Europe lags behind in innovation and the new iPhone is the most recent example

Mr. Dzhelebov, imagine that Elon Musk has achieved a big breakthrough in space travel, and you are going on a year-long trip to Mars. Which three celebrities (living or dead) would you like to accompany you?

It may sound clichéd, but I’d go with Musk himself, Steve Jobs and Salvador Dali.

You are entitled to spend one working day with a company executive (living or dead). Who would you choose and why?

Steve Jobs, because I would like to know how you can create products that change the course of human history - and do it several times in a row at that!

Imagine you are shipwrecked on a lonely island with all your basic human needs (food, water, shelter) met. What two things would you like to have with you and why?

A computer and internet connection - I will have all the time in the world and full focus to create amazing things.

If you could give away just one book as a gift for the rest of your life, which one would it be?

"Moral Letters to Lucilius" (by Lucius Annaeus Seneca).

You are a time traveler. You have the option to move forward into the future or go back into the past. Where would you go and why?

Certainly, I would visit the future. I've always tried to anticipate it and strategize around it.

You have a chance to get a superpower (any skill you can think of), but only for a day. Which one would you choose and why?

Being able to travel through time so I can uncover what the future holds.

Can you identify the biggest threat or challenge for your company in the next five years?

If the State tightens regulations so much, under the pretext of the "common good of consumer rights", that they make innovation almost impossible and the status quo gets cemented.

In which area Bulgaria has the greatest potential to become a leader in Europe?

I think we have extremely successful fintech companies and we can be one of the driving forces in Europe.

AI is a hot topic, but what is the most neglected issue about it that is important to discuss?

In Europe, innovation has been slowing down tremendously and, if we don't change that, we will very quickly lose the race for the 21st century. For example, many of the AI ​​features of the new iPhone model will not be available in Europe due to the same reasons that cause an obstacle to innovation.

What work task of yours would you never want to outsource to a robot?

Goal setting and team development.

Which is more important: talent or hard work?  

Hard work!

Which is more important: education or experience?  

Experience. 

What are the three things without which success is impossible?

Hard work, luck and resilience.

What fascinates you nowadays?

The acceleration of productivity growth.

What's the best advice you've ever received?

Not to fall in love with my ideas.

What is the hardest lesson you’ve learned?

That I have to trust my own judgment rather than trust in people who are more experienced than me.

What’s the biggest challenge you've overcome?

Going from a state of de facto bankruptcy to changing strategy, attracting investment and turning a profit while starting a new company.

When was the last time you said to yourself: “This was my best day at work”? What was the occasion?

22 December 2018 – the day I kept my promise to investors that they would buy their Christmas presents with their phones.

What is your biggest passion – something you are ALL IN?

Creating products that customers love (and that work for the business).

Translated by Tzvetozar Vincent Iolov