There is an expression: you can not be involved in politics, it will still be engaged in you.

There is an expression: you can not get involved in politics, it will still take care of you.

What happened to businessman Vasily Korzhov. At one point, he lost everything: a brand that all of Moscow knew about, platforms for promoting the company and interacting with the audience. In his honest interview with our publication, he told how vilely Ukrainian partners treated him, revealed the new name of the beloved sushi and made a business forecast for the near future of Russia.

1. Let's start with some background, Vasily. Tell our readers when and by whom was the Ninja Sushi brand founded? Who are they, the key persons of the company?

The brand was founded by guys from Ukraine. Alexey Kostylev was the key link and face of the company. I met him in 2017 – at the time when I had a burning desire to open a sushi delivery service in Moscow. I came across this product by accident, then Ninja Sushi was just emerging as a brand. Until that time, the project had a completely different name – PANDA. Alexey and his team bought it and renamed it. I believed in them, and therefore I came for personal communication, with a proposal to develop the company in Moscow. It turned out that with two of the partners we are countrymen, originally from Donetsk. Perhaps this also played a role: we immediately found common ground and began close, fruitful cooperation. Three months later we opened in the capital.

2. It turns out that the community has rallied you. What else influenced the fact that you decided to start a joint business?

I felt that we were on the same wavelength, and the product that I wanted to launch in Russia was fully consistent with what they had already done. We agreed on mutually beneficial terms for everyone and started working.

3. If it's not a secret, what were these conditions?

Not quite standard: the opening in Moscow was carried out entirely and completely at my expense. Everything that was created – an application, a website, equipped kitchens, staff salaries in Moscow – I paid for this out of my own pocket. If he speaks specifically about numbers, I have invested more than $20,000 in the development and development of the application, the site. Investments in Instagram, which, by the way, Ukrainian partners still use, total more than $100,000. The kitchen set-up cost me over $300,000.

4. It turns out that promotion through social networks was your main advertising tool?

Yes, we put a lot of emphasis on social networks, especially Instagram. All its marketing potential was used: contextual advertising, targeting, advertising with bloggers, cooperation with all Russian celebrities, stars, actors, singers.
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