A Book That Didn’t Exist Yet

About three years before this book came out, I started writing a white paper. My clients kept asking me the same questions — Is Mexico safe? How does IP protection work under NAFTA? How does the cost really compare to India? I was answering the same questions over and over in sales meetings, and I thought: someone should write this down properly.

That someone turned out to be me. The white paper grew. The questions got more complex. And eventually I had 50 pages of research, data, and hard-won perspective that felt like something more than a document — it felt like a book. So I published it.

“So far, I think this is the only formally published book on the subject of IT outsourcing to Latin America. That’s either a gap in the market or a sign that everyone else knew something I didn’t.” — Mike Barrett

What the Book Actually Covers

The tone is personal — more narrative than academic. I’m a CEO, not a researcher, and I wrote it that way. But the substance is real. The book covers Latin American crime statistics and what they actually mean for business operations — the headlines are misleading. It covers intellectual property protection under the NAFTA treaty, which is stronger than most people realize. It walks through the four biggest mistakes companies make when launching an IT outsourcing program in Latin America, and why most of them are avoidable.

There’s also a direct cost comparison between India and Mexico that I think will surprise people. The nearshore model — closer time zones, stronger cultural alignment with US teams, no 12-hour lag — changes the math significantly when you factor in collaboration costs and management overhead.

Why I Wrote It in Plain English

I’ve read too many business books that feel like they were written to impress rather than inform. I didn’t want to write that book. I wanted to write the one I wished had existed when I was starting Unosquare — honest, direct, occasionally funny, and actually useful to an executive trying to make a real decision.

The book is available on Amazon Kindle for $2.99. If you’re evaluating nearshoring to Latin America — or if you’re already doing it and want to pressure-test your assumptions — I think you’ll find it worth the two hours it takes to read.