The Secret of Paul Durov’s Success as the Founder of Telegram
Almost all of us are familiar with Telegram. This popular messaging app has millions of users worldwide, surpassing all its competitors. Pavel Durov is the founder of Telegram, and his life story is just as interesting and captivating as the success story of Telegram. If you want to know the secret of Pavel Durov and Telegram’s success, read this article to the end.
The Russian Zuckerberg
34-year-old Pavel Durov, also known as the “Russian Zuckerberg,” is an entrepreneur from Saint Petersburg and founder of Russia’s largest social network, Vkontakte. Durov launched this network over a decade ago (in 2006) in his hometown, and today, this social network has more than 350 million users. Vkontakte means “In Contact With…” in Russian.
Pavel Durov’s Great Goal
One of Durov’s initial goals was to “protect the privacy of social network users.” Due to this belief, the Russian government has had problems with him. Durov is one of the most ardent critics of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Although Durov’s situation is different from being exiled, this issue has never stopped him, and he is still like a thorn on the side of the Russian government. When Durov was 31 years old, rumors circulated about his attendance at the opening ceremony of the Moscow Internet Economy Forum, but he never attended. The reality was that Durov no longer wanted his image to be associated with Russia.
Durov’s Problems and Forced Exit from Russia
Security and its pursuit of excessive success caused many problems for Durov and Telegram. The Russian government knew that social networks played a crucial role in the protests of Ukrainian protesters. Therefore, they asked Durov to cooperate with them and collect information about the leaders of the Ukrainian movement (who used Vkontakte to communicate with each other) and deliver it to them. However, Durov, who was stubbornly opposed to this, shared a picture of a dog in leather clothes on his social network while sticking his tongue out in response to them. This prank caused him to gradually lose control of Vkontakte due to the presence of investors and companies affiliated with the Kremlin. This taught him not to repeat the Vkontakte experience in Telegram.
But the story didn’t end there. In 2013, Paul Durov was accused of targeting a police officer in Moscow with his car and injuring him. Durov refused the police’s request for interrogation and dismissed the charges as baseless. He didn’t even know how to drive!
A few days later, the office of Vkontakte was attacked, but Durov and some of his loyal employees were no longer there. While Vkontakte investors were chasing him and his group everywhere, Durov published a short animation (GIF) on social networks showing Justin Timberlake (as Sean Parker) with his hand showing the sign of “false hope”!
Eventually, all of these problems forced Dorf to leave the country. After his forced departure, with the $260 million he had with him, he decided to launch a social network outside the country. He used this money well and designed a messaging app emphasizing encryption and security. This messaging app is the popular Telegram.
Telegram
Without the knowledge of authorities and investors of Vkontakte, Pavel Durov managed to secretly launch Telegram in Buffalo, New York. He brought his loyal and key employees to the United States to collaborate with him in this company. This encrypted application can be seen as Durov’s direct response to Kremlin’s infiltration into his social network.
Since then, Durov has become a symbol of free expression in Russia. Censorship cases have increased significantly in Russia in recent years, and new laws have been introduced that have created a strict environment for blogs. According to this law, any website with more than 3,000 daily visits must place a media guardian on its site and commit to the information it publishes.
These days, Durov travels anywhere in the world with four of his employees and uses Airbnb for accommodation. He changes his location every few months and has registered Telegram in multiple countries so that the company does not become exclusively involved in the policies of a particular country.
He rarely uses his phone to talk despite having three different phone numbers and occasionally changing them. He uses his encrypted email and messaging tools for all his correspondence. He regards Edward Snowden as his hero and admires Apple for refusing to decrypt iPhones for the FBI.
Vkontakte Experience
The Vkontakte experience is still fresh in Dorf’s mind and has driven this entrepreneur to exert all his efforts to control his messaging platform completely. Russian Zuckerberg has a bigger goal; he wants to provide a more secure social environment for his users to stay away from the prying eyes of governments.
For Dorf, 100 million of 1 billion WhatsApp users must prefer Telegram. He is determined to maintain control of Telegram and witness its growth. A year ago, the number of Telegram startups was about 100,000 per day, but today it has reached over 350,000 per day. WhatsApp was acquired for $19 billion in 2014 and had been trying to recoup its investment by developing a profitable business model. However, Telegram is not for sale, and its investment path is not open.
Although Telegram incurs more than $1 million in monthly expenses for Dorf, and he pays for it all from his funds, he has still rejected offers from some of the most famous investment companies in Silicon Valley.
Durov’s Response to Telegram Critics
In late 2015, following the terrorist attacks in Paris, some accused Telegram of being used by terrorist organizers due to governments’ inability to control it. Durov responded by referring to the blocking of 78 ISIS communication channels on Telegram and attributed countries’ problems to their irresponsibility and indifference. He wrote on Instagram: “The French government has caused this tragic situation due to its indifference. Because hardworking French people pay taxes to their government, they spend this money on useless wars in the Middle East. When critics in Russia also called for a ban on Telegram, Durov said, “You can also ban words.”
Some consider Durov a revolutionary, while others consider him crazy! One of his most famous stories is that one day he made paper missiles with 5000 ruble notes (equivalent to $140 in those days) and threw them out of the window of his office in St. Petersburg, and people picked them up! This video has been viewed millions of times on YouTube. He is also noticed for his way of dressing, so much so that he is referred to as the internet Robin Hood. Durov always wears black clothes; his clothing style reminds people of the character Neo in the Matrix trilogy.
Why is Telegram so popular?
Telegram’s success is more than just numbers and capital. Everything about it, even its success, is related to people. Telegram was launched in 2013 and quickly gained popularity. Telegram users don’t use any other app for communication, but what is its popularity?
Security
What is most important for users is the security of their privacy. Telegram encrypts user data using a protocol, creating a secure user environment. The best-known security feature of this app is its two-layer encryption system. After launching Telegram, Pavel Durov offered a $200,000 prize for anyone who could hack his private conversation with his brother Nikolai Durov, and it is clear that no one has been able to do this yet!
API system
Telegram has an open API system that allows anyone to create all kinds of Telegram robots and micro-programs. Recently, Telegram intends to launch direct sales through robots to turn Telegram into a tool beyond just a messaging app.
Telegram channels
Telegram channels cover various features that will probably render Facebook completely useless soon. Another feature of Telegram is its beautiful stickers that are available to users for free, and in addition, every user can create stickers for themselves and share them with others. A feature that does not exist in Viber and WhatsApp.
Telegram is a comprehensive messaging platform that is a useful tool with straightforward usage. It is not merely a messaging app; many online businesses utilize it.
WhatsApp was the biggest rival to Telegram
At the outset, critics had conflicting views about Telegram’s success. Some believed in it, while others said it would fail without investment. Although Durov and his team had enough capital to start the project, its development was a big question mark, especially with a competitor like WhatsApp, which had already taken over smartphones, and Skype was good enough for video calls.
But ultimately, Telegram proved all predictions wrong. By February 2014, Telegram’s user base had reached 100 million, and the daily growth rate was 350,000 users. Every day, 15 billion messages are exchanged by users from more than 200 countries, and all of this happens without any marketing expenses! Durov says, “Users spread Telegram among their friends, and we didn’t use any advertising campaigns for marketing.”
How Telegram Works and generates income
Telegram is essentially a messaging application. The registration process is very simple and only requires a phone number. All messages are encrypted and cannot be accessed in any way. To synchronize data with other devices, all data is stored in the cloud, which may be the reason for Telegram’s high speed. Telegram channels can be easily created, and Telegram bots are a suitable alternative to independent applications such as weather forecasts and reminders.
Telegram has one of the best designs among other messaging apps. It has many features, including sending geographic location to contacts, sending files up to 1 gigabyte, creating animations (gifs), an infinite number of stickers, and similar features. So how does Telegram make money? The reality is that it doesn’t make any money at all! You might be surprised to learn that despite its immense popularity, Telegram is free and does not use any advertising or call and messaging expenses. Pavel Durov (who some call crazy!) runs this service with his funds. However, Durov says that if my funds ever run out and I no longer have any money, I will add some paid features to Telegram to keep this application viable. These additional features will not disrupt its free nature; you can choose not to use them.
Paul Durov’s Life Lessons
Durov’s life and success teach five important lessons to every entrepreneur:
1. Always know what people need
Durov realized that people use the Facebook Messenger feature more than their home page after conducting numerous analyses. Therefore, he created an appropriate and unique application. Why unique? Because Durov saw that people were upset about their privacy being easily violated in messaging apps. For this reason, he decided to create a safer environment for people with his team, which became a unique feature of Telegram.
2. Idea shapes your product
If Durov and his colleagues did not fight for the security of people’s privacy, and this was not their heartfelt belief, Telegram would never have become so popular. People trust Telegram because they know that their confidential personal information is the priority of Durov and his colleagues. In addition, various businesses can use the idea of channels and bots in Telegram for marketing. These tools can replace groups and possibly other applications in social media. As a result, users will have a list of their favorite channels and bots, which will keep them loyal to Telegram. (You can also create your favorite bots on Telegram.)
3. Working with Telegram is very simple
While other companies have thousands of employees in various departments, Telegram prefers to use a logical process for solving problems and maintaining its program. The company does not spend any money on marketing. Telegram has hundreds of millions of users only because of its credibility, necessity, and convenience; nothing more, nothing less. When people use Telegram, they realize that it is very simple, practical, and fast, and that is the main reason for Telegram’s success.
4. It’s all about people
If you want your product to be reliable, you need trustworthy people. Telegram has only 15 designers and developers in its core team. These people design, develop, and manage all of Telegram’s work. Of course, a few employees also work for supervisory and related tasks in the company. If you trust your employees, they will also respond to your trust, and as a result, your product will be more credible among its peers.
5. Don’t be afraid of competition in the market
Telegram came into play when WhatsApp was popular among people worldwide. Another competitor, Viber, had tens of millions of users in most countries, especially Russia. In addition, several local messengers, such as Hike in India, WeChat in China, and Line in Japan, were also evolving. Nevertheless, Telegram became popular worldwide at an astonishing speed. You will never succeed if you do not believe in your success and do not know what your competitors do not have. Therefore, know your product and competitors well, and produce something more than a mere substitute.
Paul Durov is unique and incomparable to anyone else
There is no doubt that Paul Durov is a true representative of entrepreneurship in the technology industry, whose mission is to change the world. If we were to compare him to Zuckerberg, the term “Russian Zuckerberg” seems somewhat incorrect. If the comparison is based on their lifestyle, it would be a very simplistic description of him; however, if it is based on business success, it would be an exaggeration. This term can never truly represent Paul Durov’s achievements.
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