Interview with Denis Galka, the CEO of Sequoia [2023]

Hi WAM readers! My name is Denis Galka. I’m the founder and CEO at Sequoia.

Sequoia is a mobile app that allows men to anonymously track and improve sexual health.

Thank you for this question. The app is based on an incident that happened to me many years ago. When I was 23, I caught a cold that caused pelvic pain. At first, I didn’t understand what was happening to me. Just felt some pain after urinating. But I didn’t dare visit a doctor! I felt embarrassed and hoped that it would go away by itself.

With time instead of going away, it got worse and started affecting my intimate life. I went to a doctor only it became completely unbearable.

The disease was gone but some questions remained.

Why did I feel so ashamed of revealing that health issue? Why was I afraid to discuss something which is natural for me as a man?

The app works pretty simple. Users just download Sequoia and do the test. The medical algorithm sends him a health report and a set of recommendations to improve intimate health, like physical exercises, relaxation exercises, meditation techniques, and sexual health trackers.

If the user regularly follows the recommendations, he sees improvements and then receives new health reports and new recommendations.

We have a medical team of 7 doctors(psychologists, neurologists, psychiatrists, and sexologists) who provide tests, physical exercises, relaxation/meditation techniques, and unique author content. We are also supported by the United Nations Population Fund. As for artificial intelligence, we do not use it now. But we plan to add it in the future.

You said the word “balance” and it is very true. I have a clear division between when I work and when I rest. If I rest, then my rest is in no way connected with work. This is how I replenish my strength. You can work 12 hours one day, but the next day you will only work 4 hours due to fatigue. Of course, you can force yourself to work in excess of the norm for some time. But this is fraught with consequences, such as nervous breakdowns and illnesses. Therefore, a clear balance must be struck. It sounds trite, but it has a deep meaning.

Sequoia doesn’t substitute doctors or give a medical diagnosis. Our app is somehow between a user and a doctor. Sequoia helps men to know about the current state of sexual health and get recommendations on how to improve it. But if a user has a case that is not covered by the app (i.e. infection), Sequoia will recommend visiting a healthcare provider.

We strongly recommend contact urgent care immediately in the case of an emergency.

I clearly understand that not methodologies but people create great projects, so I pay a lot of attention to the people I’m working with. First of all, I am in close contact with them. We do daily meetings and one on one meetings. I try to hear them and understand their needs. From time to time I organize parties for them. In my opinion, parties are a good thing that makes people closer.

I had a lot of difficulties. When you’re employed, you do one task, like managing a project. But when you start your own business, you have to do literally everything: management, marketing, legal issues, testing, and so on.  You have to sort it all out yourself. You have to be prepared for that, mentally first and foremost. Ready to work very hard. Your acquaintances can tell you something, but it’s mostly a lot of hard work and hard work on your own. And you better to be ready for this.

I have already partially answered this in the previous question. Don’t be afraid of difficulties. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. There are a lot of mistakes and that’s okay. I have not yet seen a single startup that would not make mistakes.

Startup success is mostly hard work. There is certainly luck, but it is better not to rely on it.

This a really good question. Thank you for asking. 5-Year Impact:

– We anticipate that we will have saved at least 10k relationships/marriages by providing evidence-based advice and resources to men who need help in understanding and addressing their sexual health issues. 

– We will have increased the average duration of sexual intercourse by at least 40% and the average frequency of sex by at least 50%. 

– We will have diagnosed and addressed 5k problems at an early stage in order to better manage and prevent them from becoming more serious. 

– We will have improved the overall quality of life for men by helping them to better understand and manage their sexual health.