The initial inspiration for launching Gegidze was a desire to do something I was genuinely interested in, rather than just working for a paycheck. I had previously worked for various international companies, but it was always about moving from one job to the next, focused on money. I realised that to have a truly happy life, I needed to turn my hobby into my job. So we, my wife and I, started with creative projects and web services, and the company has evolved from a creative agency into a business consulting group.

Tell us about the business – what it is, what it aims to achieve, who you work with, how you reach customers and so on?

Gegidze is a consulting group that helps entrepreneurs boost their profitability and cut costs by up to 80% by providing remote resources for talent, finance, legal advisory, hardware, office spaces, and other business operations. Our mission is to change the lives of Georgian people by providing fair, transparent, and international work opportunities, while also connecting outstanding minds across Europe and the US with the best talent in Georgia. We've expanded our services beyond Georgia and now operate in 10 countries, always with the goal of supporting sustainable business growth.

How does Gegidze answer an unmet need?

We've identified unmet needs by listening closely to our clients. When the pandemic hit, many of our clients lost revenue but still had high costs. We realised we could help them optimise their costs, particularly in areas like hiring, taxes, and office expenses. By providing remote teams and other solutions, we've been able to help our clients focus on their core business while we take care of the operational aspects. We continuously engage with our clients to understand their evolving needs and adapt our services accordingly.

How has the business evolved since its launch?

Gegidze has evolved significantly since its inception in 2021. We've grown from a three-person company to a team of over 400 people across 10 countries. As we've expanded, we've been able to pass on our knowledge and expertise to our teams, who are now taking on more responsibility and driving innovation within the organisation. We've also seen more opportunities open up as our clients and partners have come to trust us more.

Tell us about the working culture at Gegidze?

The working culture at Gegidze is a unique blend of German structure and Georgian passion, all built on a foundation of trust. We don't track time or have set work hours - our team members work whenever and wherever they want. We're a remote-first company, but also have workspaces available for those who prefer to come in. We encourage self-development and learning, providing budgets for our team members to pursue education and training related to their roles.
The Georgian work culture has also had a strong influence on us. Georgians are known for their incredible hospitality, loyalty, and straightforward communication. This translates into our company culture, where our team members are true cheerleaders for the business, going above and beyond without being asked. We've found that this cultural fit is crucial - if a new hire doesn't appreciate and align with this approach, it can lead to clashes.

What's in store for the future?

In the coming years, we plan to continue expanding our presence in the UK, US, and Nordic countries. We'll be adding more sophisticated services to help our clients, such as providing liquidity financing and digital solutions to support the digital transformation of SMEs. We're also developing our own projects in the areas of sustainability, FinTech, and logistics, as we believe these are important areas where we can contribute to the global society and our region.

How are you funded?

Gegidze is a fully bootstrapped company, with all of our activities funded by the payments we receive from our clients. Apart from one relatively small investor in the very early days, we don't have any external investors, family offices, or other funding sources behind us. This allows us to be very cautious and thoughtful in our decision-making, as we're using our own money to grow the business.

What has been your biggest challenge so far and how have you overcome this?

One of the biggest challenges has been learning to step back from day-to-day operations and focus more on growth and new partnership opportunities. As the company has grown, it's been crucial for me to delegate more tasks to the team and focus on managing the group of companies and building new relationships. The entire team has also had to learn how to optimise their time and processes as we've grown, especially after a recent acquisition. But we've been able to overcome these challenges by relying on our strong team and culture.

What one piece of advice would you give other founders or future founders?

My advice would be to find something you're genuinely curious about and passionate about, and go for it. Too many people chase money instead of chasing what they love. If you focus on enjoying the journey and doing work that excites you, the money will follow. But if you only chase the money, you'll miss out on the most important aspects of life.

And finally, a more personal question! What's your daily routine and the rules you're living by at the moment?

My daily routine starts early, around 6 or 6:30 am. I wake up with my three-and-a-half-year-old daughter, and we cook breakfast together. I then take her to kindergarten, which is a special time for me to engage with the world before the workday begins. The first part of my day is focused on concentrated work, followed by a lot of meetings. In the evenings, I spend time with my family and friends. On weekends, I dedicate that time purely to my family and personal relationships, without any work. I've learned that this work-life balance is crucial, and I try to live by the rule of being thankful for every moment.

Valerian Gegidze is the founder of Gegidze.