"One in the field". Interview with Alexey Konyshev, the Creator of the Village of programmers in the Kirov region

House on the edge of the forest, the road to the city airport, close friends and neighborhood for interesting people — my husband, laughing, three years ago described the ideal solution of the housing problem. Surprisingly, a month ago we realized that our dream is not so far from realization.

My husband and I are both all remote workers — web programmers. Can live where I want — it would be the Internet. But instead of having to fly to Thailand, as do many, we've been looking for a place for the house in Russia. Didn't want to go too far away from the native people and places. Moving from one city to another, we experienced the delights and challenges of each — and a small town with 80 + thousand people, and a huge metropolis. Buzuluk, Samara, Tolyatti, St.-Petersburg, Penza, everywhere we were going to stay long, but after living half a year, I haven't realised. In February, my husband suddenly came across an article about the Village of programmers in the Kirov region.

The village of programmers — the usual cottage village in the Russian hinterland. It is located 2 km from the city of Slobodskoy — a district center in the Kirov region, on the banks Stokovskogo pond (not to be confused with SKOLKOVO). The peculiarity of the project is that it is focused on young families that make the remote work.

Alexey Konyshev, the organizer of this non-profit project, has laid into it everything he thought important for his own family: a beautiful Russian nature, forest, pond, eco-friendly products, cheap construction, excellent Internet, coworking in the village, its Park school for children. And, of course, the company of like-minded people.

Sixty eight million four hundred thirty nine thousand two hundred sixty one



Now the construction is in full swing for six families joined the village, the first residents will move into their homes this summer.

Detailed information about the project can be read here:

poselok-programmistov.ru

geektimes.ru/company/it_poselok

twitter.com/it_poselok

instagram.com/it_poselok

The concept seemed very attractive, but risks, too, was enough. Chief among them — suddenly the idea did not take off? Before you make a decision, we decided to go "exploration".

The trip exceeded all our expectations. Three days later, returning home, we already knew what will be the solution. Although formally adopted him two weeks later.

Now we moved to Kirov to be closer to the construction site of our house. We met and became friends with Alexey Konyshev, who "daydreaming" project our dreams and not just "daydreaming", but stubbornly moving towards the goal. And certainly reaches her, despite the fact that never professional — a Builder, not developer.

Today I want to acquaint readers with the man. Let his story inspire you on the steps and actions that seem crazy and unattainable at first glance.

Alexey Konyshev. Programmer. Founder of IT-of the village. Moved from Moscow to the provinces, to create the perfect place to live with his own hands.

— Alexey, your main job is programming. How you came up with the idea to build a village?

— At some time my thinking started to work in format: there is a problem — design the solution. May was filled startup atmosphere, I don't know... I lived in Moscow and started there all bitterly hate. Metro — like a factory for turning optimism into pessimism. You come back, even for five minutes, getting fully squeezed. Little apartment walls around and a lot of darkness outside. Go to work past the centre of the machine, noise. And the idea of the settlement appeared as well on the principle of "problem-solution": I think, as it really should be? How? You're sure that the Cup should be round. Or I'm sure that people don't have to crowd in one spot where the asphalt and concrete to breathe any muck, it is unclear why.

We with Sveta (my wife) came here in Kirov, on weekends to rest from Moscow. Walk in nature, breathe this air, river, pines grow — and realize that in 24 hours you get out of the train on the station platform, and everything starts over again... the Subway, the car, a crowd of people... I Wanted something to change. What are the options?

1. Go abroad. It seems to be natural, simple way. But there is something inside that says it's for wimps. You would run away from the problem, not solve it. Write here what is bad in Russia and abroad well... I couldn't draw myself in the head this picture where I do.

2. In the country. My parents live in the country, and I know all the pros and cons. In such places, as a rule, difficulties with communications and enrollment. Especially talented neighbors, for example, at ten o'clock to start to cut wood with a circular saw. Or come for the weekend a big party for two days, without ceasing, drinking, swearing and listening to the radio "Chanson".

3. Into the village. There are, of course, exceptions, but mostly Russian village today is a sad bunch of rickety houses, where most residents have left or are in varying stages of the path to cirrhosis of the liver.

In General, after the first analysis, we determined the main criteria are the environment, Russian nature and people who live around.

 

 

 

 

 





— I think many of you in your findings would be supported. But most beyond the idea stage. As you from the idea came the decision? — I have no border between an idea and a solution. This sometimes becomes a problem because of the realization of many ideas it is better to refrain — I would even say most) eventually come to what is best to do still does not work.

How do you choose?

— What interesting. This was the idea behind all my projects is the fact that it is embodied in the real world, and, so to say, a little more provocative and ambitious. Maybe that's the problem nagged more than others. Imagine that you are sitting on the chair, which sticks out from the nail. I'm talking about life in Moscow. Someone just ass look fat, someone a nail bent or podophilia, someone bought a pillow or corny — moved to another chair, let him also not great... And we have a nail, apparently, was very great.



— You have doubts?

— No, none at all.

— Seriously?!

— Quite. Well, wait a minute, you know, you want to eat. You go to the store, and along the way tormented by doubts: "what if this food will be tasteless?"or "What if the road I have someone to attack?"I really don't understand, how can there be a doubt.

— When I go out for a meal, I sometimes tortured and not such questions :) But seriously: I am surprised that such an important decision was made spontaneously. Do you always do this? Or is it prescribed goals, make plans?

— There were plans and purposes only it didn't work. It was in 2004, I was hooked on all sorts of books-dumb girls like "Think and grow rich". I read them more and more — it seemed that the more of these books we read, the sooner you will be rich. And it was said that we need to put this very purpose. I then thought that it would be nice to make the goal of epic — well not to waste your time on trifles. The state of bill gates at that time was estimated at 43 billion, and thought it would be the record to beat. The nearest round number was a trillion, I took on the incarnation of the ten-year term and started. The first thing created motivational screensaver for desktop -- spent almost a whole day to make a good design, because they believed that it affects the probability of achieving the goal. Rather not chance it I don't doubt — and speed.

— Have no doubt? :)

— It would be strange to doubt, having read up to the stop Napoleon hill :)

I then started to engage in artificial intelligence, so I thought, what a great way to achieve a goal is to do smart logic games in which artificial intelligence learns. Especially since this was the topic of my graduation project. I mean, I was area of expertise — artificial intelligence and logic games, which I enjoyed, was the goal — a trillion dollars. Not much, of course, it seems that all rush to play logical games, and for them to pay $ 100. However, with a strong desire to plan to the target can be pulled to draw the intermediate points and believe it. And here, I made your superfood, fascinated by this idea of a few people, made a high-quality design, one friend wrote for playing great music... I thought this for ages. But it turned out that AI is not very fun to play, because he's a fucking beat, and in General the trend of logical games was, as I say, not the most money. Then came the fast Internet and other technologies, and eventually, all that was thrown in the trash.

So Yes, I was prescribed goals on the paper and did all the same stuff. As you can see, a Fig did not help. Actually, I think that if the goal is for you really important, you have it and so the heads will not work, without a prescription. And execution of all generalized recommendations from the literature of this kind only distracts from the real concrete steps you could make towards this goal.

— Well, let's say, the goal setting you are not working. But there are other tools that help to achieve results and don't let you stop halfway?

— Probably, some tools are still there. The mind is a complicated thing and make it work better is not easy. I think we all have certain habits which you use instinctively without noticing.

I, for example, is to give yourself from time to time sink. Intelligence sometimes you need to quickly receive remuneration from its activities. You can play some cool business game and earn millions of dollars. And you'll get instant results from their intellectual efforts. In real life, this reward is much slower, I believe that the mind suffers. Therefore, the games in which you need to develop something (like "Civilization" or "Heroes"), from time to time need. Noticed that myself that if you desire block, then there will be a stall and spend more time.

Still use the blocker sites — a Google Chrome extension that blocks distracting sites with content. It's a great tool, but it is enough for a couple of months. Then produced a reflex with the same speed at which you've opened a tab with unwanted content, you remove your own lock. But this thing has already helped me win a lot of time. This is not some complex statement in the spirit of Stephen Covey — done in 15 minutes and provides a real benefit immediately. Sorry, that works for long.

Now I am in search of a more perfect instrument — some kind of conscience on the outsource, which does not break away from work and doing stuff. In fact, I came to the conclusion that if you built some system, most importantly it is a tool work properly. You assume that a failure will definitely occur. And accurately implement the procedure, which you with this glitch work. You find yourself, yeah, failed, launching the log in normal mode.

— In all projects there are UPS and downs; in your project with the Village of programmers, probably, too?

— Yes, there was. There feil, in fact, while more than success. As I write sometimes about the officials: they are given a project — they fail, give them an even greater project — they are even better fail. Thus, they have a career. A programmers is exactly the same. I did an incredibly stupid thing, because of which all suffered. First, run presentations, wrote financial plans, rubbed his pants in meetings. It was a very big mistake, which led to huge losses over time. Then it was a mistake to rely on state assistance — and again waste time. Then there was an error in the selection of the boundary of the company, which lost a year.

— What helped you to rise from your failures?

— The fear of shame. Most probably, the strong stimulus. Was once thoughts — all, I can't stop it. On the other hand, you've already made a number of steps, and then what? How you people going to talk? And, besides, where to live? I couldn't picture life without this project — does not work. To buy a car more expensive to fight for Parking in the city? To move into an apartment and realize that a few years of life left to impose themselves with bricks? Or to go abroad and all my life to say to yourself: "I failed." More precisely, not to speak, and unconsciously understand. Get up in the morning, go to work, get paid, the sun is shining, and the subconscious mind says to you, "And you're still a loser..."Because it will not be forgotten. You betrayed some ideals — it is unclear, however, what — but what exactly betrayed.

Picture alternatives is a thousand times worse than the fall. So nothing like the support of friends or is there some motivational and positive pieces out of the pits did not help me. Friends, on the contrary, spoke, that all this is nonsense. So the only thing that pulled — no way to retreat. If it take the form of recommendations how to do so from the falls to benefit, I do think that in any WAY. The drops do not have any benefit, even better, everything goes fine. And I don't think there is a special skill how to get out of drops and to them to adopt a philosophical approach. I absolutely are not philosophical, they are very painful to hit. It just so happens that in this particular project I have no other option but to make it work.







 

— How do you manage to combine work and construction of the village?

— Interesting question... Frankly, looking back on everything that has been done, you know that the village is being built very slowly. It turns out that combining it turns out bad. Great answer, right? It is expected the secret to everything, and no secret is to combine it turns out BADLY

However, they are different activities. I'm going to the village and rest.

But at this stage I don't even know at what point I benefit the village. The construction is supervised by the father. Maxim (my school friend, architect) doing the designing, I only meet new people, talk about it, do some administrative movement, find the right people.

— What he thinks about your wife? Still, you have a baby, there are risks, complexity, and solve the problem with housing was possible and easier.

First she decided that I was crazy. When we watched the first-place candidate in the small town of Belaya Kholunitsa 80 km from Kirov, and I said something like: "here we will build a house and raise children we" — she looked at me with horror.

Then we traveled, saw the towns in the Central Federal district. I'm in a couple of places I went, the Lights in a couple of places I went. Went to Tula, where everything is wonderful and close to Moscow. Looked at nature and said — it's better in Moscow. Tula oblast is, with rare exceptions, flat as a pancake, a field with dozens of trees on the horizon and no forest.



Now she, of course, optimism. The place on which to build the village, is awesome — it's so beautiful. At the same side of the city with all necessary infrastructure, an hour away is the regional centre with the airport and station, 3D cinemas, molami and restaurants. A regular winding in a rented apartment in Moscow, greatly strengthened our intention to live in their own house. Most importantly she fear was that we would be alone in the field. That we have directly established term. Everyone says: "you Will be there ALONE IN the FIELD." "Programmers — these fools — I'm going to live ALONE IN the FIELD!". Well, okay, started to build the second house began to talk "the TWO of us IN the FIELD." Then moved you from the Bones — was the "THREE FIELD"... the Field is all about. I wonder what number this feature disappear?

What about the children. Many say that leaving Moscow, you are depriving their children of opportunities. Mugs and sections — it's great. But I believe that the people who live around meant for a child's development much more. Wouldn't want to offend anyone, but the majority of Muscovites and visitors, and indigenous — in all seriousness I think that the main thing in life is FLAT, and the main skill is to be able to GET. They are accustomed all his life to fight for a piece of bread, they realize that resources are limited and the neighbor — enemy. They broadcast it to their children, and meet in the kindergarten and the school is hit in the head and your. It is difficult to imagine what mugs and sections can compensate for this bug. Add here the inevitable losses of health that the child receives in the metropolis.

— Last question: life is interesting to you is how?

Is when you have on the horizon there's something for you to paddle. Then each following day, simply can not be like the previous one. When you every day to solve new problems that stand between you and that point on the horizon, you just don't have time to look for new experiences — instead they find you.   published 

 

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

Source: interesno.co/interview/0eb52e4e5883