How professionals work. Mikhail Konoplev, CEO Houzz in Russia

“How professionals work” again on “Megamind”, presents to each reader another high-class specialist. Today's hero is Mikhail Konoplev, the former director of Airbnb in Russia and the current CEO of Houzz , who recently entered the domestic market.

For those who do not know, we explain: Houzz is the world's leading online platform for finding specialists for the repair and design of interiors. Houzz is the largest global community of users and experts. Headquartered in Palo Alto, but the company has international offices in London, Berlin, Sydney, Tokyo and of course in Moscow.

Current Location:
Moscow, Russia

Current place of work:
Houzz
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One word that best describes how you work:
Execution

How many hours a day do you work?
9-10

Current mobile device:
iPhone 4

Current computer:
MacBook Air 13 "

Without any applications, programs, utilities you can not live?
Evernote, Houzz, GetTaxi, Uber, Dashlane, Airbnb, TurboScan.

Which life hack helps you save time?

1. Plan your day / week / month as carefully as possible;
2. Zero inbox - sorting all letters according to recommendations from the book Getting Things Done - what takes less than 5 minutes - I answer immediately, more, but urgently - send to the TODAY folder, more, but not urgently - to THIS WEEK, and also automatically scatter regular letters to individual folders;
3. The minimum of incoming information - I go to the social network no more than 1-2 times a week, Skype is almost always off;
4. To hold a maximum of meetings in your office and preferably in the afternoon, as usually morning is the most productive time;
5. Read books only on proven recommendations;
6. Conducting initial interviews with candidates on Skype. In Houzz, for example, on top positions I conducted on average 15-20 interviews. I spend a considerable part of my working time on the selection of candidates and talking on Skype is enough to form an initial idea of ​​the candidate’s experience / qualities and decide on further actions.
7. Hire professionals who can work as independently as possible.

What kind of to-do manager do you use?
Evernote, plus the folder TODAY / THIS WEEK in the mail.

What do you listen when you work?
I do not listen to music at work.

What are you reading now?
The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and Age of Amazon.

Which book from the last read was remembered the most?
Autobiography of Arnold Schwarzenegger: "Recall All."

Do you use e-readers or prefer paper books?
I recognize only paper books. By the way, Houzz recently conducted a global survey on the topic of where people keep books. So, it turned out that most people have an attachment to the books they read and specifically provide space for their storage in the interior - they build cabinets, allocate zones on the loggias. In our digital time this is a curious trend.

How long do you sleep?
8-9 hours

Are you an owl or a lark?
Lark

How do you have breakfast?
I try to have breakfast as tightly as possible (oatmeal, cottage cheese, fruit, nuts or scrambled eggs), as I do a lot of sports and experimentally I came to the conclusion that a good breakfast gives more energy for the day. I often have breakfast in the office with the Houzz team: we are like in a big family, every morning everyone gathers around the table, discussing the news and plans for the day.

How do you spend your time on the way to work / from work?
From work, I ponder and draw up an action plan for the next day, and for work, an operational plan for the day. Since Houzz in Russia was launched just 2 months ago, we are working in “Ferrari-mode”.

What advice you have ever been given can you convey to others?
People are the company's most valuable asset.