human being is supposed to be three consulting firms in one.
Come on!

Look. PPP contracts have:
 • Technical complexity
 • Financial structuring
 • Legal architecture

No serious project has ever been delivered by a single “unicorn expert.”
Mega projects and PPPs are built by teams.
But careers are judged like solo sports.

And here it is what I find like the real scandal:
Governments spend millions on advisory fees…
While the people who actually know how to make PPPs work are sidelined, underused, and undervalued.

We don’t have a talent shortage.
We have a recognition failure.

If you’re a PPP professional who has:
 • Built something real
 • Led reform
 • Delivered impact
 • And still feels invisible

You’re not alone.
And you’re not the problem.
The system is.

If you’ve built real impact and still feel invisible — speak up.
Comment “REAL” if you believe experience should matter more than logos.
Share this so the right people start paying attention.

_
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#RealPPPExperts #BuiltNotBranded #ImplementationMatters #ConsultingIndustry #AdvisoryBubble #PublicMoney #ProcurementFailure #InvisibleLeaders #Unrecognized #WastedTalent #PublicPrivatePartnership #PPPProjects #InfrastructureReform

Most PPP evaluation processes have one thing in common:
They are way too complicated.
50 scoring criteria.
Subjective weighting.
Weeks of debate.
Appeals, disputes, delays…

And in the end?
Nobody understands why that bidder won.

A PPP evaluation is not a research paper.
It’s a decision that will impact your country for 25–40 years.

So why does the process look like a maze instead of a strategy?

Today I’m breaking down the 3 steps that actually bring:
Faster procurement
Clear accountability
Better value for taxpayers
Stronger competition
Less drama

Let me know if you have seen any of this. 

_
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#PublicPrivatePartnerships #PPPs #Infrastructure #ProjectFinance #Megaprojects #PublicProcurement #GovernmentInfrastructure #RiskManagement #ValueForMoney #StrategicThinking #InfrastructureInvestment #Leadership #Governance

How to design PPP Evaluations

Most PPP evaluations look like this:
50 scoring criteria.
Subjective weighting.
Ambiguous definitions.
Committees arguing for months.

And in the end…
nobody knows why the winner won.

Look. 
A PPP evaluation isn’t / shouldn't be a science fair.
It’s a decision that will impact a country for 25–40 years.

So why do we keep making it so complicated?

So... How to design the perfect PPP evaluation
 → Faster
 → Fairer
 → Better value for money
 → Less drama

My proposal is simple:
Select only the top consortia
Pass/fail minimum technical outcomes
Award on price + lifecycle + risk

That’s it.
Three steps.
No noise.

_
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Most PPP evaluations are designed by committees obsessed with checking boxes. Not with selecting the best partner. The result? Overcomplicated scoring

Open article: Stop Overthinking PPP Evaluations — Do This Instead by Vicente Valencia • 2 min read

Stop Overthinking PPP Evaluations — Do This Instead

In Latin America, a PPP that only increases +20% in cost is considered a success.

Yeah... 

Why does this keep happening?

Here are the usual suspects:
Half-baked projects rushed to procurement
Unrealistic bids designed to win… then renegotiate
Weak risk allocation and technical definition
Fiscal risks buried under future budgets

Result?
PPP prices go up, competition goes down, trust goes out the window.

I just broke down the real causes of the “+20% trap” and what agencies must do to stop it.

If we want PPPs to deliver real value.

We must stop pretending that a cheap bid today is cheap forever.

_
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#PublicPrivatePartnerships #PPPs #Infrastructure #Megaprojects #ProjectFinance #GovernmentInfrastructure #PublicProcurement #RiskManagement #ValueForMoney #LatinAmerica #LatAmInfrastructure #StrategicThinking #InfrastructureInvestment #Leadership #Governance

Many people challenge my preferred RFP strategy for PPPs: “Pre-qualify strong consortia, set a minimum technical pass/fail, and award to the best NPV 

Open article: When +20% Is the Floor — The Latin American PPP Trap by Vicente Valencia • 2 min read

When +20% Is the Floor — The Latin American PPP Trap

January 5th.
Kids in Spain are waiting for the Three Wise Men.
Meanwhile, in Australia, a bridge collapses into the river.
Catastrophe has no calendar.

Tasman Bridge, Hobart — 1975.
A bulk carrier hits a pier.
The structure fails.
Cars fall into the void without ever seeing it.
Twelve lives lost.
A city cut in half for more than two years.

Nobody thought a disaster would arrive that night.
Because we humans believe the worst always happens Monday at 9 am…
…and only when everyone is in the office.

Wrong.

Mega-projects fail at the worst possible moment:
holidays,
evenings,
when teams are home with family,
when communications are messy and slow.

Every project needs a Crisis Management Plan.
Not because a client demands it, but because chaos doesn’t wait for approvals.

Who speaks?
Who acts?
What gets shut down?
Who protects the reputation when the headlines are brutal?

If these answers aren’t rehearsed…
...the disaster won’t just be physical.

Infrastructure, and in particular, big projects, doesn’t forgive naivety.
It doesn’t care about celebrations, weekends, or candy for children.

Be ready.

Always.

_
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 #Infrastructure #PPPs #ProjectManagement #RiskManagement #CrisisManagement #Construction #Engineering #LessonsLearned #MegaProjects #PublicSafety #PMO

January 5th. In Spain and many parts of the world, kids go to sleep excited because the Three Wise Men are coming with toys. Meanwhile… in Australia… 

Open article: Tragic event on January 5 by Vicente Valencia • 2 min read

In Latin America, PPPs that only become 20% more expensive are considered a success.
Yes, you read that right.
Why do so many projects go from “cheapest bid” to most expensive outcome?

Because when you:
Rush the RFP
Under-design the project
Transfer risks blindly
Reward the lowest fantasy number
…you don’t get value for money.

You get a renegotiation.

And citizens always pay.

Today I’m breaking down the real reasons why +20% is just the starting point in Latin-American PPPs and what governments must change if they want the best players to stay in the game.

Comment below if you have seen any of this. 

#PublicPrivatePartnerships #PPPs #Infrastructure #Megaprojects #ProjectFinance #GovernmentInfrastructure #PublicProcurement #RiskManagement #ValueForMoney #LatinAmerica #LatAmInfrastructure #StrategicThinking #InfrastructureInvestment #Leadership #Governance

The 20% Latin American Trap in PPP

In Latin America, more than 70% of transport PPPs are renegotiated... often within the first year.

And +20% cost creep?
That’s the floor, not the ceiling.

So let me ask you this...

What is the #1 root cause of PPP price blowouts in the region?

Comment below if your answer is “all of the above”

#PublicPrivatePartnerships #PPPs #Infrastructure #Megaprojects #ProjectFinance #GovernmentInfrastructure #PublicProcurement #RiskManagement #ValueForMoney #LatinAmerica #LatAmInfrastructure #StrategicThinking #InfrastructureInvestment #Leadership #Governance

What is the #1 root cause of PPP price blowouts in the region?

Conviene leer este post. Se va a entender mucho de las oportunidades para mejorar procesos de contratación en América Latina.

Aunque este reporte del BID es de 2017, sus conclusiones siguen siendo vigentes para los proyectos de infraestructura en América Latina.

La región enfrenta una brecha de inversión gigantesca, pero el verdadero desafío no es solo invertir más, sino invertir mejor. La evidencia es clara: los conflictos en infraestructura no son eventos fortuitos; son el resultado de fallas estructurales de gobernanza, planeación y relacionamiento social.

El análisis del BID muestra que la raíz del conflicto está menos en lo técnico y más en lo institucional:
	•	Planeación deficiente y decisiones “aguas abajo”.
	•	Procesos de consulta formales pero poco sustantivos.
	•	Falta de transparencia y expectativas mal gestionadas.
	•	Beneficios comunitarios percibidos como insuficientes o injustos.

El impacto es profundo: retrasos de varios años, sobrecostos cercanos al 70%, cancelaciones de proyectos y un daño reputacional que afecta no solo a empresas, sino a países completos como destinos de inversión.

Esto conecta con una realidad más reciente: como señala Vicente Valencia , cerca del 70% de los proyectos de transporte APP en la región han sido renegociados, con una suerte de “rule of thumb” de 20% de sobrecosto. La renegociación se ha vuelto la norma, no la excepción. (Y aún así aportan valor por dinero)

El contraste con Europa es revelador. El estudio comparativo de Jörg Christen sobre APP en Alemania muestra resultados casi opuestos: menores costos de construcción, plazos más cortos, reducciones significativas en costos de ciclo de vida y mayor satisfacción de gobiernos y comunidades. Su conclusión es contundente: la aproximación de ciclo de vida alinea incentivos y corrige, en la práctica, las debilidades de los contratos incompletos de largo plazo.

La diferencia entre América Latina y Alemania no es conceptual —sabemos qué hacer— sino de ejecución institucional:
	•	Planeamos con menor profundidad.
	•	Construimos confianza de forma volátil, con señales de política contradictorias.
	•	No hemos consolidado una gobernanza efectiva a nivel territorial, especialmente con autoridades locales y comunidades.

Como ya advertía el BID, la hoja de ruta sigue siendo la misma: Planeación, Confianza y Gobernanza.

👉 ¿Es un problema de capacidades, de incentivos, o de economía política?
👉 ¿Cuáles lecciones de la experiencia alemana (y global) son realmente transferibles a América Latina y cuáles no?


#Infraestructura #APP #PPP #Gobernanza #GestiónDeRiesgos #Planeación #Sostenibilidad #AméricaLatina #Alemania

Apps, sites, & software for startups and the big companies they strive to become.

👋 Hi there!  

I'm a serial entrepreneur and founder of SPARK6, a software and product innovation agency focused on helping companies implement AI-powered solutions that create effective organizations and products people love. 

After a decade of working in robotics, I’ve started and sold several companies in both CPG and software. 

I post daily on how AI can be a force-multiplier for leadership, business leverage, and personal productivity - for you, your team, and your customers. 

For actionable tips and insights into the latest AI developments, subscribe to my newsletter Framework Friday.  

We specialize in designing and building: 

→ Websites (CMS agnostic) 
→ Custom enterprise software 
→ Mobile apps (iOS and Android) 
→ E-Commerce platforms (Like Shopify) 
→ Workflow automations powered by LLMs 
→ AI strategy, training and change management  
→ Conversational AI experiences for customer service 
→ AI agents for internal and customer-facing workflows 
→ AI-powered telepresence and holographic experiences  

Our clients range from startups to global brands across industries like:  

→ Arts  
→ CPG 
→ Telcom
→ Fintech  
→ Fit-tech
→ Logistics  
→ For-cause
→ Education  
→ Healthcare
→ Personal care 

We've been doing this for 14 years, and over that time, we've built for Fortune 500s and scrappy startup teams alike.  The common thread? High-impact work delivered with strategic care and real technical precision. 

Sound like something you're exploring?  Send me a message. Just don’t open with a pitch-slap. And if you're a bot, I'm looking forward to that dad joke 😉 

Let’s build something amazing. 

- Elijah

Elijah Szasz

You can make the right decision,

and still feel like you missed.

That doesn’t mean it was wrong.

Sometimes progress looks like friction
before it looks like momentum.

Plans don’t fail in straight lines.
They bend.
They reroute.
They expose weak assumptions.

What feels like a misstep is often
the system surfacing what needed to change.

In business, in careers, in life,
the fastest upgrades rarely feel smooth.

They feel inconvenient.
They feel confusing.
They feel late.

But detours have a job:
they stress-test who you are
before rewarding where you’re going.

If you’re questioning your direction,
don’t default to self-blame.

Most outcomes aren’t verdicts.
They’re diagnostics.

Three reminders when things drift off-plan:

1. Separate error from information.
→ Not all friction is failure.
→ Sometimes it’s feedback doing its work.

2. Zoom out before you react.
→ Short-term confusion can enable
  long-term leverage.
→ Context changes conclusions.

3. Keep the system in motion.
→ Insight follows movement.
→ Stalling freezes learning.

I’ve shipped decisions that didn’t land.
Built systems that cracked under load.
Chosen paths that forced a rethink.

Each one raised the ceiling
for what came next.

You’re not lost.
You’re iterating.

And iteration is how systems improve.

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Founder | Follow to leverage AI in Products & Leadership

Everyone at work has a personal story.
 
Almost no one shares it.
 
The teammate who snapped in the meeting?
They are carrying something heavy.
 
The report who missed the deadline?
Their life just changed overnight.
 
The leader who feels distant?
They are running on empty.
 
Kindness is not softness.
It is operational maturity.
 
But kindness is not the same as being nice.
 
Nice avoids tension.
Kindness addresses it with respect.
 
What real kindness looks like at work:
 
→ Asking "What do you need right now?"
↳ Before defaulting to blame
 
→ Designing flexibility into systems
↳ So people do not have to ask for grace
 
→ Noticing behavioral drift
↳ And checking in early, not after damage
 
→ Protecting focus and boundaries
↳ Especially when pressure comes from above
 
→ Building workflows that allow humans
↳ To be human on bad days
 
Strong leaders understand this:
 
You can demand excellence
AND design for reality.
 
You can move fast
AND leave room for struggle.
 
You can be direct
AND lead with empathy.
 
Targets get forgotten.
Moments of support do not.
 
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You’re not overwhelmed.
 
You’re under-systemized.
 
Most people blame discipline.
The real issue is missing leverage.
 
Here are the AI systems you’re probably not using:
 
1. The AI Systems You’re Not Using
↳ Reduce friction
↳ Increase leverage
 
2. Cognitive Load
❌ Hold everything in your head
✅ Externalize thinking with AI
↳ Notes, summaries, memory
 
3. Task Flow
❌ Repeat the same work manually
✅ Automate recurring tasks once
↳ Let the system handle repetition
 
4. Decision Speed
❌ Overthink small choices
✅ Use AI for fast first drafts
↳ Decide faster, refine later
 
5. Information Intake
❌ Consume everything in real time
✅ Let AI filter and summarize
↳ Focus only on what matters
 
6. Execution Loop
❌ Plan endlessly, delay action
✅ Short cycles: idea to test
↳ Adjust based on feedback
 
7. Personal System
❌ Scattered tools, scattered focus
✅ One trusted system of record
↳ AI keeps it clean and current
 
8. Discipline Design
❌ Rely on motivation and willpower
✅ Systems plus AI enforce habits
↳ Consistency without friction
 
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The Battle

Vicente Valencia

Elijah Szasz

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Vicente Valencia's LinkedIn Performance

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