XpatLoop Interview: Tivadar Limbacher, CEO/Founder at Atreo Research Zrt.

  • 14 Dec 2012 11:00 AM
XpatLoop Interview: Tivadar Limbacher, CEO/Founder at Atreo Research Zrt.
Until I turned 26 my sweetest dream was a safe 9-to-5 job and a nice office with a large international company. So, after earning my degrees in sociology at ELTE and international relations at Indiana University Bloomington, I headed to Brussels to work for the European Commission. It was dandy and I learnt a lot, sure, but it was way too comfortable. Nobody pushed me to create new things, to innovate, it's quite a bureaucratic environment. I was well paid, of course, but I decided to return to Budapest to seek something meaningful... to start my own company.

I founded www.maesteszinhaz.hu a year ago with a good friend. Our site offers last minute theater tickets online at half price. People plan less and less ahead these days, and theatres often have half house empty as they fail to accomodate to these lifestyle changes. With Ma este Színház, if you realize at 5PM that you finally have a free evening, you can check out all the events for tonight, and buy tickets online - at half price! The idea is quite simple, but somehow nobody did this before us.

Our customers love us because we make choosing a program for tonight easy and spontaneous. Our partner venues love us because we sell their unsellable tickets. Everybody loves us. Seriously.

1. Where did you grow up?
I was born and raised in Budapest. I've lived a year in the States and a year in Brussels, but I'm back in my hometown since 2009.

2. If you could be an expat anywhere in the world, where would you choose?
No matter how many times you visit the place, California is amazing, so I would choose San Francisco probably, but Japan is also tempting.

3. What would you miss most if you moved away from Hungary?
Beyond the obvious (friends & family) I would miss the summer nights at Balaton.

4. Friends are in Budapest for a weekend - what must they absolutely see and do?
I prefer Couchsurfing over a Hilton - so I would suggest activities beyond the usual turisty places. A nice run around Margitsziget, a lunch at Most, a ride with Tram 2, and finishing the day at Trafiq.

5. What is your favourite food?
Palacsinta hands down. Or spinach. Both.

6. What is your favourite sport / form of exercise?
Running and pumping iron at the gym. When I was a kid, I had terrible eyesight so any sport involving a ball is a nightmare for me.

7. What is your favourite place in Hungary?
Margitsziget, Budapest, Balaton.

8. What career other than yours would you love to pursue?
Creative advertising photographer - I'm not entirely given up on this one!

9. What’s a job you would definitely never want?
Anything which could and will be replaced by a machine soon. For example BKV ticket seller.

10. Where did you spend your last vacation?
Idea of the "vacation" is always hard to graps as an entrepreneur. Last time I've spent four weeks travelling the major US innovation hubs, Bay Area, Boston, New York, Washington - it was great fun but hard work too.

11. Where do you hope to spend your next one?
I'm always ready to go back to Southeast Asia for a month or two.

12. What was your favourite band, film, or hobby as a teen?
Exploring junk yards with my best friend. Those were the days!

13. Apart of temptation what can’t you resist?
Open bar.

14. Red wine or white?
I'm a devoted rosé evangelist.

15. Book or movie?
I would say book, but according to my recent activites... movie.

16. Morning person or night person?
I feel much more alieve after midnight.

17. Which social issue do you feel most strongly about?
Equality, goverment transparency, social entrepreneurship.

18. Buda or Pest side?
I love them both. I always lived in Pest, so I know this part much better.

19. Which achievement in your life are you most pleased about?
Ma este Színház! We started this company not even a year ago, and we've already changed the market for the better. We see this company as a parent sees his child - with proud and joy.

20. What would you say is your personal motto?
"Millions long for immortality who don't know what to do on a rainy afternoon." (Susan Ertz)

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