Flight debrief: truth or April Fools’ 🐟

April 1 is the best day to tell the whole truth about Leonid Bugaev.
Or Bugayev?

Whimsical networking

first riddle post: here

truth or April Fools Fools’ jokes 🐟

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!

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