Hello! My name is Igor. I am from Ukraine. Since February 2024 I have been living in Germany. I am over 50 and for most of my life, with small breaks, I have been engaged in innovation.
My parents are engineers. My mother is an economist (she graduated from a metallurgical institute), my father is a design engineer (he graduated from a chemical-technological institute), my grandfather was an agronomist (he graduated from an agricultural institute), and my grandmother was an elementary school teacher (she graduated from a pedagogical institute). My great-grandfather was a well-to-do farmer. In the 1930s he was repressed (his property was confiscated). For many years a rural school was located in one of his houses.
During my school years my parents subscribed me to popular science magazines: Science and Life, Chemistry and Life, Modelist-Constructor, Young Technician, Technology for Youth. I read a lot, conducted various chemical experiments, sawed, planed, soldered things, etc. ;))
For 3 years I studied at a music school — accordion.
In 1991 I graduated from university with a degree in systems engineering. In 2009 I started obtaining a second higher education in psychotherapy, but due to reasons beyond my control I was unable to complete it.
Since the 3rd year of university (1988) I have been engaged in innovation: I actively participated in scientific work at the department of the university where I studied.
In the 4th year I completed training at the TRIZ school (Theory of Inventive Problem Solving) at the university.
At the same time, in parallel with my studies, I was involved in business (assembling Spectrum computers, manufacturing printed circuit boards, wholesale supply of electronic components, etc.). Every two weeks I flew to purchase goods.
In the 1990s, in cooperation with the commercial director of a joint venture, I carried out grain exports to Poland and implemented tolling schemes: grain was processed into flour, flour into pasta, etc. A person provided me with grain, and I developed the schemes and implemented them.
In 1993 I opened my first company. At that time it was the era of trade, and for several years I was engaged in wholesale supply of food products, export of bulk chemical products, and import and distribution of certain types of food raw materials (Poland, Latvia). I supplied goods to five of the largest industrial regions of Ukraine. I carried out large-scale packaging of bulk chemical cargo and supplied paper in rolls to industrial consumers.
From 1998 to 2010 one of the areas of my business was marketing/consulting in the chemical industry. As a side project (in 2005) I published a directory of chemical product manufacturers. I have one copy of this directory with me here. Even now, 20 years later, it is still very good (from the concept and classification system to the execution).
During those years I communicated closely with innovators in the chemical industry.
I owned a successful company in Latin America.
I have developed as an entrepreneur operating at the intersection of science and business, and I can easily communicate with both communities.
In business I went through many difficult situations — from attempts by traffic police to extort money on the roads during cargo deliveries to attempts by various structures to put pressure on my company. I collected debts from debtors, went to court, etc. Once I personally went alone to resolve a conflict in one of the hot spots. Several times in my life there were very tough situations that I would rather not even recall.
I always repaid my debts (thank God there were not many such situations), and I always recovered what was owed to me.
Of course, there were incomparably more interesting and vivid moments. And there’s always something to remember in good company.😉
It’s completely pointless to try to pressure me.
But I’m very open to flexible, mutually beneficial agreements.
In 2006 I created the first service in the country for searching for investors. At that time the ex-USSR market was not yet ready for it. A year later the service had to be closed.
In 2013 I revived the Startup Project Club, which was supposed to bring together innovations and investors. A large number of projects passed through me. I helped project teams with expertise, development of business plans and financial models, joined project teams, etc. I saw many different situations.
I worked with science-intensive startups (my own and external ones). I have been on both sides of startups: as an investor (investing small amounts) at early stages and as a startup founder, and I helped external startups enter the market.
Several years ago I applied to four hardware accelerators (three American and one Indian). One could write a separate booklet about this experience. In one American accelerator I reached the final stage of selection. I was invited to the final meeting — to have tea together, talk, and receive a check (for a small amount by hardware startup standards). I did not have an open visa to the United States, so the trip did not take place, and the check was given to the candidate following my project. Our team impressed the director of the accelerator very much, and we were invited to participate in the next selection round. After thinking about it, I concluded that by strengthening the team we would be able to accelerate independently.
Startups are incredibly interesting because everything is new, many unique opportunities open up, and at the same time it is difficult. The main difficulty is people: there is a catastrophic shortage of the right people with whom it is possible to build a successful business.
The shortage of effective and reliable people is the key reason why 9 out of 10 startups fail. It is also the reason for the poor return statistics of venture funds (TechCrunch, 2016/2017):
— 50% of funds are unprofitable;
— 35% break even;
— 10% provide returns up to 3x;
— 5% provide returns greater than 3x.
During the analysis of life experience, the following logical conclusions emerged:
— understanding who and how should form effective teams and how projects should be implemented;
— the intention to create a highly efficient investment structure that would launch promising projects on a continuous basis.
Several years ago this idea developed into a desire to launch a (small) venture fund. I posted a description of this project on a well-known American startup service. An influential financier from the United States contacted me and during our communication offered to help fill such a fund with capital. After thinking about it, I concluded that funds (in general) have too little control over startup founders and decided to implement the project in the format of a venture builder. This should initially bring all projects we implement into those coveted 5% with excellent returns.
At the moment I am building a venture builder (as the most efficient investment structure from my point of view). I am developing a startup in the field of cardiology (the project is incorporated in the UK). At the moment, it is in a dormant state. We’ve completed the core development needed to go to market. The rest will follow after launch. The next step is to secure investment and bring the products to market. For the further development of the project, we are looking to bring on board an effective business development professional as a co-founder.
In my region I run a group for active leisure activities, and in addition I am working on several other projects (including volunteer and social ones).
I also have a mentor from the United States who previously managed a business with annual revenues of $2 billion. He once wrote to me that he considers me a talented person.
I never set a goal to become a professional athlete, but learning a new skill, getting stronger, training for pleasure, bright emotions, and adrenaline — that’s exactly what I enjoy.
As a child I practiced athletics for several years — javelin throw and shot put. Then for a year I played volleyball. At school I held first place in partial disassembly and assembly of a Kalashnikov rifle (with closed eyes).
At university I practiced judo for a year (I got injured and had to stop), lifted weights for several years (kettlebells, dumbbells, barbell), and rode a skateboard. I graduated from a diving school. During my military service I practiced nunchaku for more than a year while on combat duty.
Among my experiences: parachute jumps, paragliding flights, skateboarding, trying surfing, alpine skiing, water skiing, tennis and table tennis, billiards, badminton, target shooting, archery, horseback riding, several years of hatha yoga practice, the first level of Zhong Yuan Qigong, meditation, many years of active interest in psychology, hiking and cycling trips, photography, etc. For one year I ran a self-development club. I am a Candidate for Master of Sports in target shooting.
Many of these activities remain part of my life even now.
I’ve been deeply interested in psychology for many years and have built a substantial personal library on the subject. For some time, I also hosted a self-development club at home.
Over the years, I’ve developed hands-on experience across a wide range of practical areas, including electricity, electronics, plumbing, heating systems, and computers. I learn quickly and enjoy working with my hands—soldering has been a long-time practice. In my home in Germany, I assembled a smart home system based on Raspberry Pi 4 and Home Assistant.
I’m naturally drawn to automating, systematizing, and optimizing routine processes to free up time for more meaningful work. I also draw well.
Cooking is another strong side—ranging from traditional dishes like dumplings, sauerkraut, and borscht to sushi and baking.
I have experience building websites using Joomla and OpenCart, and occasionally write simple scripts in Python for my own needs.
Relocating to Germany, I brought my mother, cat, and dog with me—something that reflects a responsible and grounded approach to major life decisions.
My background also includes founding and managing a homeowners association as a social project. It brought together several hundred residents across multiple multi-level buildings with separate entrances, providing valuable insight into how people behave in real-life situations.
I have expertise across several domains, including chemistry, food production, biotechnology, and medical-related fields.
Additionally, I have successful experience bringing a fairly unique product for the food industry to the Western market.
I believe that if you simply want to obtain a service from someone, it is usually enough to understand the contractor’s level of professionalism, the quality they deliver, their pricing, and to review feedback.
However, if you are looking for a partner, the approach should be different. First, you need to look at the alignment of your industry interests—at a high level, in terms of the project itself—and preliminarily assess achievements and competencies, so you can understand who this person is and how they might complement your project.
Next, it is essential to gain a deeper understanding of the person (I’ll cover this in more detail in the next two articles about co-founders): their worldview, business approach, core values, behavior in conflict and stressful situations, interests, personality traits, hobbies, and so on. You need to evaluate how much you have in common, how compatible you are, and where potential incompatibilities may lie. In a business context, it’s crucial to understand how exactly you will complement each other within the project.
Only after that does it make sense to move on to a detailed discussion of the business.
Otherwise, you risk wasting valuable time sharing insider details about your project with people who are not the right fit.
In other words, you should first choose the right person—the right partner—and only then move forward with the business. Not the other way around. My more than 30 years of business and life experience consistently подтверждает this.
You should answer a few key questions for yourself:
1. Will this person be able to perform, at a high level, the functions you plan to delegate to them?
2. Are the terms of cooperation acceptable to both sides?
3. Will you feel comfortable working together?
4. Can you trust this person?
There is no shortage of interesting and promising business ideas, directions, and opportunities.
The key question is: who exactly will you build them with?
The following qualities and values are very important to me in a partner::
• professionalism
• honesty
• openness
• intelligence
• integrity
• reliability
• proactivity
• the ability to bring things to results
• the ability to reach agreements
I have deep respect for people who have meaningful goals in life and show persistence in achieving them.
I believe every entrepreneur should have their own written—let’s call it—a “Constitution”, outlining the key aspects of their experience, perspectives, interests, core values, and decision-making logic, among other things.
This helps you quickly assess whether someone is the right co-founder fit.
I believe that choosing the right business partner carries no less responsibility than choosing a partner for family life.
I work with a strong in-house technical team and a vetted network of external experts—spanning hardware, software, AI, advanced mathematics and neural networks, as well as chemistry and pharmaceuticals—capable of executing the vast majority of tasks.
* The image was generated using AI.
The content is original, mine.