It is a treat to hear from @avito co-founder Jonas Nordlander about how and his co-founder Fliip built one of Europe’s largest Internet companies against the odds. Some simple but often forgotten nuggets on leadership @SlushHQ, including: 1/

Don’t fall in love with your original idea. The business you end up building will, more often than not, be very different from the one you planned. Be willing to remodel early 2/

Have tough conversations, including with the people you started with who might not ultimately make good co-founders. Honesty ALWAYS benefits everyone over the long-term. 3/

Identify the people you want to work with, even if they’re not immediately available. At the right time, they may be ready 4/

Back yourself first. Not others' version of you. Lots of people didn’t think Avito could succeed in Russia, and some didn’t want it to. You need the grit and determination to get past that. 5/

Show trust to earn trust. Tell people what you are going to do and make sure you deliver. When people realise you’re for real you get real loyalty 6/

Hire the best but look for EQ as well as IQ. Some really intelligent people think they can get away with giving only 80% . At Avito that was unacceptable. 7/

Focus on your core business and product. You can make the highway wider and put more cars on it, but you need to stay on the same road. Diversification is important but can so easily become a distraction. 8/

Show your face as a leader, especially as your team grows. Bring together small groups to talk about what’s happening. Leadership is largely about time, and you have to invest it plenty. 9/

Don’t get distracted by building your public profile. You’re trying to build a great business, not run around and win prizes. It’s good to be seen sometimes, but use your time carefully. 10/