Innovate, Network, Succeed: Insights from a Teenage Entrepreneur

Hello Producers,

I hope you’re enjoying the new format of the “Produced” newsletter, and I’m open to any feedback, notes, or suggestions on how to improve it. Before diving in, let’s remind ourselves who we’re learning from today!

17-Year-Old Unicorn Hunter: Interviews with Leading Founders | #67: Elim Kalilov

Elim Kalilov is a dynamic 17-year-old entrepreneur, writer, and podcast co-host with a passion for AI, software, biohacking, and martial arts. Born in Kyrgyzstan and raised in Seoul, South Korea, Elim's journey into entrepreneurship began at a young age. He has explored various ventures, demonstrating a relentless curiosity and drive. As the co-host of Unicorn Talks, Elim interviews startup founders and shares insights from his own entrepreneurial experiences alongside his co-founder. Among his ventures, he founded EventBird, a platform connecting people with relevant business events, and AI for Founders, helping businesses harness the power of artificial intelligence. Tune in to our episode to be inspired by Elim’s ambitious mindset, learn about his experiences growing up as a foreigner in South Korea, and get a behind-the-scenes look at his podcast.

Lessons:

• Be Ambitious

• Benefit from Available Resources

• Networking

• Educate Yourself

• Step Out of Your Comfort Zone

Lesson 1: Be Ambitious

The episode’s title speaks for itself. I was blown away to hear that Elim is only 17, yet he has such a strong mindset and has already achieved so much. But that’s not the end; he has even bigger ambitions, whether it’s growing his podcast, travelling the world, building businesses, and more. It made me reflect on myself at that age. Of course, you shouldn’t compare yourself to others as everyone has different circumstances, but I hope this motivates you to pursue your ambitious goals no matter how old you are (look at Colonel Sanders, the founder of KFC!).

Lesson 2: Benefit from Available Resources

When I first looked at Elim’s podcast on YouTube, I was impressed with its production quality, especially when considering the settings of his podcast. Have a look, especially when comparing it to mine. But hey, I’m working on it! How did he achieve it? As you found out in the episode, it was simply available, but no one took advantage of it. So, Elim smartly benefited from what was available. Any free podcasting studios in London?

Lesson 3: Networking

Elim is a master networker, or at least he’s working on it as he’s building an app that will connect entrepreneurs in Seoul (almost 10M population in the “special city” and 26M in the metro). Networking is one of the most frequently mentioned pieces of advice I’ve heard across my podcast and beyond. Imagine how many connections, opportunities, and friends it brings to him. Plus, it helps him build a business around it. Smart, right? What do you do meet with new people and broaden your network?

Lesson 4: Educate Yourself

Again, I don’t want to compare, but looking back to when I discovered that books are a priceless source of wisdom, I wish I had found out earlier. I used to see books as a boring requirement in high school, but I was so wrong. Now, I’ve explored loads of books, from inspiring biographies (Steve Jobs by Isaacson is the GOAT) to all kinds of personal development ones. And there are so many left. I enjoyed our chat with Elim about our favourite ones. And yes, I was jealous of his encounter with my favourite author!

Lesson 5: Step Out of Your Comfort Zone

This is something I try to keep in mind daily, even before recording my episodes when I often don’t feel like it. But the feeling afterwards is priceless. Elim leads by example, whether it’s with networking, building businesses, putting himself out there on social media, and more. This is how we grow, meet new people, and find new adventures. So try to keep this in mind for the next time, and I will too.

If I haven’t motivated you enough to listen to our episode, I’ve failed. Just kidding! But I’m sure this episode will leave you inspired and curious enough to check out and subscribe to Elim’s podcast. As always, thanks for reading, any feedback is appreciated, and have a successful week!

Keep producing,
Tommen