Startup Interview with Andrey Ustyugov, CEO, Planner 5D

HackerNoon Reporter: Please tell us briefly about your background.

I was always interested in technology, which led me to Bauman Moscow State University, where I got my degree in programming, physics, and automotive systems. While being a university student, I won the Facebook Developer World Hack in 2012.

Before I joined Planner 5D as CEO in 2020, I had founded 3 tech companies. Then I joined IMI.VC, the primary investor in Planner 5D, as an Investment Director. I became passionate about Planner 5D’s mission and was heavily involved in its development and operations. Last year, I decided to get back to working as an entrepreneur and joined the Planner 5D team as the CEO. I strongly believe in the potential of Planner 5D, and I am immensely grateful for the opportunity to lead this team.

What's your startup called? And in a sentence or two, what does it do?

We are Planner 5D, an easy-to-use 3D home design platform that allows anyone to create floor plans and interior designs in minutes without any special skills using powerful AI, VR & AR technologies.

What is the origin story?

Planner 5D was founded in 2011 by Alexey Sheremetyev and Sergey Nosyrev. They both worked in the tech industry. At some point, Alexey and Sergey became homeowners and needed to renovate their houses. They soon realized there wasn’t any modern tool they could use, so they decided to build it themselves.

What do you love about your team, and why are you the ones to solve this problem?

We are a team of geeks who are trying to solve technical and creative problems simultaneously. We treat design as an engineering solution, and we help people become better designers themselves.

If you weren’t building your startup, what would you be doing?

I would be working in the tech industry anyway. I believe that AI can and will bring great benefits to our society. This is one of the most impressive things that we can be working on right now.

At the moment, how do you measure success? What are your core metrics?

To measure success, we use the number of home-renovation projects successfully completed by our users. Ideally, these projects should improve their quality of life, so we strive to provide our users with the best tools and guides possible to design such projects.

What’s most exciting about your traction to date?

The challenges behind the Covid-19 made people take a closer look at their homes. They start considering their homes as shelters and need them to be comfortable. Home spaces play a more important role at times of lockdowns and limited mobility, and we are happy to serve our users on a mission to improve their living environment.

What technologies are you currently most excited about, and most worried about? And why?

I am inspired by the development of artificial intelligence and the web. But I am alarmed that with the growing influence of technology companies, we fail to realize the state's position around this all.

What drew you to get published on HackerNoon? What do you like most about our platform?

HackerNoon is a cool place for thinkers and builders from all around the world. It’s fantastic to be part of it.

What advice would you give to the 21-year-old version of yourself?

Keep doing what you like.

What is something surprising you've learned this year that your contemporaries would benefit from knowing?

During COVID, the attitude towards the definition of home and what people expect from it has changed. For a very long time, it was seen as something casual. Some people think of things they should get rid of in a modern world, like a kitchen. Others are excited to become digital nomads. According to our surveys and data, people now greatly appreciate the places where they live and want to improve them.