Welcome to the Leader’s Insights, a place where The Future, asks the simplest, yet, the most interesting questions to the executives of well-known companies, startups and innovators.
Today we talk with Dmitrii Beseda, founder of GROW Business Club in Cyprus, serial IT entrepreneur, co-founder and ex-CMO at a couple of gaming services including Overgear.com and LF.Group.
A gamer from a young age, Dmitrii has been making money in virtual worlds. He has created several successful international services for gamers, each of them somehow related to the economics of massively multiplayer online games.
After moving to Cyprus in 2022, Dmitrii fell in love with the island and realized he wanted to create something meaningful for the local entrepreneurial community.
This is how GROW Business Club came into being, with the main mission to make Cyprus a better place to live for business people and their families.
Let’s see what Beseda has to say…
1) Do you remember your first day on the job at GROW?
I would say there have been several “first days”.
The very first day was when I first learned how business clubs work. Our future CEO Vladlena prepared an overview of business clubs in other countries and suggested how we could adapt it in Cyprus. At the time it seemed very simple, we thought that at least 20 people would join us after the launch. It was very curious to discuss and plan all this because all my previous projects were completely different.
The second “first day” I would call the opening of the club: we gathered 150 people for it, and I was preparing my speech for almost a whole week. There were some problems with the sound, the microphone was hissing. I was very nervous. In the end, the opening was quite bright and with good reviews, but only 5 people joined the club.
Now I can talk about it so easily because, after less than a year, we have 50+ residents, the whole of Cyprus knows about us and it seems that we are moving in the right direction.
2) What is more difficult: being interviewed to join a team or doing the interviews yourself?
I think the last time I had an interview somewhere was more than 10 years ago.
And now I’m sure that in order to pass the interview – you just need to prepare for it a little and be adequate. Well, and not to interview for a job that you definitely can’t handle.
Being an interviewer is more difficult. In about 80% of cases, the first 15 minutes of conversation is enough to understand that the person is not suitable for you. But with the remaining 20% you have to work hard. Here you need to match values, check hard skills, and understand that the person is not lying.
So yeah, proper hiring and being an interviewer is definitely harder than passing the interview yourself. At least that’s how I personally see it.
3) What do you most value in your employees?
Responsibility, high energy level and the desire to be #1.
4) Which is a motto/quote you use in your work?
I always ask myself a question, if I’m doing the best and the most effective job to achieve desired results.
5) If you were back to the start, what would you advise yourself for a great career?
Things have worked out pretty well for me, so I guess I don’t need to change anything. But I would advise myself in the past to spend more time with people and take more risks while I’m still young and have loads of energy.
6) How do you pump up your creativity?
Meditations, alone time, and freewriting – a writing technique where you write whatever comes to mind without moderating or stopping.
7) What is a talent you would like to have?
An endless supply of energy and indestructible health.
8) How do you balance work and personal life?
Seeking balance is for those who have nothing else to do. When you have goals that motivate you, the calendar somehow builds itself under them, and in each life period, the balance is different.
9) Your top five foods you like in Cyprus?
Haloumi, souvlaki, meze, seafood, pita bread
10) Can you name your top five favourite places in Cyprus?
- Anassa hotel
- Minthis hotel
- Troodos mountains
- Paphos city
- Dasoudi beach
11) Which personality, throughout history, do you admire most?
For some reason I have not been able to read biographies of famous people all my life, I keep wanting to make myself do it and putting it off. The first person who comes to mind is Winston Churchill, a man who always knew what needed to be done, who could light a fire with his speeches and who was absolutely fearless.
12) Who is your favourite author/book that helped your career?
Nassim Taleb with his Black Swans is probably a must-have book for any entrepreneur in our challenging and uncertain times.
13) Where would you advise our readers to go this summer?
Go wherever you want, and not only in the summer. We have only one life.
