Robert Bagheri On Raising $110 Million To Power The Electric World With A Transformative Manufacturing Technology

In the field of innovation and technological advancement, few stories stand out as compelling narratives of perseverance, commitment, and unwavering belief in a mission. Robert Bagheri’s journey, from his roots in Iran to becoming a key player in the technology industry, reflects a tale of challenges, triumphs, and a relentless pursuit of making a positive impact on the world.

His latest venture, Sakuu, has attracted funding from top-tier investors like Musashi Seimitsu Industry and Tessellate Ventures.

In this episode, you will learn:

• Success in entrepreneurship comes from unwavering belief and passion for the mission, focusing on making a positive impact rather than just monetary gains.
• Success requires a commitment to change, innovation, and perseverance through challenges in the rapidly evolving clean energy and technology landscape.
• Building a successful team involves creating a culture where individuals feel a sense of belonging, commitment, and connection to a larger purpose, fostering an environment of loyalty and dedication.
• Entrepreneurial success often hinges on being at the right place and time; the convergence of societal awareness towards climate change and technological advancements presents a unique window of opportunity.
• Businesses should aim for both return on impact, positively affecting lives and the environment, and return on investment, ensuring financial success and growth.
• During tough times, the key is to innovate and find creative solutions, navigating through challenges with the mindset that every obstacle has a solution.
• Entrepreneurial journeys involve successes and failures; learning and adapting from failures is crucial for long-term success.

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About Robert Bagheri:

Robert Bagheri, based in California, United States, is currently a Founder and CEO at Sakuu, bringing experience from previous roles at Telewave, Inc., EoPlex Inc. (Relocated to Penang Malaysia) and Zenverge Company, Acquired by Freescales.

Robert Bagheri brought over 25 years of successful experience in manufacturing operations, quality, and product engineering functions to Zenverge.

Prior to Zenverge, he was Senior VP of Operations and Quality at AMCC, where, as part of the executive management team, he was a key contributor to rebuilding and restructuring initiatives to turn the company profitable again.

Before AMCC, Robert was Executive VP of Central Engineering and Operations, Quality and Reliability at Silicon Image where he was responsible for several manufacturing and engineering disciplines as well as quality and reliability functions, strategic business direction, long-range planning, and technology and foundry selection.

Robert also held a VP position at SiRF Technology before joining Silicon Image. Prior to SiRF Technology, Mr. Bagheri held various product engineering and management positions at S3, and Zoran Corporation.

Robert has an Electronics Engineering degree from the Cleveland Institute of Electronics.

Connect with Robert Bagheri:

• Crunchbase
• LinkedIn
• Bloomberg
• RocketReach

Read the Full Transcription of the Interview:

Alejandro Cremades: Alrighty hello everyone and welcome to the deal maker show. So today. We have a founder you know that has done it so many times and he has been involved with so many different startups that I’m getting disy just from knowing the number you know we’re talking about 8 you know, think about 8 startup companies 8 startup journeys. Really incredible. We’re going to be discussing today building scaling financing exiting. He’s done it multiple times you know and we’re talking you know companies that he’s built in the hundreds of millions. You know, incredible inspiring conversation that we have in front of us today. So without further ado. Let’s welcome our guests today Robert Buggary welcome to the show. So originally born and raised in Iran until you were at age eighteen give us a walk through memory lane. How was life growing up there? yeah.

Robert Bagheri: Thank you, Glad to be here.

Robert Bagheri: Yes, yes, so I finished high school in Iran in Aadanda City that used to have those still does today. The largest oil refinery ah left Iran in 1974 right after high school went to Florida went to Miami. And went to school there and I majored in electrical engineering and fast forward to 1980 is when I started my first job at a company called Mmi Monolithic memory at chip company and so that was the beginning of my career.

Alejandro Cremades: So tell us about why engineering out of all things you know what? why? What got you into problem solving to begin with. So.

Robert Bagheri: Well, it’s very interesting. First of all I always my background in even high school I was very good strong in math and physics and so that’s one just naturally I gravitated towards the science and engineering side of things in physics and everything. But the other thing is also cultural you know back in the days and what we left or grew up and got ready to go to a school the college everybody that had to be an engineer or a doctor or maybe a lawyer at best or a professor in ah in a in a university that was it so that was kind of ingrain in us from Childhood. So. Engineering especially coming to us engineering turned out to be the easiest path because of the language barrier so it did not need as much English as let’s say if if I went for law school or some other things.

Alejandro Cremades: So so now out of all things here with microchip you know back in the back in the 80 s and I don’t want to I don’t want to date anyone here Robert but they you know being you’ve been around for a while now back in the 80 s there. You know when you were involved with microchip. How was it like to be part of.

Robert Bagheri: Um, yes.

Alejandro Cremades: Of a journey that it would unfold into an ipo you know, which happened you know later in 93 how was that.

Robert Bagheri: And yeah, yeah, so we certainly the the there was a great experience for me. It was right after my I want to say it was my second job after Mmi that got acquired by Amd in 1986 and right about then I went to microchip it was a startup of sort because it was a a spinoff of general instrument and I was a workhorse on the technical side of things I used to go off a single I go and go to work at six zero a m and don’t get home till twelve midnight and that was my routine there for about 3 years

Alejandro Cremades: And right after that you know you went into logic devices but literally you know, almost immediately that same year you join I Mp you know what? what? what made you to go through this say you know but switches you know so quickly.

Robert Bagheri: Yes.

Robert Bagheri: What it was in just in every single situation I was recruited I was never actually looking to leave a place that I was at and I was recruited by somebody that actually I work with. First had logic devices what happened to be at RAndP and it would say look we could really use your help if you can come out and join Us. Of course they gave him a much bigger challenges and the challenges were technical challenge. One of the major areas of focus for me when I was technically relevant. Was device Physics. So I used to do a lot of work in semiconduted device physics and that’s why I was recruited to go there. There was a lot of yield problems as I did by the way have a microchi similar challenges there that I impp. So. It was interesting and we you know did go there and join the team and we help do a lot of things together.

Alejandro Cremades: And very similarly right after that you joined soran and we soran you know the company ended up doing an ipo as Well. So I’m wondering like on those companies that you were now experiencing that you know were rocket ships that would go Ipo. What were some of the similar patterns that you were encountering there. Yeah.

Robert Bagheri: Well, you know in almost every situation. Ah you look at these guys are doing something new, something different something disruptive for example, Zoran was one of the earliest that worked on Jpeg Impact you know the image processing. Ah, so the challenges of course of always bringing something new. Ah with very high risk. Always. It’s perceived high risk and yeah to go out there and convince people why the new way of doing things why this new solution versus what they were doing or sometimes they didn’t even have a solution. So. In every case, it’s almost always, you’re bringing something new to the to the customers to the end users and there’s a challenge of proving the concept to show them that it’s going to work better than what they had before it’s going to be cost effective almost all of them have similar similar challenges. The initial sort of inertia the resistance to adopting a new way of doing something. It’s it’s very common across all of the places I’ve been including today.

Alejandro Cremades: So Then right after this, you know it was s 3 you know it was a little bit different. You know in terms of um, how situation wouldn’t fall because this was the immediate secway into serve technologies which could be. Technically beviewed as the first day rodeo really as a startup founder. So Can you walk us through how the events unfolded for you to really feel that you were ready to ah take a challenge like that and go at it on on your own as ah, a surreal you know Founder. So.

Robert Bagheri: May I yeah great now be a co-founder. So what I I learned obviously a lot at history I dare I end up working with some very very bright people many who I consider to this day of mentors I learned a lot from them. And so ah s three was a good great training grant for me and I happened to work very closely with the with the founder there which was dao bennetalo and and of course Dado was an entrepreneur by then he had that was his a startup number 3 that’s why s 3 a graphic engine company I was that was before you know Ati and Nvidia became who they are s 3 was the king of the hill for graphic chips for pc and gamings and things like that and so then we and that it was during that tenure that would we I got engaged with dotto on surf. And that’s when we went there and myself and a few others of the members from there that went there and basically started surf and I went to surf and took the role of the vp of operation in central engineering.

Alejandro Cremades: For and how would you say that things change at this point because I mean at the peak of the valuation for serf you know we’re talking about four hundred and eighty million dollars you know ah how did it. Defer you know like perhaps the experience from having been you know more on the employee seat to now being more on the co-founder seat and writing an ipo. You know, like this one.

Robert Bagheri: What’s a lot of responsibility. Obviously you know there’s a lot of a much harder work that the the load the responsibility that you have as ah as a as a co-founder or as as ah, as an executive member of the the organization there. This is really 24 7 kind of a commitment that you have to make and you’ve got to ah work through every challenge every issues that come up to get the company to where it needed to get. We had some major milestones that we set out for ourselves to go deliver on and so that we can go to Ipo and then that’s what we did. Again, it’s just ah, it’s a huge amount of work. It’s ah it is basically no rest till you get to where you need to get to.

Alejandro Cremades: So the next day rodeo was a sendverge now with sendverge you know something that happened that was really interesting is that it was more of an mman a more of an acquisition versus the ipo you know in terms of ourity event. So what were you guys there doing with sendverge and.

Robert Bagheri: Yes, yeah.

Alejandro Cremades: And also how did that lead into an acquisition and and what was your main takeaway from that type of of outcome. Okay.

Robert Bagheri: Well, the zembage was an interesting experience too that was doing transcoding audio audio video transcoding this is where to be able to basically to put it in a simple terms is creating the the encryption and decryption capability for. Content for video audio content and so that went on for quite some time we had some great opportunities for a different type of exit. But I think one of the major learning at Zernridge for me was as to learn when to exit and went to do it there. There were some great Opportunities. We had that we did not. Capitalize on and when we did do it. It wasn’t a and a it got acquired by free scale when there was free Scale. We Free scale later becomes nxb right? They got acquired but that was was a great Technology. We had some great customers in the consumer electronic space. But I think we as a team as a management team failed there to really recognize quite what the right timing for an exit for the company was where we could have exited at a much much higher value than we ended up exiting how.

Alejandro Cremades: So how should founders say think about timing. Okay.

Robert Bagheri: But again timing is everything. It’s one of the challenges. The founders have you get too intoxicated with what you have created or what you you get you fall in Love so much with it that you just the almost like you had 3 say you know you’re drinking your own koolate too Much. You got to be Realistic. You got to be Pragmatic. You got to look at the environment that you’re in the timing that macroeconomic and the micro level too. So you have to just know what is the right time for you to either enter into some kind of a partnership that could help you. Build a company because you you know, many in many many cases. Oh almost every situation I’ve been part of you cannot do it Alone. You need partnership. You need to work with people and the founders really need to learn and realize. When and who the right partnership is who is the person that you can work with that is better aligned with your vision with the technology that you’re bringing and how you’re going to change things. So and that’s ah, that’s a lesson that is learned not by anyone can teach you it learned but just by years of doing it. You know when is the right time to to look at things like that.

Alejandro Cremades: So the next day stopping the journey I mean unbelievably the amount of companies is just incredible. The next stop was eopplex now with eoplax. You know there was a really significant shift there with the relocation and also the sell of the company.

Robert Bagheri: Um, yeah I.

Alejandro Cremades: So how did you navigate? you know these changes and what were some of the strategies that were pivotbo title for this transition.

Robert Bagheri: Well, yeah I mean Earplex was a a company that had been founded back in the early 4001 and this focus was 3 d printing of a number of various different devices. But then when I when I you know. Restarted it because if they got fire so they got sold in like late in 2012 or so timef frame and about the late 12 sometime around that time I then was asked by a friend by someone that actually I worked for ah years before and said that hey I need you to come in. Ah, run this and I said you know what? great I’ll do it but you gotta to let you know because they the people that acquire that bought that company you know through a fire sale. We’re not from here they were from Singapore and Malaysia and you know places like that and I said look if I’m gonna run this I need to run it like a startup in Silicon Valley and in Silicon Valley people you’ve gotta acknowledge and and value the people that you bring in they they want equity. They want to be part of the game. You can’t just a few at the top when everything. So I said I will come in and will rebuild this company restarted rebuild it and and that’s how that’s how that came about. It was a great journey. It took us about 18 to twenty four months almost to close on 8 different accounts for the technology that we developed that we productized something that had been going on for like three or four years before I took it over and so through those. Ah.

Robert Bagheri: 8 accounts that we were were were able to get the product and technology ah validated and also commercialized is when then that opportunity for exit came with that.

Alejandro Cremades: And obviously you know like that was half phenomena leit you know, sold for so I want to talk about now your latest baby. Let’s talk about sanku so at what point does the opportunity of sanku come knocking and why did you feel.

Robert Bagheri: Um, yeah.

Alejandro Cremades: That it was compelling enough as a problem to really jump right in.

Robert Bagheri: Not great question. So first of all I didn’t say anything about through this journey there a couple of times I decided to retire so one was a 2005 after my silicon image 10 year there there. It was also ilthough. It was a public company. But for me, it was like a startup. Because when I joined at stock was three bucks when I left it was about 18 um so I decided to retire in 2005 then I retired decided to retire again in 2012.

Robert Bagheri: And then and then again for the third time in 2016 so I was in San Diego talking to my better half saying honey. You know I’ve done I think we can now go take it easy and and that time you know that was in the retiring age for many people and so I said all right ilthough we’ll do it three days later we started I started sau. But some of my team members from from the earlier engagements like ale so that really came about where you know through the eoplex experience we looked at we learned a lot about what 3 d printing can do and not just any 3 d printing. We were really you know we needed to reinvent. And what we learn out of the basics of that 3 d printing from airlight to apply it to something like energy storage battery so that was really really compelling exciting because the problem was very very big in the battery and still is today and the opportunity was huge massive market. Opportunity massive problem to solve and so that was really the challenge. We took on. We decided to really come in here and change manufacturing as we know it ah and use battery as a vehicle to develop the the proper hardware software that goes along to build. And new way of manufacturing betters.

Alejandro Cremades: And and I guess for the people that are listening. You know what’s the business model. How do you guys make money.

Robert Bagheri: So the business model at sau is for us to we build our hardware at the platform the hardware we call cavev on cavevion platform by the way caveat is the name of an exoplanet four billion years away from the planet earth. And there’s a reason we’ve picked that name because cavevion is a system that is rising up against the old system of manufacturing so you know the caveat platform is going to change I said manufacturing as we know it and so the model is to sell the machine to and enable every cell maker out there. So we don’t want to compete with people they manufacturing cells but we’re gonna help them make the cells better. Okay, so that’s one part of the how we make money and of course as part of that we provide software and hardware services and maintenance yearly maintenance 12% first year and then 8% Thereafter in a recurring sense. Yeah, we also provide ip licensing to people both on the product and process side the ingredient of how to prepare the material for printability. But also we have a you know developed as part of this developed best in class. Ah, battery cell Lythia Metal ano technology that is available today to be licensed by anyone who would like to license it of course this product is targeted at multiple markets. So. It’s not a single you know, ah sort of a a point here. So it’s it’s actually.

Robert Bagheri: Using sort of a page from our semiconductor industry. You know that’s one of our differentiation is where we come from. We look at things very differently. We’re not doing the same thing expecting different result. We have changed things and how you build the batteries how you manufacture them so and that is evident by the result. Ah, what we’re able to produce with our the electrochemistry that we develop for this product that we call Cyrus which is the lithium metalanno besting class in terms of energy density life cycle safety cost. And so that’s that’s available to be licensed to everybody so four ways that we monetize this technology.

Alejandro Cremades: Now How did you guys go about also capitalizing capitalizing the business. How much capital have you guys raised too late.

Robert Bagheri: Well, that’s very very interesting. Very good Question. You know if you we’ve raised very little money compared to all of the people in the either either in the battery world or in the 3 D printing world by the way we do not like to be compared. Ah, to just a battery company or a 3 D printing company because we like to say we’re neither, we are a platform company and we’re using 3 D printing of course to help produce like I said batteries in a better way Enable everyone. So we in terms of the how we.

Robert Bagheri: We’re more like ah inter again, just back to the business model. We’re more like an asml applied material where we can bring a lot of functionality into the system and and enables our partners. Our customers are making cells. Ah you know produce the batteries in a better better way and so in terms of. How much we raise to do all of this which is you know it’s really unbelievable to many people many people even have said too good to be true just because we’ve raised total of about 100000000 just over 100000000. We raised in 7 years and we have delivered the world first multi-materal multiprocess. Platform machine that many said will take 10 years and hundreds a million to develop and we’ve developed the busing class battery lithium metal aard battery with that amount of money again about a 100000000 versus people that raised hundreds of millions and maybe even billions.

Alejandro Cremades: So so let me ask you this then and because obviously with the investment it comes responsibility right? because people are ultimately investing in the future into what’s possible. So let’s say you were to go to sleep tonight. Robert. And you wake up in a world where the vision of saku is fully realized what does that world look like okay.

Robert Bagheri: Well, here’s the thing. What I really envision someday. What’s gonna happen when I wake up one morning that there is a coffee on platform on every manufacturing floor in the world that is what we think it’s gonna happen. That is what we really started this company within mind and from day one that was our vision from day one and I really do believe we are ever so close realizing that that vision that dream.

Alejandro Cremades: I’ve heard you say as well that you know as we’re talking about people you know talking about leadership as well because Leadership is very important when it comes to people but you’ve mentioned that leadership is a privilege. Not a right? Can you elaborate on this.

Robert Bagheri: Absolutely if you look at you know when anytime you’re starting a group or team of people coming together working together. Ah leadership is not by title. It’s it’s ah like I always like to say it’s a privilege and the privilege is that the people. Putting their trust in you. They’re giving you the stewardship of their lives. You know to you so it is not to be taken very lightly and is not to be taken for granted so really because of that I always like to talk about our principles that guide us in leading. People. Ah you know in our environment. Whatever wherever I’ve been and certainly more so I want to say here in saku we’re guided by 3 principle number 1 we want to delight our employees number 2 we want to delight our customers number 3 we delight our shareholders and it really works in that order. I know a lot of people always say shareholders shareholders shareholders. But how do you guarantee the shareholder success and return you got to get good committed employees happy employees which translates to happy customers which then translates to very very happy share offers.

Alejandro Cremades: I Want I wanted to double click on that can you discuss a situation where focusing on employee satisfaction directly led to increased customers and shareholders delight.

Robert Bagheri: Well, here’s the thing we have people and employees that are with us in this company. Especially I want to say the last two years and in the world of battery and material. Ah, you know it’s very difficult to recruit good employees and committed employees. Have people that been here with us from day one is still with us. We don’t pay them as much as you know they could get somewhere else. There’s not some of the big guys out there that they could hire and pay them 2 3 times a salary. We pay them but they stay they do not leave because they weren’t committed to what we’re doing for number of reasons one is of course. How we treat them. We have people when they come out here some of them I’ve heard this a few times where Robert you know when I started here when I came into this building I felt like I came home so people come here and they have a sense of belonging they feel like they’re part of this thing and they’re part of something very big. Because we always say the things that really motivates people. It’s it’s our people themselves we as leadership don’t really directly motivate them. Our job is to find out what that is and what it is what I have learned over the years is always number one who you work for number 2 what you’re working on number 3 is money. So this is why we have people who are stayed here. They’re committed because they love what they’re doing that is the environment. We’re created for them and we listen to them by the way as to what they want how they wanted. Of course we’re not always able to give them everything because we’re small startup. We don’t have a vast resources but we do the best we can.

Robert Bagheri: To share the good. The bad ugly everything together but like I said the other one of course you who you work for so people we build a team here that really feels like a family everybody feels. They’re part of this thing and this is why people stay and commit to work and has resulted with people that come in work over the weekend. People work around the clock to deliver something to a customer because it’s some deadline or commitment that we made so it’s been through those kinds of execution on a part of the team through their commitment that allowed us to get multiple investment from some of our partners.

Alejandro Cremades: And you know I Love I Love the way that you order things right? So Obviously people you know the employees and the customer then the shareholder. There’s a similar order that you do you know that is more on the way that you operate as a founder and I find that. Ultimately, that is going to impact to the the culture right? and and you think about that order as first your health then is the family and then is the job can you expand on this.

Robert Bagheri: Yes. Exactly look and then we really truly believe that and we live that so when we have people that come in here I always speak with everyone directly by the way I am ah I am ah my Ceo title is just a title I am a member of the team. Have a different responsibility but I am not above anybody I’m no better than them and we all didn’t in it together. We’re all the same. So I always tell everybody what I really like to do myself that is I want to make sure that I’m staying healthy I want to take care of my family and you know and and then. Then if I do 1 and 2 3 is automatic because that’s what I talk to everybody about mix saying your health is first. Your family is second your job is third and that means again people that have issues with their health over their family family That’s where the job is suffering. Thankfully, we don’t really have that issue here where people are. You know they need to take a day off and they need to take a few days off and they need to take whatever time off to go take care of themselves or the family that is what we allow to happen and then of course again people are always been responsible and committed to do what it takes to get the job done as well. But they have help because.

Alejandro Cremades: So you’ve seen it. You’ve actually seen a lot when it comes to people right? I mean you’ve been around and and you’ve seen a lot. You know the good the bad on the ugly right? Obviously you know when it comes to building your team. You know the executive team is is critical.

Robert Bagheri: Absolutely Um, yeah.

Alejandro Cremades: So I guess as as as you’re thinking about people you know I’m sure that you see patterns as well. No, and especially when you’re looking at onboarding folks. So what are some of the qualities that you look for when assembling a team.

Robert Bagheri: Well, again, so that’s like a great question too. This is part of the key ingredients that in the team members. Obviously the the subject matter Expertise is needed is necessary. They have to be relevant to the environment or the technology that we’re working in. But they really have to then come in is what I always like to say I look for signs of ah a missionary and not a mercenary so we like people who come On. You know who have a mission to get something Done. You know we have people that said look we’re going to change the world together. And I want to ah recruit people that really get excited about doing something different something new and then really and then know one that it’s going to be hard to do but commit to it So we’re looking obviously for job Skill. We’re looking for personal commitment and also their commitment to the cause of the company. Because we’re not about just making money. Of course we’re gonna give our our shareholders a huge return but what what gets us there is the commitment to also do it something. That’s gonna make a difference in people’s life make things better. And our technology is certainly going to do that. We believe that we’re going to mean our technology is going to help reverse. Ah the climate climate change through the various things that everybody talks about because what we’re doing is much cleaner. It’s much safer. It’s Recyclable. So The people that we ah.

Robert Bagheri: Oftentime Recruit are people that have a similar mindset. You know there’s similar skill set similar philosophy about about what they do and why they do and because doing a startup is not easy. It’s very hard. It takes commitment and and we look for those qualities in people that are willing to really commit. And give it their best to go deliver on this promise of changing the world for better.

Alejandro Cremades: So Obviously you know return on investment return on impact you know to which is what you’re alluding to how do you think that you know consciousness around. Perhaps what’s happening with with climate change and and other things you know because how how that has helped you guys because I find that as a founder too. And and and building and scaling a company is sort of about being at the right time in History. Would you say that perhaps having the wind blowing behind your guys’ back has helped.

Robert Bagheri: Absolutely look. This is one of the best time I I believed to be in in the sort of technology and environment that can help change like I said reverse the climate change and and I think we could not find a better time because the world has caught on with that idea. Our technology of course is really we believe it’s in the forefront of that in terms of providing solutions that is producing cleaner and and a planet friendlier products and so and this is why again seven years ago when we started this as I mentioned the beginning. This is a massive opportunity. So now all of a sudden this climate working in the in the areas of helping the climate is also makes business sense. It’s not just for business for climate only but that you can actually you know still make a lot of money doing it so it is both the return on impact you mentioned that is a huge. Ah, driver for us that is really what drove us Tos start this company in the first place. But also there’s you know, return on investment for our partners and customers and investors. That’s also there because the the opportunity is massive. The market is just grown at a very very high pace here. So. And this is really the best time in the world for saco to be where it is.

Alejandro Cremades: I wanted to ask you then on this, you know, especially on Saco and and being where it is and and this and this industry and segment. How do you see like for example, the current trends you know, especially in technology and business shaping. Let’s say the next decade

Robert Bagheri: I really think again, this electrification. Oh. There are obviously number of major trends are going on. You know, Ai of course is very very big Everybody’s talking about it. Um, but clean, energy. Clean technology is what is going to shape the the next 10 years in our view. And that’s what what we think with sau is just Goingnna help shape that and drive those change in the electrifications. There’s a number of challenges are still there in terms of the like. For example, doing the electrification in an ev world. There’s still range anxiety. There’s still safety anxiety sometime cost and all of that you know. Electric cars are stolen somewhat of a luxury. It’s not something the mainstream can buy. But I think the next ten years of what saku is able to do. It’s going to change the world in a way that everybody can afford to have an electric car and contribute to a hopefully a carbon free world. And the next ten years just certainly we think we’ll be in a much better shape from a carbon footprint than we will say today or I know ten years ago

Alejandro Cremades: So let’s say Robert that I put you into a time machine and I bring you back in a journey back in time I bring you back to let’s say the 80 s or 90 s where you were thinking about maybe doing something of your own right in business. And let’s say you’re able to sit down that younger self that younger Robert and you’re able to give that younger Robert 1 piece of advice before launching a business. What would that be and why given what you know now.

Robert Bagheri: Well, it’s in all of this if I ah maybe in my younger year years I knew I was doing it but I didn’t really know it what it takes and I said it in certain way remember I said in my early early years I went to work 6 a m and didn’t go until 12 minute 9 that is part of how you measure perseverance commitment and sort of unwavering belief in what you’re doing so you have to I think if I go back and how years later I look at this What’s really been one of the major guiding principles. Of success if you will and failures because you you gonna learn from your failures not from your successes. Um, it’s been the the fact that you commit and then you ah nothing will will will shake your belief in what you’re doing. You’ve got to believe in what you’re doing this is why I’m saying you’ve got to be a missionary and not a. Mercenary so one of the things I’ve learned. Don’t do something for money but do something for 2 how do you change? People’s lives. How do you help? you know touch people lives in a more positive way. So that is what I would really go back and and I think that’s what’s going to be a major driver of success in anything you do. You’re doing it with absolute ah passion and conviction. You gotta have conviction. You know if you don’t if you don’t believe in it. Don’t do it if it’s not fun. Don’t do it so these are thingss I would tell the young generation now hey you know if you’re gonna come in and do something if you need a job this is not for you.

Robert Bagheri: But if you want to get on a mission this is for you because you’re on a mission to help change the world. So this is in it takes really again, unwavering belief in conviction in what you’re doing because it’s hard. It’s a very hard journey. It’s difficult, especially if you look at at the last.

Alejandro Cremades: I Love it.

Robert Bagheri: 7 years for us and then especially that us 2 three years with the capital market. The way it’s been. It’s very easy to quit. It’s very easy to give up but we don’t let’s me.

Alejandro Cremades: So so and I love that you’re saying this because unfortunately the journey of of being an entrepreneur is full of Ups and downs. You know the apps are so good, but the downs are really rough and they’re really really difficult right? Those those gray days where you feel like the world is is coming to one end I mean it’s awful. And I’m sure that there’s a lot of people that are listening right now that maybe they’re going you know through through those difficult times you know I love by the way the quota of a Winston Churchill if you’re going through hell keep going right? So so what would you tell you know those folks that perhaps are going now through the downs of their journey.

Robert Bagheri: Um, yeah.

Robert Bagheri: Yes, if.

Robert Bagheri: Absolutely so what I will tell them again. This is maybe Mr Cheser said if it gets hard I could keep going but I would say when things had hard innovate your way out of it. You got to continue to innovate. You got to continue. Toevere. Yes, it is hard and the yes is not for everyone. But if you dare starting something then you better finish it no matter what obstacles you’re running to There’s always a solution. There’s always a way to get around those problems.

Alejandro Cremades: I love it Robert for the people that are listening that will love to reach out and say hi. What is the best way for them to do so.

Robert Bagheri: Ah, they could check out my Linkedin and look at that and they can also go on our website. There’s a there’s an email that they can send information to us if they like it but I’m also available like said for anybody who like to reach out.

Alejandro Cremades: Me say enough. Well hey Robert thank you so much for being on the dealmaker show today. It has been an honor to have you with us.

Robert Bagheri: Thank you very much I’m very grateful. Thank you for the time you had the opportunity you gave me to speak with you Ill hunter. Thank you.

*****

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