This is absolutely true for most companies, but in this specific case he could open a “MEI” type of business (individual micro-entrepreneur) on the government website and use the CNAE 8219-9/99 (“Digitator” or typist) to receive immediately a CNPJ, which would allow him to launch the site on the first day and charge customers, paying very few taxes and without a lot of bureaucracy (well, he would end up needing to deliver some papers to the city hall after that and also generate all the invoices, but this can be done days later, during the first month of CNPJ creation).
AFAIK it works only for his first company, which is fair, MEI is ok for a first company. But not for serial projects like his, with many different areas of business.
Also, sorry to say, but I would never have a MEI myself. The mixture of your personal legal entity (for US citizens, think of your social security number) being legally bound to your CNPJ (for US citizens, an LLC or other company) is another problem entirely. If your company gets audited, all your personal accounts and your IRS get audited at the same time? Hard no for me. Thank you.
It is perfectly possible to carry out multiple activities with the MEI, although the list of permitted activities is quite limited, specially for online businesses.
But the issue you mentioned indeed makes this solution a lot less interesting.
