Pavel Durov has a very interesting entrepreneurial story. He was b0rn in Russia, and despite living in a country where entrepreneurship was not exactly encouraged, Durov worked hard to master skills that would help differentiate himself from others. He learned how to code in school, and his brother and he would change school network computer screens to insult teachers they didn’t like. As Durov got older and more experienced, he was able to create the Russian social media site VKontakte (VK), which functioned similarly to Facebook and actually became more popular than Zuckerberg’s site in Russia.

After amassing extensive wealth from the successful site, Durov was actually forced to give up control of his company, as the Russian government began to take increasing control. He fled Russia after his defiance led him into trouble with the government, but the incredible thing is that Durov was so smart, he didn’t skip a beat when he got to the United States. Durov and his brother arrived in Buffalo, NY and created the Telegram app which has become wildly successful.

Durov’s story is one of perseverance. Many people would not have the fortitude to rebound after losing their multi-million dollar company. Durov, however, used the skills he had already developed to create a new successful product in a space of innovation that was more conducive to success. While most young entrepreneurs can’t relate to seeing their previous project get overrun by the Kremlin, there is a lesson to be learned here. “When at first you don’t succeed, try again.”