iHeartRadio
iHeartRadio
Robert Nikic on On with Mario Lopez
iHeartRadio · Premiere Networks
Robert Nikic joins Mario Lopez on iHeartRadio's On with Mario Lopez to talk about leaving the Balkans, leveraging failure and why he loves to fail.
At a glance
- Show
- On with Mario Lopez
- Host
- Mario Lopez
- Distributor
- iHeartRadio · Premiere Networks
- Format
- Radio show and video interview
- Topic
- Growing up after war, and failure as fuel
- Robert's role
- Founder and CEO
Last updated
What Robert Nikic told Mario Lopez
Where he comes from
Mario Lopez opens with Robert's background. Robert was born in Germany, his family is from the Balkans, and German was his first language before English. He describes a childhood shaped by war and the upheaval of starting over.
Failure as fuel
The heart of the conversation is how he thinks about failure. Robert says he has failed at school, at relationships and at startups, and he treats each failure as information rather than a verdict. His line on the show sums it up: "I love failing. If I don't fail, something is going wrong."
Building it into the business
He explains that the idea was not only personal. The platform he later built was designed with the same mindset: expect mistakes, learn fast and make it easier for the next person to try again. The interview connects a hard childhood to a practical philosophy for running a company.
Related: The Guardian on designing against failure · Tai Lopez on starting over
"I love failing. If I don't fail, something is going wrong."
In Robert's words
"I love failing. If I don't fail, something is going wrong." I said that to Mario and people laughed, but I meant it. My family came from the Balkans and started over with nothing. My first startups as a teenager failed. I worked 18-hour shifts. Every one of those things taught me something I needed later. We built the company without outside investors, and it reached the Inc. 5000 at #418 and then #35. None of that happens if you're afraid of being wrong. Since 2026 I've worked on SDG 8 & 9, and part of that is making sure one failure doesn't end someone's chance.
Robert Nikic
Key takeaways
01
War shaped the mindset
A childhood marked by upheaval taught him to keep going when things fall apart.
02
Failure as information
School, relationships and startups all failed at times, and each taught him something.
03
A philosophy built into a product
His platform was designed so people could try, learn and try again.
Where this fits in his story
2011
First platform launched
2018
Relaunched as a full platform
2023
Inc. 5000 debut at #418
2024
Climbs to #35
This feature
2026
Steps away to work on SDG 8 & 9
Where it led
Treating failure as fuel is the clearest link between Robert's story and SDG 8.5. A second chance only matters if the system lets you take it. In his current work he focuses on decent work and second chances for people rebuilding their lives, including refugees and people whose first business didn't work. This interview explains, in his own words, why that matters to him.
Then
Robert sits down with Mario Lopez to talk about where he comes from.
Now
SDG 8.5: second chances and decent work for people rebuilding their lives.
See Robert's SDG 8 & 9 workWatch
Shorts from this appearance
All Shorts on Media →Questions
Was Robert Nikic on On with Mario Lopez?
Yes. He was interviewed by Mario Lopez on the show distributed by Premiere Networks and iHeartMedia.
What did he talk about with Mario Lopez?
Growing up after war in the Balkans, speaking German before English, and using failure as fuel.
Can I watch the interview?
Yes. The video is embedded on this page.
Original article
Read the original article · Published in YouTube
On with Mario Lopez is distributed by Premiere Networks / iHeartMedia
About iHeartRadio
iHeartRadio is the audio platform of iHeartMedia; On with Mario Lopez is distributed by Premiere Networks. Wikipedia
About Robert
Robert Nikic is an entrepreneur, TEDx speaker and Advisory Council Chair at Reseated Councils (United Nations SDG 8 & 9). He came to the United States as a refugee, and from 2011 to 2026 he built and led an e-commerce company that was twice named to the Inc. 5000. Today he works to make it easier for anyone, anywhere, to start a business and grow it.