Dmitry is a successful investor in the cryptocurrency market who has visited 40 countries in the last 5 years and participated in the immersion program (business tour) twice. We interviewed Dmitry to find out what results he was able to achieve upon returning home. What goal did you set for the trip, what were you looking for, and what experience did you want to gain? I was interested in learning how business and management work in the country where all the innovations we use today are born. Why do they succeed and we don’t? How should things be done correctly? I wanted to be inspired and see how the richest and most progressive companies in the world are organized, and talk to people who work there. On my first trip, I went to see how people think differently. I wanted to talk to people, listen to their stories: how they ended up in Silicon Valley, what they do there, what problems they solve, and so on. Did you have any business difficulties before the trip that you wanted to solve with the help of the program? Yes. At that time, we were just starting our startup with a team of 3-4 people, and I was interested in understanding how goals are set in Silicon Valley companies, how communication within teams happens, what methodology is used in work. I wanted to take something from this and apply it to our company. Are you in search of new experiences that would influence your thinking? I have an insatiable hunger. I always want new sensations and emotions. And the most inspiration and experience I got during both my first and second trips was from people. After talking to them, I was in shock at how they think, how their thinking is different from mine. During the tour, the program coordinator told me that I often talk more than I listen, and that I miss a lot of interesting information because of this. I remembered this situation for a long time. Now I try to listen more, and I have noticed how my horizons have expanded. I started listening more to people and either learning a lot of interesting information or understanding that we have nothing to give each other. Thanks to this, I started selectively giving my energy. What did you like most about the program? Communication with people is an invaluable experience. On my second trip, the group met with investors and startup founders. I listened to what they said, what difficulties they faced, what problems they solved, and I understood that I was far from where they were. You understand that there is still room for growth.
Did you have any concerns before purchasing the program? Yes, I thought it was expensive. Initially, it was hard to grasp what I would receive for my investment. I deeply regretted turning down the tour to three cities the first time it was offered. I assumed that since I had already been to New York and Las Vegas, I would only go to San Francisco. What was the main insight you gained from the program? I realized that I want to be in California. I want to communicate and surround myself with intelligent people. Silicon Valley has an immense concentration of brilliant minds who are driven to change the world. They are constantly pushing forward, eager to create new technologies, and unafraid of taking risks.
You became heavily involved in venture investments after completing the program. How many venture deals do you currently have in your portfolio? Thirteen. What did you gain from the program? Studying the inner workings helped me launch my startup. I didn’t do it for the purpose of making money. I wanted to understand how to launch a startup, how to work within a company, how to organize operational work, how to launch a product, and so on. The most significant thing I gained was experience. Currently, we are gaining traction and starting to attract large clients. At the moment, we have around 300 clients. In other words, the business has become self-sustaining. During the program, I also met other participants, some of whom I still communicate with, and some of whom I invested in venture deals. Overall, the communication during the program was lively and engaging. Did your worldview change in any way? Absolutely. Once again, it changed from an experiential standpoint, as I gained significantly more experience. I now understand how to do things, how not to do things, and so on. My worldview also changed in terms of letting people go. I stopped wasting time on people I don’t understand or who want something from me. I now realize that money is not worth my nerves or my attention. It’s now easier for me to agree and give something away so that the person leaves my life. It’s much easier for me. From a business perspective, we have tried and continue to implement various methods that work for us.
How did your view on investments change after the trip? Why did you decide to invest in venture deals? First of all, I noticed that it was trending. At first, I traded crypto on the market, then I found a broker and a team and started trading on the secondary market. So, I gave people control of my money and at the same time learned how to do things, why to do things, what was happening, and so on. They explained to me why they made certain decisions. Then, this IPO boom started. I jumped on this IPO bandwagon, and in two years, I had a return of 183%. But then IPO began to decline, and there was a trend towards pre-IPO. I invested in Coin Fluid, and in two months, they had their IPO. After taxes, I had a return of 93%. It was a very cool result for two months. I realized that there was free money in this sector and decided to invest in it. I started looking for faster tools where I could quickly get in and out, and so on. I became much more tolerant of risk. I understand how much I can lose. What deals did you invest in? Coinfluid, Tanium, Baiju, PeopleEye, Trex, Box Finance, Public.com, Revolut, Blockchain, BlockDiamond, and others. Did the program meet your expectations? I received great motivation to develop further and move to the USA. Now, I lack difficulties and solving complex tasks. And I hope that being there, I will find this for myself. After visiting 40 countries in my 45 years, I finally understood where I want to live. I realized that I want to live in California, where it’s neither hot nor cold. I have a specific deadline that I give myself to move there and surround myself with new people. People who will motivate me to new actions and decisions.
