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Business communication, April 1, joking around.
Flight debrief: truth or April Fools’ 🐟
April 1 is the best day to tell the whole truth about Leonid Bugaev.
Or Bugayev?
Or Bugayev?
1) The family lineage traces back to Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev.
❌ Not true. But the name coincidence sometimes leads to funny questions.
2) His patronymic is indeed Flegontovich.
❌ Not true. But that is my father’s patronymic — a lifelong family legend.
3) He is acquainted with Keith Ferrazzi.
✅ True. Networking is when the author of your favorite book becomes a real contact.
4) Once gave a lecture in a train compartment on the Moscow–Novosibirsk route.
✅ True. If there are people, time, and a topic — there will be a lecture.
5) Wrote a book on mobile marketing long before it became mainstream.
✅ True. Printed books sometimes get ahead of digital trends.
6) Was a mentor to a neural network before it became intelligent.
❌ Not true. Though sometimes it feels like people are harder to train than algorithms.
7) Once taught mobile marketing on a ski slope.
✅ True. Lectures at altitude — in the most literal sense. (Hi Misha, Lesha, Yulia — MdDay conferences were great!)
8) Was invited to one of his first events by Alexey Kekulov.
✅ True. Good networking often starts with a single invitation.
9) Spoke at TEDx about networking and people.
✅ True. The red circle, the lights, the stories — and a bit of nerves included. (I spoke three times, on different topics.)
Leonid Bugaev’s first TEDx talk
10) Lives in Armenia while working on projects and with clients worldwide.
✅ True. Geography changes, but connections and projects stay global.
11) Can distinguish seven shades of blue by brand name.
❌ Not true (or not tested yet). But a marketer’s professional bias leans that way.
12) Knows Alex Levitas, having met him in Thailand through mutual acquaintances on the island of Phangan.
✅ True. Some of the most valuable connections begin far from meeting rooms.
13) All the books on the shelf in his office are about sales and marketing.
❌ Not true. There’s also room for history, biographies, and books “for the soul.”
14) Discussed the future of technology with Esther Dyson and then gave her a ride around Moscow.
✅ True. Sometimes big conversations about the future continue in a car.
15) Discussed influence and persuasion with Robert Cialdini and afterward became more cautious with the “buy” button.
✅ True. After such meetings, you see both sales and your own decisions differently.
16) Lost two dots in his surname somewhere along the way between passports and countries.
✅ True. Bureaucracy can do strange things to letters — and you end up living with a new spelling.
How many did you guess right — and which one surprised you the most?
Write in the comments!
Write in the comments!
Leonid Bugaev
is an expert in business communications, a corporate trainer, speaker, and conference moderator. He is the author of the books “Mobile Marketing”, “Mobile Networking” and "People Like Me: 99 Rules for Building Connections That Actually Matter."
Follow Leonid on Telegram, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube so you don’t miss new publications. Also take a look at his business training programs on networking, B2B sales and trendwatching, as well as his books and interviews.
Follow Leonid on Telegram, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube so you don’t miss new publications. Also take a look at his business training programs on networking, B2B sales and trendwatching, as well as his books and interviews.
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