Pavel Durov: You need to get rid of the voices of other people in Your head Bashny.Net

At the last TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco IT-entrepreneurs shared their knowledge and ideas about startups, strategies, and about what it means to lead a good lifestyle.

Pavel Durov is an outstanding person with exceptional achievements. He revolutionized the Russian Internet, having founded the largest social network in Russia "Vkontakte".

He is also the co-founder of the messenger Telegram, which is safer and faster than WhatsApp. Promoting safe communication and libertarianism, Durov is a man who thinks independently. And he's just as fundamental in his thinking and in their actions.





Where did You grow up?

I was born in Leningrad (USSR), before my father got an appointment in the University of Italy and moved to Turin. I spent there a few years, till my family returned to Russia. And I grew up rather in St. Petersburg.

Is there anything in Your childhood turning point?

First trip to Italy when my family moved, I stayed with my grandmother. I realized that it was necessary to rely on themselves. I was 4 years old, my parents (and my brother with them), and I had to figure out how to spend time. My grandmother — the old woman and couldn't play with me. Besides, it worked. It was an interesting moment in my life.

What influenced You at an early age?

Obviously, a big influence on me my brother said. He's a genius. When we arrived in Italy, talked about him on a local television channel as the Prodigy who could solve very complex mathematical equations. He was only 7 or 8 years, but he could solve a mathematical problem for 14-year-old. He really knew the math. He read a number of books, and were therefore extremely intelligent. In school, he won almost every math contest. I learned a lot from him. I asked him questions about everything. And for that very grateful to him.

The book You most likely would give to a friend?

"Flow", Mihály Csikszentmihalyi.

Continuing the theme, how do You deal with your emotions?

First of all, I some time was engaged in yoga. And you know, at some point you begin to realize that our mind is in the neurological sense, controlled by our body. We must learn to reverse engineer our mind and our body to determine the true causes of our emotions. If you can do this, that, in fact, you can change the environment and get rid of some of the factors that affect your decisions.





As You have seen, think strategically?

It's a consideration and assessment of different options of what you can do today, next week or this year. You should not give up until I figure out something that really excites You. If You are in doubt about the decision, should get some sleep and see how you feel after sleeping.

What, in Your opinion, it is necessary to achieve the goal?

Passion, curiosity and the ability to simplify the process. Simplification means cutting all the unnecessary and focusing only on the essence.

What would You say to a person who thinks of many different projects and who needs to focus?

I'd tell him to keep looking. Worth reading books that have nothing to do with business and technology. Give your head a break and time to just think about everything.

This is the question Peter Thiel: "what important truth do You believe, with which I agree only a few people?"

I think people should be allowed greater self-organization. Should be less government. In fact, the government and the country as a whole is not as important as we think about them. They attribute to themselves in merit processes, which are irrelevant. I believe in small governments or in their absence. I think most people prefer big government to Big Brother cared about them.

What is success for you?

Success is to admire with the things that make them and are focused.

You need to be happy?

People pay a lot of attention to the social status. For example, what's the difference, you live in London or a small village? It doesn't matter anymore thanks to the Internet. In fact, to live in the village — it's great. Much cheaper and the air is better. People prefer to live in expensive cities, and then pay huge sums for rent. The only reason they remain there is the work that will provide them with enough money to pay rent and expensive things. A vicious circle.

As You simplify your life?

You have to get rid of the voices of the other people in your head. We are under very strong influence of the people around us. Our relatives, our friends, what they consider success or failure, good or bad. We should completely get rid of it. In a sense, we have to begin to ignore all what other people think or say about our actions. After that, the focus should be on what we need.

How do You do it?
Spend more time in solitude or silence and enjoying, not suffer from it. People used to be in the company of other people. For example, here in the States, two people feel uncomfortable when sitting together in silence. It's nice that people are kind to each other, but sometimes you have to have is the space on which no one affected.





What was decisive in the development of Your company's success?

Some people have a characteristic feature — the construction of things. Im wondering what will happen after the construction of these things. I go even beyond that. The most exciting moment when you build something is: how can it be used by other people for building something different. In other words, when you build a platform. First discovering the Internet, I was amazed that you can create your own web site and other people will come and post their own content. Based on this I started to make my first project "Vkontakte".

What are the characteristics of the most important to the founder?

One of them I mentioned — love to build things. Curiosity, self-discipline and dedication. And perseverance.

How do you manage to focus, creating of many different ideas?

What people don't realize about men of the Renaissance, or Julius Caesar, is the fact that they weren't multitasking in the sense that you could do several things at once. Perhaps some of them could do, but the main thing is that they chose the area and completely focused on her. For example, the creation of sculpture. Then they switched to painting and created a beautiful picture. At any given point in time they are 100% focused on one specific task. They didn't try to do everything at once. Alternately. You can do many things, but at different times.

How do you achieve a balance between idea and execution?

I think that there is a natural separation between these things. On working days, you focus on execution, and on weekends you expand the vision and thinking about the whole picture.

When something affects You, how do you make sure that You are not affected?

Usually when there is something that I can't change, I prefer to focus on the positive, because in any event there are always good and bad sides, even in the most tragic. You just need to see and focus on them. Should adapt to the situation and think about what you can do with what we have.

How do You build your relationships with people?

This I'm is quite simple. 90% of my time I communicate with the people you work with. The remaining 10% with their family, mostly with my brother, but we travel together.

Whatever advice You can give young yourself?

Perhaps the most important tip is not to worry too much over it. I am in intense business, and now understand much better what should always remain balanced.

If You could have dinner with any historical figure, who would it be?

Julius Caesar would be a good candidate for lunch. He was a writer, poet, politician, priest. I think it's a good combination. You can learn a lot from a functional personality.published

P. S. And remember, only by changing their consumption — together we change the world! ©

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Source: vk.com/page-64980878_50691065