The year 2023 was quite dramatic, full of events, expectations, ups and downs, and didn’t leave us bored even for a moment. Now is the perfect time to ask Anton Reznikov, CEO and founder of Vilmate, about his impressions of the past year from the perspective of his experience and multiple operational processes he was involved in.
Firstly, did you manage to achieve the prior goals you set for yourself and the company?
Vilmate has shown quite stable results despite certain turbulences. We closed the deals with some clients but also managed to set new connections. So, regarding the revenue and the volume of provided services, we haven’t lost positions. Generally speaking, now is not the time to relax but the time to stay down-to-earth as much as possible.
After the year passed, do you have any milestones on the way that you can mark as ‘achieved’?
Yes, some points are worth mentioning. First of all, we increased the number of project-based contracts. The biggest benefit is that we’re even more flexible in balancing team setup and pricing. So, matching budgets with development costs is now as convenient as ever for our clients.
Secondly, we launched Awarebee in 2023. This product is a collaborative effort between Vilmate in Ukraine and Malt Software in the U.S. and can certainly be pointed out as a major milestone. I’m sure there will be more news about that ahead.
Can you generally mark the most significant positive and negative impacts this year brought for Vilmate?
The tendencies demonstrate that the IT industry worldwide is experiencing another crisis. Everyone encountered some negative impact. But our company has a long history, so we know that in the long term, there’s nothing to panic about. We can quickly adjust ground operations, boost qualifications, and remain productive no matter what. We just need to look at things from different angles and remain flexible. Sticking to this basis has always helped us stay afloat.
Are you planning to expand your business operations in the EU? How’s the recently opened office in Warsaw doing?
Actually, it’s doing pretty well. Physical presence and representativeness in the regions of interest still play an important role in business processes. Currently, this office serves as a fully operational R&D center. It can welcome a team of up to ten people, and it’s just the beginning. The start was quite promising, I can say that for sure.
How would you describe the domestic situation? What is the environment in Ukraine in the background of warfare and everything connected with it?
The situation is OK right now. Unfortunately, I cannot say the vibes of working and personal life are as bright as they were in January 2022. But our duty is to accept the reality we live in. We transform and optimize internally where it’s needed. The pandemic gave us good lessons that we implemented during the war and softened the strike of the objective circumstances. On top of that, I can now proudly claim that our business continuity plan works not only on paper but also on real ground. Such an experience is truly invaluable.
What would you wish for anyone who will read this?
Thank you for reading this :) I hope it was interesting and useful for each of you. I wish everyone inspiration and eagerness to build your own luck this year!
