Finding Fit Before Asking with Leart Zogjani of Symbolt.io

Leart Zogjani is a talented graphic designer, teacher, and serial entrepreneur. He's worked in design since the age of 14 and first had his work published worldwide when he was only 17. Leart's first startup was an open-world game for iOS, which won second place out of 118 companies at Techstars Global Startup Battle. 

He then founded Skins Agency, a brand strategy and development agency that specializes in global brands and successful investment pitches. Leart's latest venture, Symbolt, is a creative design space for marketing teams that struggle with lengthy document revisions, allowing graphic designers and marketers to collaborate on a project without interrupting each other’s work. Symbolt is part of the StartupYard Accelerator program and is gearing up for a funding round. 

Leart has spoken at International Motion Festival in Cyprus, has exhibited at Ars Electronica festival in Austria, and has had his work published in several scientific and design books. These days, he splits his time between Prague and Kosovo, where he still teaches graphic design at two colleges.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: 

• Leart Zogjani plays the speed round with Stephanie Sims
• Leart’s first big ask
• How to find the balance between asking and being too demanding 
• Leart talks about how to find fit before asking 
• How Leart decides which asks to accept and which to turn down 
• Turning every “no” into a learning moment  
• Leart’s criteria for defining fit
• Why Leart decided to pursue StartupYard 
• How Leart prepares for demo day
• Check out symbolt.io and share your feedback with Leart

In this episode…

Asking is hard. As entrepreneurs, we want to figure things out on our own, so we feel uncomfortable reaching out for help. And when we do get out of our own way, we don't want to come off as too demanding, desperate, or like we’re demanding a favor. Could there be a better way to ask? What if instead of seeking favors, you could present opportunities to people who need them? 

For Leart Zogjani, the best way to do this is by finding a fit before making an ask. And that entails empathizing with the person, understanding the value they are looking for, and framing your offer in terms of mutual benefit. Listen to this episode of What's Your Ask with Stephanie Sims, and Leart Zogjani of Symbolt.io, to learn more.  

Resources Mentioned in this episode

• Symbolt.io
• Leart Zogjani on LinkedIn 
• Leart's email: [email protected]
• Finance-Ability
• Stephanie Sims
• Stephanie Sims LinkedIn

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