The co-founder of One United Properties was the guest on the show "Back to the future with Andreea Perminova" on Gândul.
In a relaxed discussion, beyond numbers and investment plans, Andrei Diaconescu told the story of how he entered the world of entrepreneurship and the principles that guide him in life. Few people know that his childhood nickname was the Bricklayer, a name that already announced the profession he would choose. "I grew up in the Civic Centre, right when it was being built, so maybe that's where I got the attraction towards construction, development. From a young age, I was attracted to construction, to doing something", he said.
He did not choose the diplomatic path, as his father did, but construction was not his first job either. Andrei Diaconescu instead entered the banking field, where he met Victor Căpitanu, with whom he founded One United Properties. In parallel with the activity in the bank, together with Victor Căpitanu, he started investing in land, and that was the moment when they thought of founding a business outside the banking field - Capital Partners was then formed. It wasn't all easy, and they also made bad decisions, such as investing in land in not-so-good areas that lost value. But those mistakes were a very good lesson for the two.
"Later, constantly dealing with real estate, we understood how important the position is, the location of land, especially in times of crisis. If we hadn't lost that money in 2009, we wouldn't have understood how important the location of a project is. Almost every day we prepare for the crisis, and this comes with the discipline of buying only premium or super premium locations, which even in the crisis offer liquidity and continue to sell. We have not deviated from this model.”
Regarding success, Andrei Diaconescu believes that the most important thing is to like what you do and to build step by step. Without money being the ultimate goal.
"I think it's much easier to make money when you're not thinking about money. Even in the beginning, I was trying to save some money from my $150 salary. It's one of my big mistakes, I realized that it's best, when you have little money, to invest it in yourself. My advice to young people is this - invest in them, take care of them, because they are the biggest investment."
A solid business is built step by step, on healthy principles, such as fairness, and quality offered constantly.
"We always like to give the customers more than they expect. And do something for the community, too. We had a few projects where we didn't make a profit because we didn't want to compromise on quality. Instead, we get involved in the community. For example, in Floreasca, 70% of the intersection with Mircea Eliade is reconstructed by One. Now we have committed to a town hall, without the legal obligation, to build 2 schools, which will greatly reduce the traffic in the area, generated by the workplace and the school. If we could manage to stay closer to work and have the school close, it would significantly reduce traffic.”
The co-founder of One United Properties also emphasized that it is much more motivating to contribute to society, and to the people around him.
"I've had people help me unconditionally, without a direct profit or benefit, and somehow it sticks in your mind that you have a duty to do the same. I like to grow people in the company, young people who are willing to learn. It's good to have moments of revelation, during a year, in which you want to do something good for others, for the community."
Complete interview here:
