Whereas most know-how pioneers rely on their telephones for each element of their lives, Pavel Durov, founding father of the Telegram app, lives in a totally totally different means.
This 41-year-old Russian billionaire runs one of many largest know-how firms on this planet with out a cellphone, and with a small workforce of solely 40 engineers.
Right this moment, his fortune is estimated at $17.1 billion, and his app serves greater than a billion customers around the globe, with revenues reaching a whole lot of thousands and thousands of {dollars} yearly.
In a latest interview with the Lex Fridman podcast, Durov revealed his work and life philosophy, which mixes strict private self-discipline with forward-thinking that defies all the principles of Silicon Valley.
Break the principles of Silicon Valley
Within the startup world, they are saying pace is every little thing: rent quick, launch quicker, and keep on-line across the clock.
Nevertheless, Durov sees fairly the other. Every of those guidelines – in his opinion – hinders creativity and creates organizational chaos. “True energy,” he says, “comes from what you refuse to do, not from what you do.”
Self-discipline first…not electronic mail
Durov begins his day with 300 push-ups and 300 squats, earlier than touching any digital machine. No notifications, no messages, no digital noise. Simply pure bodily effort.
“A very powerful muscle you possibly can prepare is self-discipline,” he says. “Whenever you strengthen it, every little thing else comes into its personal.”
For him, this isn’t a minor element. Most managers and entrepreneurs begin their day immersed in electronic mail and work purposes, whereas he begins by strengthening his willpower first. His recommendation is straightforward: “Strive doing 50 push-ups earlier than you open your cellphone tomorrow. You will be amazed on the distinction in your focus for the remainder of the day.”
Shortage makes genius
Durov grew up in Soviet Russia, in an surroundings with restricted assets. Unable to afford video video games, he created his personal. That early rarity sharpened his technical creativeness.
“Deprivation breeds creativity, which is why you see loads of gifted programmers coming from areas that did not have fashionable know-how,” he says.
He applies this precept immediately on Telegram. As a substitute of using a whole lot, it depends on simply 40 engineers to handle greater than 100,000 servers around the globe. how?
Merely put, he refuses to develop the workforce. “When you do not enable staff to scale up, they’re pressured to automate,” Durov says. “Constraints breed good options.”
His philosophy is evident: As a substitute of constructing “human empires,” construct clever methods that work on their very own. These constraints, he sees it, stimulate innovation greater than the abundance of assets.
Automation or struggling
If Telegram had been run within the conventional means, it could want hundreds of staff. However Durov made automation the inspiration of every little thing. When a server crashes, the code fixes it. When the strain rises, the methods mechanically adapt. All with out human intervention.
The aim right here shouldn’t be solely to scale back prices, but additionally to enhance efficiency. “Each millisecond counts,” Durov explains. “Half a second of delay, multiplied by billions of day by day operations, equals centuries of wasted time for people.”
This philosophy of “most effectivity” has made Telegram probably the most steady purposes on this planet, regardless of its easy administrative construction.
A enterprise mannequin that doesn’t exploit the person
In contrast to WhatsApp and most messaging apps, Durov rejects the thought of focused promoting and person information assortment. “Cash has by no means been the first aim,” he says.
As a substitute, a voluntary contributions mannequin is most well-liked. Greater than 15 million customers subscribe to the Telegram Premium service, getting further advantages in change for respecting their privateness.
This step, which some thought of “unattainable” at first, now generates greater than half a billion {dollars} yearly.
The lesson is straightforward: “Construct one thing that individuals love as a result of they belief it, not since you’re exploiting their information. The cash will come later.”
Recruitment by means of competitors
Durov does not depend on LinkedIn or recruiters. Quite, he finds his engineers by means of programming competitions that simulate actual issues going through Telegram. Winners are appointed immediately.
“What’s higher than a job interview? An actual competitors that reveals who actually has the talent,” he says.
Certainly one of its most distinguished engineers started competing on the age of 14, profitable eight competitions earlier than he was 21 — after which he joined the workforce.
Each element has a value
Durov is understood for his excessive precision. He personally opinions each design and each motion within the app, even the visible impact when deleting messages took him months of overview. “Customers could not discover small particulars, however they depart an influence when they’re ignored.”
He provides that any easy error within the code may price the corporate thousands and thousands of {dollars} because of the large quantity of customers. “One inattentive programmer can create inefficient code that results in large losses.”
Philosophy of rejection
In the long run, Telegram’s success relies on a easy precept: say no extra typically than you say sure.
No to the cellphone. No to massive groups. No to adverts that violate privateness.
Durov lives a lifetime of self-discipline, constructing his firm on the ideas of rigor and focus. Whereas Silicon Valley firms burn thousands and thousands on hundreds of staff, he proves that empires could be constructed with simplicity and self-discipline… not noise.
Supply: Forbes
