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Discover who’s who in the tech startup industry with Founders Network Founder Profiles. Each profile covers one of our founders, their startup vision, achievements and curre
nt focus. Gain key insights about their most valuable lessons learned, greatest mentors and tips for staying motivated.
Name: Alex Trimis
Alex Trimis, CEO/Co-founder of dopios.com
Location: San Francisco, CA
Current Startup: Dopios (which means “local” in Greek) is a community marketplace that connects travelers with locals, based on their travel style, for travel advice and authentic local experiences.
Bio: Alex is an entrepreneur at heart, with the mindset of an engineer and the creativity of a kindergartener. He loves ideas that challenge our way of thinking and push us to discover new ways of seeing and interacting with our surroundings. His goal is to create and improve human experiences.
Education: MS, Engineering Management, Stanford University
Lessons Learned:
While working on dopios.com I have learned to appreciate the power of the team. You need a strong bond between you and your team to solve problems. Problem solving is an integral part of startup success. If your product isn’t working you can pivot and change perspective when you have a strong team backing you up. If you don’t have good communication, delegation or you can’t rely on each other; your product will suffer. My advice to startup founders is to focus on building your team. Also keep in mind the that the company culture is built by the first set of people. They are the ones who will set the standards so be careful on bringing in the right first people.
I have also learned that you have to do what works for you. Sometimes it’s not helpful to listen to what everybody else is doing, or what is the “ideal”, just because something is working for them doesn’t necessarily meant it will work for your startup. Be open to others feedback but consider how that advice applies to you. Working hard, playing the game your way and sticking to your task will eventually pay off.
Greatest Mentors:
I like to take advice from a lot of people. I listen to people who have made it through what I am doing and really understand my pain. I think that the great part about Founders Network is that it connects me to people who have already done this before. I am looking forward to finding many more mentors in this group.
Staying Motivated:
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It’s really motivating to see users finding value while using dopios.com the way it’s intended. Altering someone’s trip for the better is more fulfilling than anything else.
- Whats really driving my team right now is knowing where we are and where we want to go. Having a very clear end point gives us all the energy we need to keep going. It is more than certain that there are going to be ups and downs, but having a clear goal and being passionate about the messy problem you are solving gives you the fuel to continue. After all we are all here for the “changing lives” business, not the “show me the money” one.
Want to learn more about @dopios? Follow their blog or contact @alextrimis on Twitter.
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