Things Risking Has Taught Me

Risking may be one of the most rewarding things — there, I said it.

Let’s look at the history of Apple. To build and fund their first-ever product — an 8-bit motherboard-only PC, unknown as Apple 1, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak sold their personal belongings, risked it all, and invested in themselves. Today, Apple is the largest and most expensive company in the world, so I would argue the risk paid off big time.

During my career, I also had to take risks. Some people may have thought they were crazy, but I risked anyway. Today, I’m glad I did because it taught me several valuable lessons.?

Lesson 1: Cherish what you have

It might be hard to believe, but there was a time when I decided to relinquish my post as a CEO, move to Boston, and help SupportYourApp grow from there. I risked it all, sold almost everything I had and moved to the States. I was there for 6 months, after which I realized how much I loved my position, my company, and my country. The decision to come back came naturally to me, and so I did.?

This experience changed the way I look at everything I have. After everything my team and I have been through, I know, the most valuable resource a person can have are people around them. Friends, family, teammates, and experiences we built and have together are the real treasures of this life, and I cherish them every moment of my life.

Lesson 2: Celebrate

One of the biggest risks my team and I took over the last 5 years was expanding our team with people from beyond the borders of our country. As a result, we grew from 500 people to 1200 in almost one year. If that is not the reason to celebrate, then I don’t know what is.?

Today, SupportYourApp has a tradition — we celebrate our team’s growth every 100 new teammates. We get together, eat cake, and bond. To be honest, these are the moments I am looking forward to and will not get tired of, even after tens of thousands of professionals join us.?

The psychology behind this is simple: if there is no celebration, the risk and the milestone are not cherished. They go by unnoticed. Reward-less, almost. A celebration can become an incentive to take another risk in the future. Plus, who doesn’t love cake??

It is also a good opportunity to take a pause and reflect on what was done, what could have been done differently, and how the process can be improved in the future. All in all, I believe this is one of the best lessons I could have possibly learned.?

Lesson 3: If you can’t change the situation, change your attitude

I took this one from the Stoics. There are things in life that cannot be controlled. If there is a need to risk, take a leap of faith, and do something that was never done before, it is better to go with the flow and trust things to run their course.?

Another crucial step here is to believe in myself and stand my ground. If I think about a new endeavor I assess all the risks beforehand, but once I make my mind up, nothing can make me change it. Come what may, win or lose (although I do everything I can to win), I know I will learn new things and get new experiences. And that is a win in itself.?

Lesson 4: Utilize your resources right

One of the biggest risks for SupportYourApp and for me was the launch of our spinoff companies — Label Your Data and Outstaff Your Team. Back in 2019, my team and I decided to take a plunge and instead of buying some new unneeded equipment, we decided to launch a new project. Over the last 4 years. Label Your Data grew into an independent company.?

The same happened one year later with Outstaff Your Team.?

These examples have shown me how important the correct utilization of resources is. People, funds, effort, and time — putting them into new projects and endeavors, essentially risking, is something I will not doubt again.

The final thing risking has taught me over the years is the bigger the risk, the better the reward. If we keep repeating the same things, we will get the same results. Taking risks (even though the result is never 100% assured), can pay off big time. The hardest thing is to take the first step and go from there.?