DeepDive Podcast # 175 - Naurbiev Path to Success

Magomed Norbiev's career journey is filled with interesting twists and turns. He started by selling shoes online before venturing into the mobile phone and computer repair service with his brother. They built a successful service business by combining technical expertise with business skills. Later, Magomed co-founded a business brokerage firm, which faced challenges during the Russian financial crisis but ultimately expanded to a premier business center. He also embraced AI and made it accessible to small and medium businesses. The main takeaway is the importance of lifelong learning and adaptability in today's fast-changing world. Okay, so today we're going to dive deep into the career of this guy, Magomed Norbiev. Yeah, fascinating story, right? It really is. And what we have is some excerpts from a Russian text. Okay. That detail his journey as an entrepreneur. And I think what's really interesting about this particular deep dive is that, you know, we're not just looking at one business idea. Yeah. It's more about like, you know, how does somebody build skills over time? Yeah, yeah. Adapt to challenges and then see those opportunities when they come up. Absolutely. And the thing that really blew my mind was that this guy, Magomed, started out selling shoes online. Interesting. Yeah. So like shoes to AI, you know. It's not the typical trajectory you'd expect. No, not at all. So how does that even, like, how is that even possible? Right. So that's what we're going to find out. Well, and I think it's easy to focus on like the big success story, the end result, without really appreciating like all the little steps along the way, you know, and even something as simple as selling shoes online. Wow. Think about the skills you learn there. Yeah. You're learning about customers. You're learning inventory management. Logistics. Logistics. Yeah. I mean, these are all skills that you can apply. Anything. To any business, really. It's so true. And it's kind of like that whole idea that you don't need to have it all figured out. Exactly. You don't need this big master plan. Yeah. You can sort of just dive in and start doing stuff and figure it out as you go. Learn by doing. Right. Yeah, exactly. And it's like leveling up in a video game almost. Absolutely. Each step gives you experience points. Exactly. That you can then apply to the next challenge. Totally. Totally. And speaking of next level, that's where his brother, Ahmed, comes in. Okay. Yeah. Tell me about that. So they decided to team up and start this mobile phone and computer repair service. Interesting. Yeah. And on the surface, you're like, okay, shoes to tech repair. Right. How does that even... What's the connection, right? Yeah. But I think this is where we start to see that MegaMed really understands how skills can work together. Yeah. That's synergistic. His brother had that technical expertise and he brings that business side of things. Operations growth. Yeah. Operations, marketing, all of that. And then they managed to build a really successful service business. That's impressive. It is. And it shows that even these smaller ventures can be those stepping stones. They're like build blocks. Yeah. Each one leading to something bigger and better. Exactly. And that leads us to, I think, one of his major accomplishments, Business Fresh and I. Okay. So this was the... Business brokerage firm. Business brokerage firm, right? Yeah. With a couple of partners, Roman and Alexander. Got it. And before we started looking at this stuff, I had a general idea of business brokering, but it's so much more complex than I thought. It's way more than just connecting buyers and sellers. It's like a whole world of legal stuff and valuations and negotiations. It's pretty high stakes. It's a lot of responsibility. I mean, you're basically facilitating the sale of a company, right? Right. So you've got to make sure everything's above board, all the paperwork is in order. Due diligence and all that. Exactly. And you want to ensure a smooth transition for everyone involved. And they were doing really well. They were growing the firm. Okay. They even opened an office in Savilovsky City. I know that area. Yeah. That's like a real up and coming business district. Yeah. It's a busy spot. Yeah. But then 2014 hits the Russian financial crisis. Oh, right. And they had to temporarily close down. Wow. I mean, you can imagine what a blow that must've been. It would be so easy to just throw in the towel at that point. Totally. But that's not what he did. No, he doesn't give up. He actually- He comes back stronger. Yeah. He reopens. Wow. And he ends up expanding even further. They move business Rishonai to Moscow City. Wow. That's like- Which is like the big leagues. Yeah. The big leagues. The premier international business center. Yeah. Exactly. That's a huge statement. It is. It's incredible. And it really shows how resilient he is. Yeah. It's like he took that crisis and turned it into an opportunity. Yeah. And then on top of all of that, he starts getting into AI. Okay. This is where it gets really interesting. Right. Yeah. So he's taking this cutting edge technology and making it accessible to small and medium businesses. So he's not just keeping up with the times. Right. He's like way ahead of the curve. He's thinking about the future. Yeah. And how AI can revolutionize the way these businesses operate. And all of this, if you look back at his whole career- Yeah. Like this constant evolution. He's all connected. Right. Yeah. He's always learning and adapting. And not afraid to jump into something new. Totally. Even if it's outside his comfort zone. Right. So what's the takeaway for the average person listening to this? I think the biggest lesson here is that lifelong learning is essential, especially in today's world. Things are changing so fast. Exactly. It doesn't matter if you're an artist or an engineer or an entrepreneur. Right. Being able to adapt. Yeah. Learn new skills, embrace new technology. That's what's going to set you apart. It's like building your own skill tree. Exactly. Like in a video game. What's that next level you want to reach? Yeah. And I think this deep dive has been such a good reminder- Yeah. That it's not about having the perfect plan. Nope. It's more about being open to new possibilities. And being willing to evolve. Just like Montgomery did. Exactly. Who knows? Maybe someday- Yeah. We'll be deep diving into your success story. I like that. From something small to something extraordinary. That's what it's all about. Absolutely. Thanks for joining me on this deep dive. It's been a pleasure. It's been awesome.