5-Minutes With: Alexander Lefterov

5-Minutes With is an interview series where business leaders from Endeavor Bulgaria’s network share their personal experiences, advice, and lessons learned.
Meet Alexander Lefterov, a serial entrepreneur with a deep passion for technology and innovation. With a Master’s in Computer Science from Sofia University, Alex has spent the last three decades building and scaling cutting-edge software companies. His ventures include Atia, acquired by Autodesk, and Intelligent Gadgets, which later became part of Fuzebox. Today, as the Founder & CEO of Tiger Technology, Alex is at the forefront of hybrid storage solutions, helping industries like media, healthcare, and surveillance integrate cloud technologies into mission-critical workflows.
What is a surprising fact about Endeavor?
I wouldn’t say there is a surprising fact about Endeavor, per se, but rather about what Endeavor can achieve. It is clear from Endeavor’s mission, the people in the network and the operations model, what one can expect from the Endeavor’s community in Bulgaria and abroad, but the thing that surprises me is the impact this community has. You can clearly see how the people within this community help each other and this help grows and expands both geographically and impact-wise. This to me is the power of this network, and the power of like-minded people.
Entrepreneurship can be a rollercoaster, what is something you do to stay grounded?
Yes, entrepreneurship is a rollercoaster by definition. I am no exception. I wouldn’t say I have a secret, but especially when I am down, I try and focus on something that I am good at. I am an engineer, and many times when issues arise, I try to focus more on engineering problems, which helps me gain a bit of ground under my feet. It’s not that the problem is not resolvable or addressable, but rather you are not in the right mindset. Sometimes, doing something you are comfortable with or achieving some easy results that you feel good about actually helps you address the more difficult problems.
What is one myth about entrepreneurship that should be debunked?
One thing that I find as a misrepresentation of what entrepreneurship is, is the concept that it’s all about the money. A lot of people think that entrepreneurship is about making a lot of money. Granted, successful entrepreneurs do make a lot of money, but I personally think that it is mostly about impact. And impact doesn’t always directly relate to money. Most entrepreneurs that I know, myself included, they care more about the impact that they have on society, on the lives of their customers, rather than the money.
How do you define impact for yourself?
For us at Tiger Technology, we are very customer focused, which is clearly stated in our core values. So, for us, the impact is a happy customer. The more happy customers the better the impact.
Is there anything else that you may be reading, or watching, or listening to at the moment that you would recommend?
I recently had a discussion where I gave a few recommendations. I’ve been reading materials about the application of game theory in economics and business. I have a book and a lecture series that I want to recommend that cover a lot of this. The book is called The Art of Strategy by Avinash K. Dixit and Barry J. Nalebuff and the lecture series are called Games People Play by Scott P. Stevens, Ph.D.
For you they go together?
They are completely different, but on the same subject. They cover very similar topics.
You gave a lot of good advice above, but is there a specific piece of advice you’d give to young entrepreneurs?
My advice would be to make sure that when they engage with something – it is something they love. Because, for me, at the end of the day, all that matters is when you come home whether you feel good, and when you go to work whether you go with eagerness. I believe that the most successful entrepreneurs are those who do something that they really love. Entrepreneurs are a strange breed of people who try to do more than they can sometimes, but when you are doing that – make sure to be investing in something that you like doing. It could be a bitter experience at the end of the day, but when you do something you love, even if it doesn’t end the way you planned it at least you won’t regret it.