How to Scale Without Lowering the Bar: An Interview with João Pedro Cunha (MFG Consultants)

“10 On The Weekend” is a weekly (sometimes with a few deviations) IMI feature. The idea is simple: we ask the same guest exactly ten questions—so readers can get to know the person more personally and informally than they usually would in a typical business meeting.

This week’s guest is João Pedro Cunha, Founder, CEO and CMO of MFG Consultants

How do you spend your weekends?

First and foremost—with my family. That’s non-negotiable. Beyond that, I try to switch off from the daily noise and think in terms of the long run.

Weekdays are about getting tasks done; weekends are for stepping back and seeing the bigger picture. I also read—and “filter”—information. That’s becoming increasingly important: in an industry where there’s more content than real insight, the ability to separate what matters from what doesn’t is critical.

Three main business goals for this year

First, to keep developing MFG Consultants as a truly independent consulting firm—not as a distribution channel.

Second, to grow internationally, but in a controlled way. I’m not interested in growth for the sake of numbers.

Third, to improve the structure of investment decisions for clients. The market often pushes products—we work differently.

What worries you most about the business right now?

Maintaining high standards in an environment where more and more people value appearances over substance. There’s a growing gap between what investors see online and what actually works in practice.

Decisions are increasingly influenced by SEO-driven materials, webinars, forums, and simplified narratives that don’t reflect the real investment side of the process.

The main challenge isn’t growth itself. The question is how to scale, without lowering the bar, in a world where noise often gets more attention than real expertise.

What book is on your nightstand right now?

I often move between very different authors. Machiavelli and Marcus Aurelius are always relevant—especially when it comes to power, discipline, and decision-making.

On the other hand, there’s Bukowski or Bret Easton Ellis: they offer a completely different lens on reality and how people behave. That mix probably says more about me than any single book.

How and when did you first get into the investment migration industry?

I started in 2012, when I realized that many investors were effectively being “steered” toward decisions instead of receiving proper, full-fledged advisory support.

Back then, it was already clear that there was a mismatch between what people truly need and what they were being offered. In essence, the situation hasn’t changed that much—so MFG Consultants’ positioning still feels completely logical.

What moment are you most proud of as a service provider?

Thankfully, it isn’t one specific episode—it’s more of a recurring pattern.

When a client says they feel in control of the decision: they’re not being “sold to,” rushed, or confused. Everything is clear. Unfortunately, for this industry, that happens less often than it should.

What market development in investment migration over the last year surprised you the most?

The speed at which low-quality information gains influence.

Platforms like Reddit—or sites promoted through SEO—now shape a significant part of how investors perceive the market, even when the underlying information is incomplete or simply wrong.

It’s not that this content exists that surprises me. What’s surprising is how often it ends up outweighing real expertise on the ground. That leads to a distorted view of the market and, quite often, to incorrect investment decisions.

If you could go back ten years, what business decision would you change?

I would expand internationally earlier. Demand was already there, but the market wasn’t as structured yet—and I probably underestimated how quickly things would change.

At the same time, it’s important to remember that timing affects how you build your processes. So I wouldn’t change everything at once.

Whose “mindset” in the investment migration industry do you respect most?

I don’t really follow public figures closely.

In this space, visibility can be misleading, and strong marketing sometimes replaces substance.

I have more respect for people who work somewhat “under the radar,” but who genuinely understand both the legal and investment side—and who can turn tasks into real outcomes. That combination of qualities is still rare, and in the end it matters far more than a public profile.

If everything goes according to plan, what will you be doing in five years?

We’ll be building a more structured and more international version of what we already do—while keeping the same focus on quality and control.

If things go well, MFG Consultants will become one of the few companies people associate with clarity and execution in a market where both are often missing.

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