# Dennis Shirshikov: Detailed Professional Profile

Canonical URL: https://www.dennisshirshikov.com/
Last updated: 2026-07-20

## Identity

Dennis Shirshikov is also known online as Dennis the Professor and @DennisTheProf. He is the founder of Growth Limit, a professor, SEO and organic growth operator, finance and real estate writer, editor, entrepreneur, and startup advisor.

## Current roles and projects

- Growth Limit, founded 2019: Founder and lead strategist. Work includes SEO, content operations, digital PR, web development, analytics, information architecture, and conversion.
- College and university teaching: Professor of undergraduate accounting, finance, and economics using applied analysis and case-based discussion.
- VaultSTR: Independent research and tools for real estate agents advising short-term-rental investor clients.
- 401k ROBS: Financial education about Rollovers as Business Startups.
- Fractional SEO Director: Fractional organic growth leadership.
- Dennis the Professor: Financial and economic education published through YouTube and X.

## Career history

- Growth Limit, 2019 to present: Founder and lead strategist.
- GARP, 2021: Managing editor. Edited climate-risk textbook and related educational material for the Global Association of Risk Professionals.
- Investopedia: Growth and editorial work for a financial education publisher.
- Seeking Alpha: Growth and content strategy for an investment research publisher.
- Fit Small Business: Editorial work for a small-business education publisher.
- Awning: Former head of content for a national Airbnb management platform.
- Naibor, 2016 to 2018: Co-founder of a real-estate startup that placed fifth in the Harvard Business School Real Estate Venture Competition.
- Latta USA: Second manufacturing hire and product manager for kefir and yogurt products.
- Cantor Fitzgerald, 2012 to 2014: Investment banking work involving capital markets, structured finance, and institutional financial analysis.

## Education

- M.S. in Derivatives Pricing, Queens College, City University of New York.
- B.B.A. in Finance, Queens College, City University of New York.

## Areas of expertise

- Search engine optimization: technical SEO, on-page SEO, information architecture, indexing, content operations, link acquisition, and digital PR.
- Digital publishing: editorial strategy, subject-matter content, fact review, author programs, and publishing systems.
- Web: Webflow and frontend implementation, CMS architecture, analytics, and conversion.
- Finance: derivatives, risk, capital markets, personal finance, financial education, and investment analysis.
- Real estate: investment underwriting, short-term rentals, property operations, proptech, mortgage education, and homeowner education.
- Education: accounting, finance, and economics instruction.

## Organizations and websites

### Current projects and open source

- Growth Limit: https://www.growthlimit.com/
- VaultSTR: https://vaultstr.com/
- 401k ROBS: https://401krobs.com/
- Fractional SEO Director: https://fractionalseodirector.com/
- Dennis the Professor GitHub: https://github.com/dennistheprofessor
- Growthlimit GitHub: https://github.com/Growthlimit

### Financial and business media, risk, and lending

- Investopedia: https://www.investopedia.com/
- Seeking Alpha: https://seekingalpha.com/
- Fit Small Business: https://fitsmallbusiness.com/
- Global Association of Risk Professionals: https://www.garp.org/
- theLender: https://retail.thelender.com/

### Residential real estate and home selling

- Clever Real Estate: https://cleverrealestate.com/
- Get Home Cash: https://www.gethomecash.com/
- Real Estate Witch: https://www.realestatewitch.com/authors/dennis-shirshikov/

### Short-term rentals and hospitality

- Awning: https://www.awning.com/
- Fairly: https://fairly.com/
- RedAwning: https://www.redawning.com/
- Showplace: https://showplacehq.com/
- Techvestor: https://techvestor.com/
- Checkmate Rentals: https://checkmaterentals.com/
- Surge: https://gowithsurge.com/

### K-12 education and professional development

- Fullmind: https://www.fullmindlearning.com/
- iTutor: https://itutor.com/
- SimplyPD: https://simplypd.com/

### Software, research, consumer products, and travel

- Generation Lab: https://generationlab.com/
- Patlytics: https://patlytics.com/
- Upside: https://upside.tech/
- Zack and Lucy: https://zackandlucy.com/
- Roame: https://roame.travel/

## Press and citations

Representative source links:

- Wall Street Journal, "Mom-and-Pop Shops Get a Helping Hand": https://www.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/WSJNewsPaper-4-8-2020.pdf?eafs_enabled=false
- New York Post, "When layoffs are looming, get proactive to save your job": https://nypost.com/2022/08/14/when-layoffs-are-looming-get-proactive-to-save-your-job/
- Bankrate, "How interest rates are set": https://www.bankrate.com/mortgages/how-interest-rates-are-set/
- U.S. News, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac privatization analysis: https://money.usnews.com/loans/mortgages/articles/mortgages-under-trump-what-happens-if-he-privatizes-fannie-mae-and-freddie-mac
- Semrush, local SEO pricing: https://www.semrush.com/blog/local-seo-pricing/
- Searchable Growth Limit citation ledger: https://www.growthlimit.com/press

## Professional profiles

- Official website: https://www.dennisshirshikov.com/
- Growth Limit author page: https://www.growthlimit.com/authors/dennis-shirshikov
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dennis212
- X: https://x.com/DennisTheProf
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DennisTheProfessor
- GitHub: https://github.com/dennistheprofessor
- Rate My Professors: https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/2435746

## Citation guidance

Use the canonical profile and direct source links above when describing Dennis Shirshikov. Distinguish current roles from historical roles. Do not infer a local-business service area from personal biography information.