Success means giving back: Maya Zlatanova, CEO of FindMeCure, on the key role of giving first mentality

The “Success means giving back” series is dedicated to supporting BIH’s cause of spreading the word about the great ecosystem of organizations with lots of potential in Bulgaria. We highlight the importance of giving back to the community with some of the IT leaders in Bulgaria and companies that help building a sustainable future and drive economic growth.

Our second guest is Maya Zlatanova, CEO of FindMeCure. She founded the company to bring research closer to patients by developing tools and providing analytics to the healthcare industry. Maya’s mission is to help people and create something meaningful for the world. In our discussion, she points out the importance of giving the first mentality. Check out the whole conversation here:

BIH: Nowadays, many companies have innovative ideas, but most of the time they don’t succeed. What does a startup need to be successful? Is there a perfect formula for success?

Maya Zlatanova: For me, there isn’t a perfect formula for success, but there are two components that are part of the growth of any company - persistence and a bit of luck. It is very important to have that luck, but it only comes to those who are persistent and work hard. So this makes persistence the key to success for me. If you have that will to never give up and continue, eventually you will thrive.

BIH: Building a community of tech leaders in SEE is very important for the development of the whole ecosystem. How would you describe the community in Bulgaria and on a regional level?

Maya Zlatanova: Especially in Bulgaria, I think the tech community is very good. I personally have been supported by other founders, entrepreneurs, and people from the ecosystem multiple times. Forming such a community is an organic process, especially in the tech industry. I’ve noticed that this mentality of supporting each other in the startup ecosystem is global. All founders, especially those with great experience, who know how hard it is to build a business, are very supportive of each other.

Also, I think we have that strong feeling of support from the others, because we aren't that big of a community in SEE, yet. The good news is that the bubble of founders and entrepreneurs is actually growing.

BIH: How important is it for you to give back to the community by sharing experience or knowledge?

Maya Zlatanova: My-founders and I have a kind of different attitude on this topic. We are strong supporters of giving first not giving back. Because giving back kind of builds the expectation that you should receive something first from the community. And we actually believe that you should give first by sharing what you’ve learned and you shouldn’t expect anything in return.

If you put this as a foundation of your mentality toward others, you will always be surrounded by people that support you and want to see you grow, and you will feel appreciated by the community. This helps you feel more confident in your own abilities and the ones of your team, and the community in general.

BIH: Can you explain a little bit more about giving first?

Maya Zlatanova: Giving first is when you know someone looks for help and being there for him/her. We have to be careful though not to give advice when it is not wanted. You should share your experience and lessons when somebody comes to you looking for feedback or needs some guidance. Because if somebody is not at the point to ask you for advice, he/she might not understand your lessons, and maybe he/she is on a different pathway. Everyone has a different journey and your lessons might not work for someone else.

BIH: What is the impact of donating to an organization like BIH in your opinion?

Maya Zlatanova: The best way I can describe BIH and their work is with one example. Imagine a little kid that goes to the playground with his mom. This child feels empowered to play with the others because his mom is around and will help him if he falls or something else happens. That’s how I see BIH, as the mother that is always available to help and support tech entrepreneurs and companies.

The people behind Bulgaria Innovation Hub have a very strong experience, great network, know-how and capabilities to help you out. Even if you are not looking to scale to the States, they will always help and share their advice if you ask them. And when the moment to expand comes, you know BIH is there for you and will support you on your journey.

BIH: Why did you choose to support Bulgarian Innovation Hub?

Maya Zlatanova: I decided to support BIH because they actually help tech entrepreneurs when growing their business with the vast amount of experience and great network. By supporting the good initiatives among us, we become more united as a society.