Mapala Team. Who are these people? How did they get involved in the project? What do they do for it? Why do they keep working on it, regardless of the risks typical for any startup?

Let us introduce another member of the project to you. It is always interesting not only to observe the results of work, but also to look inside - see people standing behind these results. And there are simple people working behind the curtain. And this is their work that mostly determines the project's future.

Please welcome Alexander Petrov, marketing manager of Mapala project.

Hi, Alex! How are you doing? Ready for the interview?

Hi, Dmitriy! I am fine, it is sunny outside) Of course, I am ready, let's get it started!

How did you find out about Mapala project?

Actually, there were some accidents which only seem accidental. I installed Telegram and started looking through different channels - just to know what was there. Usually, I do not like messengers - they are just rubbish for my computer. But I installed that one and someone shared a link with me to a chat for startups. I followed the link, and there Sergey Logvin found me. I had to introduce myself, so I told him a few words. Sergey listened to me carefully and exclaimed: "Oh, we need you!", after that he sent me a link to mapala.net. And that is how I found out about this project.

When you found out about Mapala, what was it that attracted you? What did you find interesting? And what made you focus your attention even more?

Before that, I spent a year looking for some kind of activity for myself. When I came from America I tried out different businesses, opened a factory, it went bankrupt, so I started thinking about my next step. I wanted to open a business on water purification, I also had some other business ideas. I had a goal to do something useful for everyone. Actually, water purification is a useful occupation. But it did not strike a spark in me, so I gave it up halfway and had been looking for something else for half a year. I spent days lying on the coach in my apartment, I just didn't know what to do. Meanwhile, I had been using my marketing skills to make living: I worked remotely, had been selling my advertising.

And when I joined Mapala, I suddenly realized that it was the thing I had been looking for. This is an activity where I can fulfil myself. I understood that all this is more than real. I can do what I like, make something useful for the world and achieve my dreams which can come true now. At the same time, do not forget that dreams don't become real just like that. You should make dreams come true!

I agree. I believe that a lot of people think the same way about a favorite occupation. I myself wrote about this a lot. Well, let's talk about your role in the project. Tell me, what were your first steps in the team? First assignments? What was the first thing you did being the team's member?

Back then, there were five people in the team. They used to communicate by the phone every day. When they found out that I'm a marketer, they immediately added me to the PR chat and invited to the morning hangout. I listened to what the guys were talking about. I understood that my knowledge can be useful there. I saw what problems they had at the time. And I began solving those problems. I had to figure out what Mapala was. I agreed on a conversation with Sergey and Lehard (note - Alex Soloviev, aka @lehard, one of the Mapala founders) and began throwing questions at them: what, how, what, where. At the same time, I began drawing a mind map - I really like to use it for planning. I tried to figure it out myself and do it in a way so that everyone else who gets acquainted with the project could also understand what it is - in simple words.

So, I can actually say that you missed some kind of an adaptation period. It's like now we have volunteers in our candidates pool: they try to do something, we have many of them, but it seems obvious - the project has become popular in a way. But you, due to the fact that the project was at an early stage when you joined in and, of course, because of your professional skills, managed to gain a foothold in the team's core almost from the beginning.

Yes and no. I still think that the main point was that when I heard about the idea, I got very excited... I was working remotely as a marketer at the time and when I found out about Mapala, it turned out that I began devoting to my main job a couple of hours a day, instead of eight hours. Because the rest of my time was given to Mapala, I tried to get into everything deeply and to understand every detail of it, it was very interesting. And the second main point is I did not wait for someone to ask for something or give me some advice. I tried to use all my knowledge for Mapala, in other words, I wanted to be as useful to the project, as I could from the very beginning. Initially, I did not even consider becoming a part of the team, I just was very interested in the project itself, in its ideology. I wanted to help it as much as I could. And then I was invited to the team and, of course, I took the offer.

Yes, I remember that. You've never been afraid to take the initiative, set some tasks, and even argue with the founders, if necessary. I've always liked it, because the truth is born in a dispute. And when you share in the common cause, you need to listen to very different opinions.

You are right – I really love to argue :)

Can you say what was the most difficult moment or period since you've joined the team? When you were experiencing some serious difficulties, felt a heavy burden of responsibility?

Good question. To be honest, all these situations happen quite often, because this is a startup - no one is 100% sure what the right way is, no one has a magic wand to make everything fantastic instantly. The most important thing is to keep calm and do your job. As they say: if you love rainbow, be ready to be caught in the rain.

That is what we do. Therefore, our work is about trying out various hypotheses. We test options. If an option works, we try to develop it, to scale it, as it is happening now with the free travel contest. And here in this crazy race, in a search of ways, ideas, opinions, which we have new in large quantities every day, sometimes it is very difficult to stay focused on one thing. Because you see that you can do it this way or that way, or even in another way. In other words, you see a hundred opportunities. It is very difficult to pick the most necessary and relevant one.

I understand you perfectly. Tell us a few words about your current main tasks in the team. What are you doing now?

I do not even know how to express it. My tasks and responsibilities can be so different.

Of course, now we are not going to show all the aces to people, because some things still wait their time...

Yes, we will not talk about things that are not relevant yet. Well, to put it briefly, I am responsible for marketing, a strategic vision for the project development in the next iterations. To be more specific, today it is the free travel contest ... the development of its tested version, current model that is no longer a hypothesis. Although it was tested only once, I think we will bring it to the end result. I have now taken the responsibility for this project and I am going to develop it as much as I can. At the same time, I try to solve other questions about the traffic within the team.

Excellent. And, of course we would like to hear from you some plans for the future, because I guess that you, like all of us, see your future with Mapala in the first place. After all, it has become much more than just work for us.

Mapala is one love, full stop, I've nothing more to add. I realized that I found what I had been looking for many years, a workplace next to the people I like, the occupation that I like, something that I want and can do outside of working hours. I can say that I have no longer "working time" in my life, because I do not consider it a job. Basically, it has become my lifestyle, from dusk to dawn I think about how I can improve the thing that I do. And it's really cool. Work inspires me, gives me energy.

As for the plans for future: I think that everything in the project will develop and grow, so success is inevitable. I am sure that we will definitely achieve the results we set. And, the closer we get to the coveted goal, the more energy and emotions we obtain from it.

Well, let's speak a bit about your private life. I'm sure that our readers will be glad to know that you recently became a dad. If you do not mind, tell us about your feelings, how does it feel to be a father?

Yeah, that is true) It feels terrific in all the ways! I wish it to everyone. They say that fathers do not notice any particular changes in the first weeks and months. Maybe, I can't say for sure ... we'll see... It seems to me that I am very positive about this - so much happiness has come to my hands!

Great! At the end of our dialogue, I want to ask about one thing. You can answer as a marketer, or as a member of the Mapala team - as you wish. What would you advise people who are interested in the project, but they still doubt, whether to join it or not, in any role: either a user or volunteer?

Actually, it is quite simple. And you can employ this advice not only in Mapala project, but in general, in any matter of this kind. You should join activities that you consider right. If you like ideas, spirit, you definitely should join. You should do what you like, otherwise there is no point in doing anything at all. I am extremely against the situation when people crave for profit and sacrifice their emotional gratification.

Well put, Alex! Thank you for the interesting conversation! I think our audience would like to get acquainted with another key team member, a people who pushes Mapala project towards success. I was glad to talk! See you later!

Me too, Dmitriy! Thank you too... your questions got me really sweaty) Bye!

Interviewed by Dmitriy Kin

Editor