This week in the Third Degree, our regular Friday feature where we talk to Berlins brightest and best CEO’s, we chatted with Sergiej Rewiakin of CleanBerlin about an Eastern mindset, teaching ice-skating and presidential support.
SILICON ALLEE: If you weren’t the CEO of a startup, what would you be doing?
SERGIEJ REWIAKIN: I would be thinking of another idea. I always have thousands of ideas going through my head. I would definitely work on something else. I would not necessarily be CEO but I would think of some kind of project.
SA: What do you like about Berlin?
SR: I like the diversity, I like the openness. I like that there is a lot of space and you don’t feel that crowded in Berlin. I like that it is still cheap, although it’s slowly getting more expensive. I also like the history.
SA: East or West Berlin?
SR: Definitely East. I’m Russian. East Berlin is still very similar to the Russian culture. The way people perceive the world here is very similar to this Eastern mindset that we have.
SA: What do you like to do when you’re not working?
SR: I like to play sports. I like fitness and running. I also do a lot of indoor climbing. I also love to ice-skate. I sometimes teach people how to ice-skate. I love ice-skating it’s a passion of mine – it’s totally Russian of me.
SA: If you leave Berlin where do you like to go?
SR: I normally go to the Baltic Sea on the Polish side. It’s very close to here, convenient and cheap. The weather is lovely and it’s beautiful there.
SA: What is your favourite cafe/bar/restaurant?
SR: I don’t have much time going out. I work until the evening hours. My favourite cafe is Fabisch Cafe. I know everybody here and I know the staff. I feel like I’m at home here. I can get a lot of work done in peace here also.
SA: If you could employ anybody who would you choose?
SR: I would employ Barack Obama because everybody seems to love him and they would therefore love the company and the concept and we would have a lot of support.
SA: How do you think Berlin as a city will develop in the next decade?
SR: I’m afraid it is going to get a lot more expensive than it already is now. Then I feel the whole startup scene may move to Eastern Europe. It is still cheaper there and there is still a lot of initiative. They still haven’t done a lot but yet they want to. Berlin is excellent, but if it will continue getting more expensive the young people will seek somewhere cheaper.
SA: What do you think the internet will look like in ten years?
SR: It will definitely have 90 percent mobile and 10 percent desktop. I don’t believe in virtual reality, but augmented reality might grow.