Alexander Duzhnikov: "I Don't Regret Anything Along My Business Journey"

Meet Alexander Duzhnikov on 3S.INFO, the founder of the BROCONF conference, the owner of the MyBrocard payment service, and the co-founder of the A3F Group!

Publication date: 10 Jun 2025

We’ve never hunted an iGaming Hero with such diligence. He was elusive, swift, and unpredictable. But we succeeded! Questions have been asked and answered! Meet Alexander Duzhnikov on 3S.INFO, the founder of the BROCONF conference, the owner of the MyBrocard payment service, and the co-founder of the A3F Group!

– Where did it all begin?

Officially, it started with my graduation thesis (although looking back, I had worked on many business projects during my school years). The topic of my thesis was creating a high-load project: the real estate portal Move.ru. Launched in 2008, it was followed by the first e-commerce projects in 2009. The rest is history — every year, we opened something new. Many of these projects are still operational today. But…

– How do you manage multiple businesses at once? What helps you avoid burnout?

Many of our companies are standalone units within the holding company. Each has its own leadership team and so forth. I am not usually involved in day-to-day operations. At most, I participate in discussions or strategic decision-making, which doesn’t take much time. Therefore, I don’t foresee any problems with managing a large number of companies. I usually only get involved in operations at the initial stages of interesting projects. This allows me to avoid falling into a routine, and the concept of burnout is foreign to me.

– Which qualities helped you grow as an entrepreneur?

I’ve thought a lot about this, but I can’t identify a specific trait that dramatically sets me apart from others. Perhaps what has helped me grow as an entrepreneur is my ability to find a way out of almost any situation. When faced with a task, I explore every possible route until I achieve the desired result.

– Which do you enjoy more, launching or scaling?

I’ve discussed this topic in various interviews. Specifically, I derive joy from the initial phase of project development, meaning the startup stage. I love how dynamically the product evolves, how it transforms daily, and how every decision yields immediate results. During this time, I can work on the project around the clock, barely wasting time on anything else. However, once the project grows big and cumbersome, decisions take considerable time to show visible effects. At that point, I get bored and gradually hand over governance to senior management.

– What is the most valuable piece of advice you have ever received?

Honestly, I can’t recall any advice that was extremely valuable. However, there is one piece of advice that stands out to me. In the past, we used to develop companies while counting every penny. We believed fervently that the less you spend, the bigger the gap between revenue and expenses and therefore the more profit. Then, at a corporate event a hundred years ago, my business partner said, “Why are you pinching pennies? The more you spend, the more you earn.” Strange as it may sound, he was right. You shouldn’t hesitate to invest in a project. The sooner and more heavily you invest, the faster and stronger it will grow, thereby bringing in much more money in the long run. Ever since then, we haven’t hesitated to spare time or resources when launching a new venture.

– Is there a project that you either regret starting or not starting?

No, I don’t regret launching any of my projects. Even if a project doesn’t generate a profit and has to be closed, I take away valuable experience from it. Honestly, I don’t regret anything about my entrepreneurial journey.

– What exactly do you refuse to delegate, even with over 100 projects?

That’s a tough question. I don’t think there are any key actions that I can’t delegate in any project. I’ve seen many top executives in our holding company try to take on as many tasks as possible because they were afraid to delegate to junior staff. The result was always the same: eventually, they’d be overwhelmed with tasks, which would lead to sleep deprivation, burnout, and other ailments.

– Have you ever thought, “Maybe enough is enough,” and wondered what kept you going?

It never crossed my mind. I genuinely enjoy what I do, and I don’t see any reason to quit. If I ever lose interest in a project, my partners and I simply launch a new one. Then, it’s back to startup mode with all its excitement and tireless work ethic.

– When did you realize you wanted to organize your own conference? And why?

There used to be many affiliate conferences in Russia. But suddenly, they disappeared. On cold winter nights, you sometimes miss seeing those familiar faces. Not in Dubai or Bangkok, but right here in Moscow. So, I started thinking. If the previous organizers are afraid to hold conferences in Russia for imagined reasons, someone new needs to step up. Someone with experience, skills, desire, and courage. That’s how I decided to host the first BROCONF in Moscow. It turned out to be an excellent decision.

The date for BroConf-6 has not yet been announced, but you can stay updated on events and conferences using the Events Calendar on 3S.INFO.

– Why payment cards?

I’m open to various fields, but I genuinely enjoy the fintech sector. Unlike many other sectors, there’s no ceiling to hit. For us, that was always a challenge. At many companies, we reached the top and tried to grow further, but financially, we saw little progress. I’ve always wanted to be in a business with no restrictive ceiling. Currently, we’re one of the biggest players in this domain. However, there are countless adjacent areas where the sky’s the limit. Personally, I don’t expect to get tired of developing this branch of our company anytime soon.