#24: Product Design, Biotech and Restaurant Franchising with Sarkis Buniatyan

Hosted by Josh Gonsalves

11.16.2020

1 HR 42 MIN

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Episode Description

Sarkis joins Josh to talk about his experience designing complex digital products without code, investing in start-ups, creating a biotechnology company, and scaling a successful restaurant franchise. Sarkis also showcases his complex Webflow prototypes including a full rebuild of the Playstation 4 interface, MacOS, and Civilization 6, all natively in Webflow.

About Sarkis Buniatyan

Sarkis is a product designer and serial entrepreneur that creates hyper-realistic prototypes, develops MVPs, turns them into successful products, and teaches makers how to launch their vision using no-code tools.

Connect with Sarkis on Twitter @sarkisbuniatyan

Clone Sarkis' Webflow Projects: Webflow.com/sarkis

Check out Sarkis' companies:

https://www.mirai.am/

https://www.wrapmaster.co/

https://www.meraki.vc/

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03:36: Sarkis' story. He started creating software from the age of 5. Eventually got into Webflow and realized it's utility: he could bring ideas to life without the help of a large team of developers. Eventually he released a complete Playstation rebuild using Webflow, and has followed that up with Civilization 6 and MacOS.
12:05: Problem solving is at the core of Sarkis operations. He loves finding a problem and solving it his own way.
13:11: Sarkis just got into Twitter last January, and he believes that was a missed opportunity on his part. Both Josh and Sarkis agree on the value of twitter in connecting people.
15:00: Sarkis believes that gaming is the most immersive medium. The user becomes fully involved. Josh plugs his Oculus Quest 2 as a testament to this fact.
19:50: Sarkis feels like he worked his ass off during his twenties. Turning 30 he decided to tour temples in Shanghai. A spiritual pilgrimage. It kept him in check and realigned his connection with Nature.
23:00: Wrapmaster brings people together in real communities through healthy food. Creating wraps with delicious, multi-cultural fillings. No imports, no GMOs, local ingredients, menus that adapt to each city. Roll the World! Food can be fast and healthy.
26:00: Sarkis approaches each project looking to make something unique. Don't just do what others are doing better, do what they aren't doing.
27:10: His next pursuit is in the biotech industry: Mirai is harnessing biotechnology to restore Earth's natural balance by developing groundbreaking probiotics that transform the way food is manufactured and consumed around the world.
29:30: Sometimes you have to put your dedication on hold. It's important to know when to take a step back and think about what you're doing.
33:00: Sarkis has realized that you have to relinquish control sometimes and follow intuition. There is a universal flow that you can tap into and that you should follow. Follow this gut feeling... Be open to change... Look for the signs. Don't get caught up in your own perfectionism, be dynamic as a creator.
35:30: Miraki Ventures is meant to give passionate creators the resources they need to do their thing. Passionate creators shouldn't need the input of venture capitalists, Miraki aims to put power in the hands of those passionate souls.
38:00: Most of the waste we create comes from animals. Mirai aims to change this through the implementation of sustainable practices in industrial agriculture. Hydrobiotics, super bacteria derived from organic milk, produce billions of essential amino acids. When you sprinkle this powder on the food given to animals, it improves their health and eliminates the need for harmful anti-bionics.
43:00: Sarkis is disappointed with the quality of entrepreneurship recently. We want to create real, sustainable solutions, not just a small profit at the cost of everyone else.
51:00: Wrapmaster doesn't need to pay for Facebook ad campaigns. They genuinely care about customers and that generates real word of mouth interest. They also offer free food on each country's independence day, individual birthdays, and couple anniversaries. Treat people with love, watch what happens.
56:20: Customer service should be at the core of any business. Sarkis thinks that many entrepreneurs are careless in how they conduct their businesses.
59:10: The No Code movement understands that community is the way forward. Everyone must start by building a community. That's why Sarkis creates clone-able projects in WebFlow. Sharing with the people that support him.
63:10: Each quarter Sarkis likes to take on a few collaborative design projects to fuel the creative flame.
65:40: It takes talent and determination to really get good enough at anything. Even if you have a natural inclination, it takes iterations for anything to grow. Give it time, let it evolve, let the community to come back to you and see if your intuition was correct. Realize you'll get better and better at iterating as you practice, but it will never take only 1 or 2. It takes reps. Put them in.
69:50: Protocore is a company Sarkis created with Todd Siegel, another design genius he met working at Proto.io. Protocore focuses on pushing the boundries of no code tools while working directly with companies, furthering community education in the field, and energizing the maker-verse around these tools. Their goal is to allow creatives to substantiate their vision with dynamic prototypes.
78:26: What challenges Sarkis feels are currently in his way. Right now he wants to reinvent the venture capital model with Miraki. It should be about more than just money, it should be about community and connection.
84:50: Sarkis is excited about 2021 and the no code war he sees on the horizon. He thinks web design is dying. Bigger things are coming. One part of this, he feels, is bubble. A tool more powerful than webflow though one that still needs to mature and develop.
91:00: Sarkis is also super excited about the implementation of Mirai in the coming year. He thinks the technology of super-probiotics can really solve a lot of our problems: lowering emissions from food production and making our food healthier and more nutritious. He's hopeful that this cna revolutionize the biotech field quickly.

Thanks for coming this far! if you're reading this, it is no accident. The universe brought you to this corner of the internet for a reason, and you're on the right track. I already know that you're an amazing person and I can't wait to connect with you!

— Josh

Episode Transcript

Josh Gonsalves

Mind Meld Podcast Host

Hi, I'm Josh Gonsalves, the host and producer of Mind Meld. I'm also a Canadian Academy Award-nominated director and Co-founder of Contraverse, an immersive media company. I'm a multi-media experience designer living and working in Toronto, operating at the intersection of design and exponential technologies to develop solutions that change the world for the better.