The Insider.pro team welcomes a new top-level participant. Evgeny Vlasov, who had recently joined us as a Managing Partner, is a well-known expert in the fields of web analytics and call tracking and the former CEO of Calltouch. Before joining Insider.pro, he managed various projects in Canada, New Zealand, Malaysia and Argentina. The editorial board asked him a few questions.
Good afternoon, Evgeny. Could you please tell us more about what you were doing before you came to Insider.pro?
Good afternoon. I started my career in software testing and then retrained as a programmer. Soon I became the project manager and eventually rose to become CEO. But I'm not just a manager, no. My motto is that a good leader must work with his hands and mind just as hard as his subordinates. I do not support hierarchy of power. Most of all I appreciate the flexibility to approach, quickness and creativity. And, of course, I think that every leader must have a deep understanding of their field.
Have you ever worked in media before?
When you are a CEO, you always have to deal with media, one way or another. But I have never really been inside this business.
So, why Insider.pro then?
I liked the idea of an international financial-themed project, which is not just a publication, but an entire ecosystem with lots of cool services, especially those related to cryptocurrencies. In general, I really do like this “crypto” ideology. Everything is developing so rapidly, and in a fascinating way. When it comes to cryptocurrencies, the sky is the limit, that's for sure.
Do you think this market has potential in Russia? Will Bitcoin be legalized any time soon?
I think that you can not prohibit the unprohibitable. It will eventually be legalized, and the sooner this is done, the more control, the more transparency there will be. Maybe Russia should take the cue from the US and act in the same direction, if not more actively.
How do you see this in the future?
I believe regulators need to soften their approach to crypto. It’s important not to choke the progress or the industry, but to join efforts to take full advantage of the technology. We need a clear and well-defined regulatory framework, allowing any fair business to act within the law, and not the way it is now, when most governments do not actually forbid anything, but at any moment someone can come to scrutinize you and perhaps to punish you for no good reason. We should not be afraid of cryptocurrency. What we have to do is to study the market and the tech, and apply it at different levels to reap its full benefits. This blockchain-powered future is already taking shape in many startups that will once become the world’s largest companies. Smart contracts will defeat bureaucracy. I believe in it.
And do you yourself follow the bitcoin price?
Of course. Firstly, the price of bitcoin reflects the market sentiment as a whole, and secondly, it has the largest capitalization of all cryptocurrencies. And of course I follow the market news, too.
Let's return to your new job. What will you do in Insider.pro? What are your plans?
We’re going to release some pretty cool products and increase cooperation with advertisers. We will try to make it so that everyone finds it interesting and convenient, both our audience and our partners. Working on this project, I will try to put into practice all the experience I gained in the field of analytics. For example, we will use the most transparent pricing models, such as CPA or CPO, and we will try to become a platform where authors and even the most active readers will be able to monetize their skills. We will launch more cool cryptocurrency-themed projects, such as ICO Calendar, Handbook, or Guides, and more.
Would you mind to tell us more about them?
Well, Handbook is a kind of FAQ in which we will collect the most popular questions and answers on cryptocurrency. Later we plan to allow users to add new entries themselves, and, perhaps, even to earn money on it.
We often write about famous CEOs and and other big names, such as Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Warren Buffett, Bill Gates or Richard Branson. Of those mentioned, whom do you relate to the most?
I admire certain features in each of them, and I'm far from idealizing anyone in particular. I like Zuckerberg's optimism and his true love for his offspring, Musk’s micromanagement style and his global ambitions, Buffett's fundamental approach. I do not share his opinion on cryptocurrencies, though. And Gates — he truly is a pioneer, he simply can not help but be the idol of anyone who is involved with programming and technology. Things are a bit more complicated with Branson, but I'm still amazed at his restlessness. His books should be used to teach sales in school (taking them with a grain of salt, of course). But speaking about the approach to work, Musk undoubtedly leads the way.