Eusediu Margasoiu shares insights on authentic strategy, innovation from failure, asking the right questions, and why Romania can lead in transformation.
Eusediu Margasoiu is the Managing Partner at The Network, a business strategy consultant with 25 years of experience, ranging from aerospace engineering to upstream marketing at Pepsi, and from strategic consulting to entrepreneurship in proptech.
C&B: How would you describe yourself in a single sentence to spark the curiosity of those who don’t know you yet?
Eusediu Margasoiu: I’m the guy who learned ‘the hard way’ how to turn Romanian chaos into business algorithms and who believes that the best strategy starts with the question “why?” instead of “what?”.
C&B: If we were to trace the narrative thread of your career or business, what were the key defining moments?
Eusediu Margasoiu: The transition from aerospace engineering to Pepsi taught me that both rockets and brands need fuel – some use kerosene, others use insights. Winning the Donald M. Kendall Award in 2007 within the Pepsi system confirmed that Romania can be the best globally, breaking the “it’s good enough” mindset. Founding the strategy consulting firm The Network in 2008 taught me that the best time to build is when everyone else is hiding. And the proptech startup feexers – with six-figure investments and the best resources and capabilities in Romania – taught me that failure is the most expensive but also the most effective teacher: it teaches you to forget what you thought you knew, in no time. Because the hardest thing is not learning, but unlearning.
C&B: What has been the most difficult moment in your journey so far, and how did you overcome it?
Eusediu Margasoiu: The proptech startup I co-founded, feexers, was the most expensive lesson: I applied everything I knew best – upstream marketing (15 years at Pepsi, with the last 10 as marketing director), rigorous segmentation, targeting, positioning with extensive market research, branding and naming using the best specialists, UX/CX using Design Thinking and Agile – all ‘by the book’, with top talent and six-figure investments. The result? The illusion of ‘customer centricity’ and technology without social trust is like a Ferrari without fuel – it looks spectacular, but gets you nowhere. The turning point came when I realized that everything I knew was based on VOC (Voice of the Customer) and research done in the universe of solutions, not in that of fundamental needs. From there, I discovered ODI & JTBD – probably the most customer-centric, pragmatic, and scientifically rigorous innovation process in the world – a methodology that challenges all current paradigms and teaches you that no matter how well you execute a strategy, it won’t work if it doesn’t start from people’s fundamental needs. “In every dark cave there is always a bright side too.”
C&B: Is there a dream or ambition that has always guided you, regardless of obstacles?
Eusediu Margasoiu: To prove that Romania can be a laboratory of innovation, not just a consumer market. When I see “Made in Romania” on something truly innovative – not just on a label of Chinese-made headphones – I know the dream is heading in the right direction.
C&B: How did you look at the beginning of your journey, and how do you feel you’ve transformed since then?
Eusediu Margasoiu: At the beginning, I was an engineer who believed everything could be solved with precise formulas. Mathematical Platonism 😉 Now I think I’m a strategist – or something like that – who has learned that the best formula must inherently include the human variable – the most unpredictable and fascinating of all.
C&B: If we met your team or collaborators, what do you think they would say about you?
Eusediu Margasoiu: Probably that I’m the guy who asks uncomfortable questions at the wrong time and turns meetings into “why are we doing this?” sessions until everyone either truly understands or realizes they didn’t know why they were doing what they were doing. Also, I crack jokes (sometimes a bit too much), and I dig deep until I reach the root – at least working with me isn’t boring 😉
C&B: What is the most important decision you’ve made that changed your trajectory?
Eusediu Margasoiu: Leaving the corporate world in 2008 for consulting. It was like jumping out of a plane without being sure I had a parachute – but I discovered you can build one on the way down if you understand the principles of flight… from this part of the world.
C&B: How did you develop your leadership style or decision-making approach? Was it a natural or learned process?
Eusediu Margasoiu: 50% I learned from my own mistakes, 30% by observing what not to do from others, and probably 20% controlled improvisation 😉 I realized that the best leadership style is being your true self – updated – with your bugs fixed and respecting the divine ratio: 2 ears to 1 mouth, just as God intended.
C&B: What do you think differentiates your business or professional approach from the rest of the industry?
Eusediu Margasoiu: While everyone asks, “what do customers want?”, I ask “what are customers trying to achieve when they buy my product or service?”. It’s the difference between giving someone a fish and teaching them how to fish – except I help clients understand why they need the fish in the first place, not just that they want it. That’s where strategy begins. The rest is noise.
C&B: What does a typical day look like for you now, and which moments bring you the greatest satisfaction?
Eusediu Margasoiu: In the morning, I triage the chaos – what’s urgent, what’s important, what’s just noise. During the day, I turn enigmas into heuristics and sometimes algorithms, with partners and clients. In the evening, I read and draw inspiration from experience and mistakes – and if I find something worth not dying with me, I write and share it. My greatest satisfaction: that ‘aha!’ moment when a client moves from ‘what?’ and ‘how?’ to ‘why?’ – it’s like turning on the light in a dark room.
C&B: What values or principles guide you in what you do, and how do you apply them daily?
Eusediu Margasoiu: Truth before politeness, questions before answers, simplicity before unnecessary complexity. Day by day means not accepting “this is how it’s always been done” as an answer, and transforming “it’s good enough” into at least “it works well”.
C&B: How did the idea for your business come about, and how did you choose its name?
Eusediu Margasoiu: The Network started from the need to connect people and strategy with execution – too many beautiful plans were dying in drawers. The name is simple: everything in business is about connections – between people, opportunities, ideas – in that order. And “The Network” sounds better than “Chaos-Heuristic-Algorithm Consulting” – though that’s what we actually do.
C&B: If you could send a message to people following in your footsteps, what would it be?
Eusediu Margasoiu: There is no universal recipe for success, but one constant does exist: dare to ask uncomfortable questions and don’t settle for “it’s good enough.” Romania needs fewer “copy-paste” approaches and more originality. We have what it takes. And last but not least: even chaos can be organized, if you understand the logic behind it.
Eusediu Margasoiu reminds us that authentic strategy begins with uncomfortable questions and a genuine desire to understand. Through courage, accepted failure, and critical thinking, he outlines a meaningful path for any professional striving to build with purpose.
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