Vadim Belyakov is from Moscow, Russia and has been a serial entrepreneur since 1999 when ROST XXI Group was founded. ROST main activity was the importation and distribution of fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) throughout the entire Russian Federation and it quickly became Russia’s leader in brand sales. In recent years, the company has shifted focus providing real-estate development and back office solutions to medium size multi-national companies doing business in Russia. Vadim is also the President of Uniland, a trading company that distributes a wide range of products to consumers in the Urals. He is a member of YPO and has won multiple awards to including Best Regional Learning Officer, Best Large Personal Event, and Best Overall Experience.
He has his Master of Arts from the Russian Academy of Economy and is a graduate of London Business School and Harvard Business School. Since 2017 he has been working on the NotAlone App, which is an application for young people who feel alone, depressed, and struggle with Anxiety. The app uses innovative and life-changing technology like an AI bot, online forums, and 20 years of established clinical psychological experience to provide users with various strategies to meaningfully connect and deepen healthy and positive self-awareness.
Show Notes:
- Not Alone App - Vadim's creation to help people dealing with feeling alone, depressed, and struggling with anxiety.
- (15:00) - How is Vadim dealing with the conflict? What is the mood in Moscow and how are people reacting?
- (24:00) - How has life changed in Russia and Moscow?
- (29:00) - President Putin still has the majority support of everyone in Russia.
- (30:00) - If you are a Russian and oppose the war you are alienated. If you travel outside the country you are alienated. You feel like a compete refugee. You are judged by the actions of the government not your own character as a person.
- (36:00) - How are Russian businesses dealing with sanctions?
- (45:00) - What do Russian people say is the reason this conflict started?
- (52:00) - In Negotiations you understand the term ZOPA (Zone Of Possible Agreement). Before the start of the conflict we had a small ZOPA area but now Vadim believes there is none.
- (1:12:13) - "I believe that iron curtains today are built in our brains by propaganda. It is no longer physical walls." - Vadim
- (1:15:00) - Professor Rawi Abdelal - HBS Case Study "Russia: A Drama in Three Acts"
- (1:21:00) - Why Vadim is worried that nuclear weapons could be used.
- (1:24:00) - "My heart is for peace." - Vadim
- One final key insight. Vadim does not believe Russia has aims to occupy a country of 40M people that do not want them there. That would not be possible in his mind. If that is the case. What is their objective? Let's assume neither side will get 100% what they want. Where is the compromise that both can live with? My fear is that we are creating a new cold war scenario where we will end up with a larger version of the Berlin Wall and Korean DMZ and a stalemate that lasts for years and future generations must deal with since current leaders and diplomats have been unable to find a solution.
"The most American thing we can do is think for ourselves, question authority, and demand transparency. When we are faced with the rare moments where we find the unusual convergence of consensus narrative forming...double down on all of the above."