Meet Stefan Avram | Tech Entrepreneur

We had the good fortune of connecting with Stefan Avram and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Stefan, what role has risk played in your life or career?
When it comes to risk, the riskiest thing you can actually do is not take any risk. Growing up, I was fortunate to be raised by two immigrants who migrated to the United States from Serbia and understood risk. They took a risk by winning a green card lottery and moving to the United States with $1000 and not knowing a single word of English.

This risk paid off tenfold, but the lesson was embedded in my mind and my siblings as we grew up. We were taught never to become comfortable and always to take risks because failure is usually not as bad as it seems. So throughout my life, like in Soccer in college, I would always take the risk. I would try the risky dribble or the out-of-pocket shot; risk was something I became comfortable with. One of my favorite things my parents taught me was that if I feels uncomfortable or scary to do something, you should absolutely do it like quitting your job and starting a startup, or taking that new job.

When starting a startup, I realized I wanted a particular type of life centered around risk. I could have easily stayed a software engineer with an excellent salary and a fantastic work-life balance, but that’s not how I was programmed. I was programmed to take risks, and when you take risks and have something on the line, you would not believe how much you grow as a person and in life.

The most significant risk is falling into dogma and living a life that is “safe” without ever trying.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
So WunderGraph is a Full Lifecycle API Management for (Federated) GraphQL. WunderGraph enables teams and Organizations to manage and scale easily (federated) GraphQL Architectures. Quickly iterate without breaking anything. WunderGraph Cosmo can run locally, on-premises, or in the cloud as a managed service.

So, what does that mean in English? Think of your favorite music steaming, news, social media apps, websites, etc… all of these tech services use GraphQL. WunderGraph provides tooling for GraphQL and enables the fantastic developers at these companies to build faster and better. We provide developer tools to some of the biggest companies in the world.

What I’m most proud of is when I visit a website or use a product and know that WunderGraph is helping to power that product/website under the hood. It’s a strange feeling that a tool you built with your fantastic team is helping power a product that millions of people use.

Was it easy? Absolutely not. I’m still not even close to where I want to be and suffer a lot from imposter syndrome, but I’ve learned to love risk and being unconformable. Sometimes, you have more leisurely days, but I genuinely love what I do, so it makes it a bit easier, even when you are having the worst day.

I want the world to know that with hard work and genuine passion, you can truly accomplish anything. I want the world to see that they should surround themselves with versions of themselves they want to be and people who support them. Remove yourself from energy vampires and focus on becoming the best version of yourself. My story is just getting started, and it’s built around working hard, self-belief, and always being hungry for more.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
On Monday morning, we’d kick things off by grabbing our favorite brews at either Pura Vida or Crema, catching up while knocking out some work. Come lunchtime, we’d swing by Motek in the Brickell City Center for some tasty eats. Afterward, it’s chill time by my condo pool.

Come Tuesday, we’re back at the grind, this time posting up at Puroast Coffee for our workspace. We’d fill up for lunch at The Henry, and finish strong with a nice run at the Brickell Run club. After our run, we’d probably find a place to grab something quick and satisfying for dinner.

Throughout the week, we’d definitely be treating ourselves to some top-notch dining spots. We’d hit up Prime 112 one night, Initimo on South Beach on another, Luca Osteria out in the Gables, and, if we’re really feeling it, Queen on South Beach to really indulge.

When it comes to fun, we’ve got plenty lined up – grabbing a movie at CMX or Silver Screen Brickell, taking a group exercise class at Sweat 440 or Equinox, catching a beach sunset at South Pointe, or soaking in some culture at the Frost Museum and Adrienne Arsht Center.

For drinks, it’ll be all about happy hour at Cantina La Veinte – those margaritas are not to be missed. After that, we’d be ready to paint Brickell red and hop around some bars, before hitting Space; the party doesn’t even start there until 3 am!

The weekend’s the crown jewel of the visit. We’re renting a yacht with some buddies and spending the day out on the water. Before we cast off, we’re making a stop at Joe’s Stone Crab to score some fried chicken. Once our boating day is done, South Beach is the move for dinner.

So, yeah, it’s pretty much going to be the perfect blend of work and play, with some great food and even better company thrown into the mix.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Nobody is “self-made”; we’re all products of our environment and people who helped us get to where we are. So, I would love to shout out to those who helped me get to where I am today.

First, I want to thank my fantastic Finacee, Sofa Colon. I don’t think there are enough words in the world to express adequately a shoutout to her. She always believed in me and pushed me along, even when I didn’t believe in myself. She was the one who pushed me to start my startup, to think bigger, and even on critical business decisions. She’s my silent partner on startups and so incredibly talented that she pushes me to work harder without even trying. She’s truly incredible, and a massive shoutout to her!!!

Second, I want to thank my sisters, Andjela and Aleksandra. We’re all seven years apart but so different in so many ways. My older sister showed me so many important things about dealing with people and using the world to my advantage, while my little sister showed me how to be compassionate and learn to balance life, work, and family. Big shoutout to them.

And finally, my parents, Vesna and Aleksandar. Growing up, they engraved the importance of working hard, never giving up, and believing in myself. They wouldn’t just teach us but would leave by example. My mother accomplished everything she put her mind to and decided to quit her comfortable job to start her practice. My father endured headship throughout his life and never complained about it. He is headstrong and taught us that life never gets easier; you just become better. Without them two, I wouldn’t be anywhere.

Website: https://wundergraph.com/

Instagram: stefan_avram

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stefan-avram-62696713a/

Twitter: @stefantmd

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCW49vpvTBHXfvPbQVyg5JUA