Brazilian culture expects people to engage actively with products—maintaining them, repairing them, adapting them, finding creative workarounds when problems arise. This resourcefulness, captured in concepts like “jeitinho” and “gambiarra,” represents respected capability. Products are not expected to be perfect or to work forever without intervention. Users expect to participate in keeping products functional.
Someone who can fix things, who can make products work despite problems, who improvises clever solutions—this person demonstrates valued skills. Products that accommodate this resourcefulness fit Brazilian expectations better than those that resist user intervention. Products that can be opened and repaired, that don’t require proprietary tools or authorized technicians, align with how Brazilians relate to their possessions. Products that seal themselves against user maintenance generate frustration and resistance.
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