Section 1: About me. Dossier.
«Starting to truly value my own time: delegating tasks, handing responsibility over to the team, and avoiding overloading myself with day-to-day operations. »
Rafael Horoian
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Join the clubSection 2. About the business. Dossier.
Section 3: Biography.
My name is Rafael Horoian, and today I am the founder and owner of the «Prometei» group of companies, which has been operating in Ukraine's grain market for over 24 years. We purchase, store, condition, and handle logistics for grain crops and sunflower seeds, and we also operate in international markets.
For me, a business is first and foremost a system. I firmly believe that if an entrepreneur is constantly overloaded, the reason is usually not the amount of work, but poor time allocation, weak delegation, and a lack of trust in the team.
My entrepreneurial journey began in my teenage years. I built a furniture manufacturing business practically from scratch, assembled a team, and managed people, including employees my father's age. That was when I gained my first management experience and understood how important it is to build a strong team.
Throughout my life, I have made a conscious effort to learn from successful entrepreneurs. At different times, there were people around me whom I considered my teachers. Sometimes they did not even know it, but I carefully observed their work, thinking, and principles, adopting what worked in practice.
One of the most powerful impressions came from an IT entrepreneur who, despite the scale of his business, remained calm and did not look exhausted. That was when I understood how important it is to plan your time properly, delegate responsibility, and build a system that does not depend on one person.
Entrepreneurship became part of my life at age 14. Together with a neighbor, I made our first couch from materials we had on hand, sold it through a consignment store, and saw that there was demand for such products.
The idea for an agribusiness came much later. After the crisis of 2008–2009, when the construction business came to a halt, I began looking for a new direction. After analyzing the market, I decided to move into grain trading and grain storage, where I saw greater stability and prospects for growth.
Several skills formed the foundation of my development: precise thinking and mathematical ability, which help me analyze information and make well-considered decisions; physical fitness, because both mind and body need to withstand heavy demands; perseverance, without which an entrepreneurial journey is impossible; and the ability to plan time, delegate, and organize a team's work effectively.
Building a business practically from scratch. As a teenager, I made furniture myself, organized production, and managed employees.
The crisis of 2008–2009. After the construction market collapsed, I was left with approximately $10 million in debt and unfinished projects. That was when I decided to change direction completely and move into the grain business.
Building a grain trading company without loans. From the very beginning, I deliberately built «Prometei» primarily with my own capital, because I consider excessive borrowing dangerous for a business.
For me, one of the biggest crises in business is dependence on one person: the owner or a key senior executive. This risk can bring processes to a halt and slow growth if that person becomes unavailable. That is why I see it not as a staffing issue, but as a matter of operational resilience.
The most effective decisions for the company's growth involved building a strong team. I deliberately choose a model in which key functions do not depend on one person. It is important to me that the business continues to operate and grow even if a key employee or the owner is temporarily unable to take part in operations.
Another principle is to learn only from practitioners. If I choose a mentor, it must be someone who has personally followed this path and achieved real results in business.
Getting involved in politics. Today, I consider joining the «UDAR» party one of the biggest mistakes of my life.
At age 14, I made a couch with a neighbor using scraps of foam and fabric that my mother gave me. I then sold it through a consignment store.
I continued developing the furniture business — we made sofas, armchairs, and tables. Within a year, I had my own furniture workshop employing around 24 people.
I continued earning money by making and selling furniture, and later by trading machine oil, meat, and grain while studying at university.
I earned it by trading fuel and grain, which I was actively involved in during the late 1990s.
After founding «Prometei» in 1999, I earned my first million dollars by trading diesel fuel and sunflower seeds.
Section 4: How can I be useful? Experience I can share.
My practical experience can be useful in two areas.
The first is time management for business owners. I can share approaches to planning, delegation, and handing responsibility over to assistants and senior executives. This helps owners avoid overloading themselves with day-to-day operations and focus on growing the business.
The second is building a strong team. It is important to me that a business does not depend on one person. Key functions should be organized so that the company can operate reliably and grow regardless of specific individuals.
I also firmly believe that you should learn only from practitioners. Theory can be found anywhere, but business is first and foremost about practice, hard work, and perseverance.
For me, systematizing a business starts with ensuring that key processes do not depend on one person. If all responsibility rests with a single employee, that already poses a risk to the company.
That is why I build a team in which key functions are shared among several strong people. This reduces dependence on individuals, frees the owner from constant hands-on management, and makes business operations more predictable.
To double in size within a year, you need to free up the owner's time for strategic tasks. This is achieved through delegation and building the right senior management team. When owners are not overloaded with day-to-day operations, they can plan, focus on priorities, and grow the business.
