Meet Gonçalo Salgado

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Gonçalo Salgado a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Gonçalo , we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.

I’m not a “follow your passion” romantic — I think that advice has misled more people than a bad GPS. For me, purpose isn’t something that strikes like lightning; it’s more like sculpting a statue from a block of marble.

It’s a messy, iterative process. You chip away through trial and error, constantly adjusting to align what you do with what you’re good at, what genuinely piques your curiosity, and what your personality naturally leans toward. Over time, if you’re paying attention and staying honest, you start to find the edges of something meaningful.

Purpose, in my view, isn’t something you find — it’s something you shape. And yes, expect a lot of marble dust along the way.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I’m one of the co-founders of PeerSpots Media, a growing network of niche directories connecting people to their “spots” — from indie cafés to golf simulators, taco joints to tattoo parlors.
Imagine if the Michelin Guide got bored with fine dining and decided to celebrate local gems and services instead. That’s us.

We don’t list every business — only the ones that truly belong and search for quality in their service.
Our sites are curated, not crowded.

Whether it’s CoffeeSpots.com (https://coffeespots.com/) for specialty cafés, PizzaSpots.com (https://pizzaspots.com/), or JunkSpots.com (https://junkspots.com/) for responsible junk removal pros, we highlight the spots that stand out for all the right reasons.

I started this with my co-founder André Ribeirinho, a seasoned internet veteran with a knack for building things online. We now operate 12 vertical directories, including MoveSpots.com (https://movespots.com/), LaserSpots.net (https://laserspots.net/), and WeedSpots.net (https://weedspots.net/). We aim to expand to over 100 communities within the following year.

The response from business owners has been great — they love the focus, the community, and the visibility.
We’ve also just rolled out Pro Listings to give top-tier local businesses a chance to get verified and stand out even more.

In a world where big platforms list everything, PeerSpots aims to contribute to a different kind of web — one where quality takes precedence.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Looking back, I’d say three things really made a difference — and none of them involve working 100-hour weeks or drinking buttered coffee.

1. Talent Recognition (and Collaboration)
Here’s the truth: don’t do it alone. You need someone who challenges your assumptions, sees what you can’t, and makes the whole thing better. One of the most underrated skills is being able to recognize outstanding talent and having the humility to bring them in early. That’s how André and I operate. We push each other, complement each other, and get unstuck faster because of it.

2. Resilience (with Revenue)
Yes, resilience is a cliché — but it’s a cliché because it’s true. You have to stay in the game long enough for the compounding to kick in. And that means building a runway, even if it’s not always sexy. Whether it’s services, side projects, or something adjacent to your main vision, create revenue streams that keep you moving forward. Momentum is your best friend.

3. Community Thinking
This might sound soft, but it’s a superpower. We don’t just build directories — we build communities. That means designing for people, not algorithms. Whether it’s specialty cafés on CoffeeSpots or lawn care pros on WeedSpots, we think about what these people need.

Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?

When I feel overwhelmed, which happens more often than I’d like to admit, the first step is always awareness. Without awareness, everything else is noise. So I’ve built a few habits to help me stay conscious of what’s going on inside my head.

First, I walk. A lot. Walking is another version of meditation. It’s where I process, reflect, and clear mental clutter. If something still lingers after a walk, I write it down — sometimes to get it out of my system.

Second, I do what I call a “weekly shutdown.” At the end of each week, I reflect with a simple journaling ritual that’s surprisingly effective. I ask myself just two questions:

What took my peace of mind?
What gave me energy?

These questions are small but mighty. They help me see patterns and remind me to actively remove what drains me — and double down on what fuels me. I even turn those answers into action items.

Last but not least, I remind myself that the work never ends. There’s always more to do. So I scheduled the shutdown. Literally. I close the laptop and let my mind breathe.

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