StarkFeed is a growing news media site that caters to it’s dedicated readership with high quality, informative content while also having focus on trending topics that appeal to a wider audience.

We spoke with StarkFeed’s founders Dimitri and Nika and asked them some questions about how they got started and what challenges/opportunities they have faced and predict for the future:

What motivated both of you to found StarkFeed?

Dimitri: Nika had given me insight into the potential profitability of a news media website. By providing valuable and trendy information to the public we set out to deliver a news hub where anyone seeking anything will find their answer. StarkFeed was setting up to be an empire the first day it went live. What motivated me to be a co-founder of StarkFeed was the foreseeable mark we would make on the digital plane. The goal is to leave a legacy on the world and as it continues to evolve into the digital future, we saw, as we still do, a footprint that is resilient enough to last till the end of the internet, which will not be happening anytime soon.

Tell us a bit about your backgrounds and how it has shaped StarkFeed?

Nika: I have always been interested in the online world, ever since I was a kid. I know, I know -everybody is. But I studied it. I would constantly read up on stories on Insider or Wired, which got me interested in making the kind of content we make today. I knew I had to get into the same industry that had inspired me so often, growing up.

What ‘lousy’ decision caused your business loss and how did you bounce back from it?

Nika: While I was building my other website over the course of a year, I found I wasn’t having any major successes. But I stayed consistent and never gave up on the thought that, one day, this website would succeed. I would spend day and night improving my skills as well as finding opportunities to leverage my website’s growth.

Eventually, a year after all my hard work, I finally started seeing results. The website was not only exceeding the financial goals that I had set for it, but reader numbers were growing exponentially, daily. Every day, we would beat our highest traffic – it was insane. I had one person working with me, at the time, but I could have supported another eight professionals to boost the work we were doing.

I was younger while this was going on. I started spending money unwisely, instead of using it for financial growth. Eventually, I ran into a huge obstacle where I thought I could retire, sit back in a hammock in the Bahamas, and play video games for the rest of my life. But that’s not how it works. Because of my lack of work and low production rate, I ended up losing the majority of my rankings and being outranked by the websites who’d stayed consistent for the 10+ years preceding that. I hit rock bottom, professionally, and was forced to sell my website due to not being able to support myself.

What have you learnt from that experience?

Dimitri: Though I was not an official partner for this project I witnessed first hand what it would take for a successful media site, I learned that consistency was the name of the game, sometimes it’s about playing to fail instead of playing to win. You’ll find out exactly what doesn’t work and what does work after.

In terms of StarkFeed, what are your proudest achievements?

Dimitri: In terms of StarkFeed, I was able to find my proudest achievement when one of my articles warranted recognition outside of the devices. When my peers or unknown individuals went on to refer back to one of my writings in a conversation, I felt accomplished knowing that my work will continue to be seen by those not only locally but those around the country as well. When the views climb into the thousands it ensures that our reality of creating the resilient digital footprint is forming faster than expected.

What opportunities can StarkFeed leverage?

Nika: Teaming up with other brands and businesses to create synergistic content that works across platforms, serving not just us, but everybody. We’re also looking into AI development opportunities, currently in the project phase, to help improve and streamline our website. It’s all about making it better for our users, so we’re always excited to pursue new avenues.

What lies in the future for StarkFeed?

Nika: Developing a platform that provides massive growth and more opportunities for members of the public to make their voices heard. We’re on a great trajectory right now, and we’re going to keep pursuing it until we hit the stratosphere.

Any wise words for other budding entrepreneurs?

Dimitri: From what I have learned with my long partnership with Nika is that it is very easy to indulge, and easy is bad. Meaning, if you want to indulge yourself by doing something easy, your more than certainly going about succeeding the wrong way. If it’s easy it, then your “return on investment” is not going to be significantly profitable. What makes success is going after what’s not easy and making your own path. Most people spend their lives looking for the simple way of doing things and for what? Maybe a couple of “cents”, but when they look back at the road they’ve taken, they then realize they could’ve made millions had they chosen to leave their comfort zone. I usually describe it this way, would you feel more accomplished by plucking a flower from the ground or lifting a giant tree from its roots?

Nika added: Whatever you start, don’t be afraid to fail. Failure and experience are the best ways to learn. Success is an attitude. If you’re building something that’s going to last, you will spend a lot of sleepless nights, and run into a lot of disappointments you will have to get over. But when that happens, only look back to see how far you’ve come. Never stop until you’re proud.