Meet Akos Gabossy

We recently connected with Akos Gabossy and have shared our conversation below.

Akos, thank you so much for making time for us. We’ve always admired your ability to take risks and so maybe we can kick things off with a discussion around how you developed your ability to take and bear risk?
Most people perceive my risk tolerance as extreme. However, I prefer to take calculated risks, which involves thorough analysis of risky situations. While my risk tolerance might be higher than that of others, my analytical skills also exceed the average. I adhere to honesty with myself and I prioritize making rational and wise decisions devoid of emotions. This doesn’t imply a lack of concern for the human aspect; rather, it indicates my willingness to set certain emotions aside for the sake of success.

I highly value time and strive for Pareto optimal situations, where each stakeholder benefits. We initiated Paniq Room from virtually nothing and painstakingly built the brand from scratch. This journey required substantial sacrifices for long-term success. Dealing with financial losses and making seemingly impossible choices is a daily occurrence. It took time to master the handling of such situations and to prevent adverse news from affecting my personal life.

Risk-taking is not an issue; it’s about aligning the scope of risk with the potential outcome. Viewing the larger picture is crucial. At times, opting for the challenging path and sacrificing short-term gains becomes essential for achieving long-term significance.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
My name is Akos Gabossy. I’m 37 years old, and I’m one of the co-founders and the CEO of the PANIQ Escape Room franchise, which is one of the biggest escape room networks on the planet. We originate from Budapest, Hungary, a city considered the global capital of escape rooms. PaniQ Room is one of the oldest brands in the industry, and we’ve started to export the entire concept to many parts of the world over 10 years ago. I am currently most excited about the opening of our flagship store with 6 different gaming themes and a bar in West Hollywood, as well as finalizing a large franchise agreement, where our future partner will be opening multiple high-quality venues in the US and Europe.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
I see myself as highly persistent and not inclined to easily give up. I’ve also had to cultivate the skill of managing various challenges simultaneously. This entails having knowledge in completely different areas like finance, marketing, logistics, and the creative capacity to develop captivating game scenarios and puzzles. Moreover, I value candid honesty, especially with myself, as it’s arguably one of the most significant mistakes a person (specially an Entreprenour) can commit – deluding oneself.

Looking back over the past 12 months or so, what do you think has been your biggest area of improvement or growth?

In the past 12 months, my company, PanIQ Room, has acquired multiple independent escape room units as well as other smaller escape room brands/chains. This is a very interesting and new field for me. We have been able to grow rapidly and also mitigate certain risk factors associated with the investment side of our business. It requires a new skill set, as I needed to learn how to conduct quick due diligence and negotiate effectively in order to succeed in bidding wars. Acquisitions also demand a psychological skillset, as taking over someone’s heritage giving them the respect they deserve. Acquiring the know-how for M&A deals is certainly a novel and valuable skillset for me, one that I plan to continue using in the future to facilitate faster growth.

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