Career Plot Twist
Sometimes life makes such strange circles that you don't even understand how beautiful it is until years later.
Если ты читаешь по-русски, то нажми здесь
2009. My phone rings. It's my friend from Solvo — a company I left two years ago when I moved to TNT, a major TV network. Solvo owed the network millions of rubles, and TNT sued them. "Mike, can you help settle this before court?" Here's the twist: when I worked at TNT, I was the one who decided to cut Solvo off for not paying. Now they're asking me to help fix the problem I created.
How I ended up on both sides
2003-2007: Solvo
I joined Solvo in 2003. In 2005, we started working with TNT — we built interactive services for their TV shows. I was the one who built this partnership, and it worked great. The network was happy with our business and with me personally. So happy that in 2007, they offered me a job.
At that time, Solvo was being bought out. It was rough. I was deeply involved and knew how it would end. A couple months before the deal closed, TNT invited me to lead their special projects department: all interactive services, licensing, publishing, and websites. All non-advertising income, basically.
The owner of Solvo — my mentor back then, my friend now — let me go without problems. By the way, right after the sale, the whole core team left the company.
2007-2008: TNT
After the buyout, Solvo started having problems. The new management changed processes for the worse, and debt to the network started growing. I tried to solve it peacefully — gave them time, offered payment plans. But it didn't work. The debt kept growing, and at some point it was clear: we can't continue like this.
I made the decision to cut Solvo off. Was it uncomfortable? Of course. But by then, most people I had emotional ties with were gone. This was a business decision, and I made it.
I left TNT at the end of 2008. In 2009, TNT sued Solvo.
The call and the mediation process
Spring 2009. A friend who joined Solvo after I left calls me. Sadly, he's no longer with us.
"Mike, can you help avoid court? You know people on both sides."
The head of legal at TNT was easy to work with — super reasonable person who understood the situation. Everyone knew the score: TNT would win in court, but it would take time and resources. For Solvo, court meant not just losing, but bad publicity that could destroy what was left of their reputation.
A few calls, emails, documents. I didn't reinvent anything — just helped both sides find a deal that worked. We agreed on smaller penalties, set up a payment schedule, signed a settlement. Everything solved remotely, no drama.
The result
TNT lawyers were grateful — saved time and resources. Solvo was grateful — avoided court, publicity, and extra penalties. And I made money. A few tens of thousands of dollars, as I remember. Not bad for a few phone calls and meetings.
At that moment, it was just another business deal for me.
Only years later did I see the beautiful circle of events:
- I worked at Solvo and built a partnership with TNT.
- Then I moved to TNT and cut Solvo off for debt.
- Then I left TNT.
- And now Solvo asked me to help settle their conflict with TNT.
The guy who created the partnership, then broke it, now helps fix it. Beautiful, right?
What this means
This story taught me two things I still use today.
First: Roles change. Today you make a tough decision on one side of the table. Tomorrow you might be on the other side. Or become the person helping both sides make peace. Life goes in circles, business even more so. Understanding this changes how you make decisions: you think not just about winning now, but about how your actions today will affect your opportunities tomorrow.
Second: Professional relationships matter more than emotions. I cut Solvo off not because I was angry or hurt. It was a decision my job required. I helped settle the dispute not because of friendship or nostalgia. It was a chance to help both sides and get paid. No drama. Just business relationships built on being practical and respectful.
That's why, when they needed someone who understood both sides and could build bridges, they called me. Because I didn't turn business decisions into personal fights. And it paid off.
P.S.
I'm still in touch with the founder of Solvo and the whole leadership team, even though we live in different countries now. Good professional relationships survive any companies or conflicts.