Dima Okhrimchuk is the founder and CEO of Drope.me, the world’s first influencer marketing platform that connects gaming companies, micro-influencers, and their communities in performance-based campaigns. He is responsible for providing strategic direction for the business, overseeing day-to-day operations, and leading a talented team of professionals.
Dima is a gaming enthusiast who was born in Kyiv, Ukraine, and later moved to Los Angeles, USA. He holds an MBA from UC Berkeley and a degree in international economics from the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv.
Before founding Drope.me, Dima had worked in corporate finance and tech but soon realized that power suits weren’t his thing. In 2019, he co-founded an esports organization and later launched Organization.GG, a platform that allowed esports players and Twitch streamers to make money by playing with their fans. In February 2022, when the russian federation invaded Ukraine, the platform mainly focused on charity initiatives, raising over $60,000 for UNITED24, the government-run fundraising platform initiated by the President of Ukraine. In early 2023, Dima made a pivot to Drope.me which now focuses on bridging the gap between gaming companies and micro-streamers.
What is your typical day, and how do you make it productive?
I don’t have a strict agenda for the day. Like a typical early-stage startup CEO, I usually do a bit of everything, including meetings with my team, clients, or business partners, catching up on emails, etc. Whenever I need to do something that requires more focus and concentration, I block this time in my calendar so I don’t get distracted. That said, I usually have a pretty good understanding of my personal and our team’s goals for the week and a month ahead.
How do you bring ideas to life?
I tend to rush to build and test, but although on rare occasions, speed is critical, most of the time, it is not. So now I try to focus more on the quality of those ideas, sleep over them, and get feedback from the team and potential users first. The more ideas you work on, the more you realize how important the research phase is. On the other hand, the most valuable feedback is from users who are using your MVP, so I am trying to find my own balance here.
What’s one trend that excites you?
I love that these days, you have the opportunity to launch a successful business in tech with a tiny team. You don’t need as much capital, time, and resources to validate the idea and build a viable business. Lethal Company, for instance, is a game that just one person made, and today, it is highly popular and successful. Obviously, AI is playing a big role in this.
What is one habit that helps you be productive?
Discipline to begin and spend at least 5-10 min working on a task that might not be very exciting has helped me be productive overall. Usually, you fall into a state of flow just by starting and grinding for a short period.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Trust your instincts more and be less dependent on others’ opinions. I had a lot of startup hypotheses since I was a teenager, but I never pursued them at that age. I spent too much time on the research phase and did not dare to pull the trigger. Starting my entrepreneurial journey earlier would be my advice to my younger self. I also had to buy Bitcoin 10 years ago! 🙂
Tell us something you believe almost nobody agrees with you.
I firmly believe that failure is an essential part of success. While many people fear failure, I see it as an opportunity for growth and learning. We gain valuable insights and develop resilience through our failures, leading us closer to success.
What is the one thing you repeatedly do and recommend everyone else do?
Doing sports. Whatever your preference is, whether running, playing tennis, or hockey. Just do it regularly to stay both mentally and physically fit. It is crucial in an entrepreneurship journey.
When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, what do you do?
First of all, it is essential to acknowledge this state. I try to reflect on why I am being overwhelmed or unfocused. Am I doing something important and valuable right now? Should I be doing something else? After that, I either continue the work or take a short break to regroup.
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business or advance in your career?
I’ve always been focused on fostering a culture of innovation and experimentation within my team. We’ve evolved and stayed ahead in our industry by encouraging team members to explore new ideas, take risks, and learn from failures. Except for Drope.me, no other influencer marketing platform globally allows gaming brands to launch performance-based influencer marketing campaigns. Furthermore, it helps them tailor these campaigns to their personalized goals by selecting relevant campaign actions done by micro-influencers on Twitch, YouTube, TikTok, and other social media platforms.
We have a non-stop process of validating new theories and hypotheses developed after communicating with our users and partners. To reach the stage of the product that solves very particular problems external stakeholders have, it’s necessary to stay brave and out-of-the-box thinkers. This approach drives creativity and fosters a sense of ownership and accountability inside the team.
What is one failure in your career, how did you overcome it, and what lessons did you take away from it?
One notable failure in my career was the dissolution of a CS:GO esports organization I co-founded in 2018. Despite our initial excitement, efforts, and highly talented players, we faced funding challenges that led to the team’s disbandment. After this happened, I started to look for opportunities for these CS:GO players to continue doing what they love and earn. That’s how the Organization.GG platform was born, the startup I launched before Drope.me. It helped esports players get paid while playing with their fans during live show matches on Twitch. In a certain sense, Organization.GG was the first version of Drope.me, but with a different focus.
That being said, this situation taught me a lot. But probably the most important lesson I got is that you should always keep looking for new opportunities and never give up. Each failure opens doors for new beginnings, hypotheses, and chances to build something great. Today, I’m happy that things turned out the way they did.
What is one business idea you’re willing to give away to our readers?
I think the ideas by itself are not worth that much. It is the execution, founder-fit, and persistence that counts. Think about your background and your unique insights, knowledge, and experience in a specific sector. Ideally, you would want to focus on those opportunities or product hypotheses unless you are super-passionate about other sectors.
What is one piece of software that helps you be productive? How do you use it?
It is definitely Notion. I utilize it as a workspace for project management, task organization, note-taking, and collaborative work. Whether managing team projects, brainstorming ideas, or planning strategies, Notion is vital for optimizing my productivity and efficiency.
What is the best $100 you recently spent?
Recently, I bought a premium subscription to a meditation app, and I’m so happy about it. It’s like a digital coach for relaxing and clearing your mind. This app has lots of guided meditations and soothing sounds to help me chill out and destress. Taking care of my mental health is super important, especially when things get busy with work.
Do you have a favorite book or podcast from which you’ve received much value?
I really enjoyed “The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck” by Mark Manson. It’s a great book that helps you determine what’s important in life and how to handle stress better. The author is sincere and straightforward, which makes it easy to understand and relate to.
What’s a movie or series you recently enjoyed and why?
“Dune: Part Two” blew me away. The visuals were stunning, and the storyline kept me hooked from start to finish. Directed by Denis Villeneuve and featuring breathtaking cinematography by Greig Frasier, the film is about an unforgettable cinematic experience. Hans Zimmer’s powerful soundtrack adds depth to the story, too! I believe it’s a must-watch for anyone who loves epic sci-fi adventures!
Key learnings:
- Flex your schedule: Don’t tie yourself to a rigid daily agenda and block out focused time when necessary, but stay adaptable to the demands of each day.
- Prioritize quality over speed: When bringing ideas to life, take your time to research and gather feedback before diving in. Rushing into execution can lead to costly mistakes down the line.
- Do more with less: Embrace the trend of launching successful businesses with minimal resources. Look for innovative ways to validate ideas and build viable businesses without extensive capital.
- Start small to gain momentum: Kickstart your productivity by dedicating just a few minutes to tasks, even if they seem mundane. Starting often leads to a state of flow and increased motivation to continue.
- Embrace failure as growth: Instead of fearing failure, see it as an opportunity for learning and development. Every setback provides valuable insights that can propel you closer to success.