The former Soviet republics know how to provoke thoughts

Introduce yourself in a few words..

My name is Denis Florov, currently the founder and operational director of the energy and resource management platform AIoTCloud.

For you, the journey around the world is?

First-second-third education. For whoever, in whatever order it falls, but no less important than formal education.

How many different countries have you seen so far? Tell us an interesting story or highlights from your travels?

The fingers of both hands are not enough. Every trip has its memorable moments – the most interesting thing is that in most cases, the everyday occurrences, like missed flights, driving in the wrong direction, incidental changes in plans, random meetings with familiar people thousands of kilometers away from usual meeting places, etc., are remembered and told long-term. The most stressful situations create the funniest stories to tell.

Do you like to repeat destinations? Give examples and motivation “for” or “against”?

If a destination is repeated too often, due to desire, not due to personal or professional necessity, it becomes more of an obligation and we try to replicate “that time” when it was the most memorable, and it is always some unattainable chimera. “For” repeating destinations after a certain period of time and “against” the routine repetition of destinations until they become a habit.

What was your first trip that truly changed you as a professional and can be said to have changed your thinking?

As a professional, I can't say it changed me, but the former Soviet republics know how to provoke thoughts – of course, for everyone in a different way.  

What do you learn about yourself and your professional skills when you are in a new cultural environment?

Regularly changing the cultural environment is a way to remind ourselves that “normal” is a moving target, as much personally as professionally. The implicit “normal” perceptions and practices are “normal” only locally or regionally. Changing the cultural environment is a good method for reminding that no destination is the center of the universe, which dictates the order for all.

Have you met people or ideas during your travels that have influenced your career path?

Of course. There is almost no destination where there hasn’t been something and/or someone to influence me. Mostly in terms of perceptions.

Do you think your travels help you expand your professional network? How?

Often, the contacts that started as personal intertwine with professional ones and unconsciously it turns out that you have quite a professional network in a foreign market.

What skills do you develop the most when you travel, and how do they reflect on your work ?

Traveling and interesting, challenging work are similar in that both are a kind of love affair with discomfort. You leave the familiar to chase the wild and often in the end it pays off.

Is there a city or country that has inspired you to start a new business or project?

There are those that have inspired me to leave a business or project. :)

When you are in an unfamiliar country, do you feel more motivated or more distracted? Why?

Everything depends on the destination and the purpose for which I am there.

Are there destinations that act as a “restart” for your creativity and ambition?

I can't think of one, but traditionally for every destination I plan at least one gallery or location related to art – from Caravaggio to Banksy, exhibitions in different countries always restart creativity.    

How do you manage the balance between work and pleasure, when you travel?

Either one or the other – everything in between is a poor execution of both.

How have travels changed the way you perceive the value of money?

When a critical mass of travels to different destinations accumulates, it becomes increasingly clear that “much” and “little” are relative concepts.

Do you travel with the aim of finding new ways to earn money?

Except for delegations, where it is implied that the main goal is market expansion – no. Of course, even on vacation, I always catch myself that it doesn’t take long for the moment when I view the market as attractive or not, as well as the mandatory review of property prices. I think that Bulgarians cannot go somewhere and not make a comparison – it’s stronger than us, for sure stronger than me.

What lessons about financial independence have you learned from different economies and cultures?

Contrary to statistics, it is striking that the more developed social policy and incentives a country has, the lower the percentage of people who can be called financially independent. There is no created need for them to be such.

According to you, is it better to spend on experiences rather than on material possessions?

After reaching a normal standard of living, I think this is a universal rule.

How do you see the future of digital nomadic life?

In defined ecologies and increasingly mainly for freelance/self-employed professionals. For better or worse, in the coming years I expect the trend of returning employees to their employers' offices to remain, even if not for a full 5-day work week.

Are there specific countries that are more favorable for work and investments?

Those with government. :)

If you could choose one place in the world to develop your next big idea, what would it be and why?

Big-big ideas imply global by default and headquarters in one of the known financial centers, so in my opinion, the wide choice is more of an illusion.

What are the destinations you would definitely recommend to be visited and why?

There are no mandatory ones. Everyone perceives differently and for everyone, the “mandatory” list should be different.

What is the career advice you would give based on what you have seen around the world?

More calmly. :) There are not many places where people work more than us in Bulgaria.