It’s been fifteen years since Yalantis took on its first project as a small team of recent graduates interested in iOS software development. Now, Yalantis is a large software development company operating in multiple industries that has offices in several countries and provides a range of services that extend far beyond iOS software development.
Today, we want to outline how we reached the point where we are capable of bringing the bravest, most creative, and most innovative ideas to life.
Part #1. A brief overview of how it all started: From small team to company
Everything started in Dnipro, Ukraine, when young and motivated iOS developers Oleksander Kholodov and Serhii Fesenko decided to form a small development team:
“It all started in 2008 when I discovered freelance platforms oDesk (now Upwork) and Elance and was fascinated by the numerous requests for iOS development. Apple’s innovation became the foundation for Yalantis, as professional iOS-based application development was our initial focus and strategy.
We didn’t even have an aim of earning thousands of dollars or something like this. We were absorbed by the very process of creating nice and convenient applications, and it was our source of inspiration.”
— Oleksander Kholodov, CEO and Co-founder of Yalantis
Oleksander Kholodov (left) and Serhii Fesenko (right)
Developing iOS applications was a success, resulting in a large influx of clients with requests that the team couldn’t even manage to accept and deliver. This led to expansion of the team and, finally, the establishment of Yalantis.
Part #2. Active business scaling: Mistakes, achievements, and lessons learned
Then, a new period started: Yalantis underwent active expansion, left freelance platforms, and encountered its first difficulties.
First success: Scaling to fifty people
Yalantis faced a shortage of developers, but we managed to fill this gap by hiring students and teaching them the necessary skills, including in quality assurance, design, and other fields. That period was also marked by our partnership with our first marketing specialist, who helped Yalantis build the best digital marketing strategy in Ukraine at the time.
First mistakes: Missing critical points in the company’s operation
However, the initial success wasn’t long-lasting. In the background, Yalantis faced issues with delivery, project management, and sales. As a result, we had to bid farewell to 20 out of 100 employees and streamline the company’s structure, its internal operational processes, and its strategic development.
“Some people have to go through what life has prepared for them. Without such experiences, they won’t understand how to grow and mature. Similarly, business scaling, in most cases, brings crises that lead to inevitable changes in mindset regarding established things within the company.”
— Serhii Fesenko, CFO and Co-founder of Yalantis
First big client: An important lesson Yalantis learned
“We found and won our first big client through oDesk because we had the strong expertise they needed and offered relatively low rates. However, securing big clients isn’t just about having a few teams available for projects; it’s about building strong relationships. One of the biggest mistakes small companies make is not actively working with their clients. Instead, they often focus solely on lead generation and sales.
Many people don’t have a clue about account management, and this oversight can lead to a client leaving, even when you thought everything was fine. I encounter this issue frequently when consulting with small companies. They initially seek marketing consulting, but in the end, we often find ourselves working on the fundamentals of account management.”
— Oleksander Kholodov, CEO and Co-founder of Yalantis
Part #3. Yalantis today and tomorrow
Today, Yalantis is:
- A well-known software development and IT consulting company with 15 years of experience, 500+ specialists, and centers of excellence in Ukraine, Poland, Cyprus, and Estonia
- A company dedicated to developing solutions for clients interested in IoT, data science, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), DevOps, embedded development, and other technologies
- Trusted by clients from the USA, Israel, and the DACH region
- A partner of companies including Google X, Bosch (Home Connect), Toyota Tsusho, ViewTrade, RAKwireless, KPMG, Healthfully, Lifeworks, and others
Tomorrow, Yalantis will:
- Establish partnerships with industry-renowned leaders, assisting them in implementing innovative technologies and delivering state-of-the-art solutions that enable dramatic changes
- Bravely immerse ourselves in delivering ready-to-use solutions for businesses in various industries, enhancing their digital transformation efforts and adopting best practices in business operations and optimization
- Continue actively working in alignment with our motto: Together everyone achieves more. Our corporate values include voluntary work, openness, transparency, support, ownership, and deriving satisfaction from the things we develop and deliver.
When we adopted this motto, Yalantis conducted a survey among employees, allowing them to choose the motto that reflects values they appreciate most and want to align with.
“The values upon which we build all our processes are not merely documented somewhere in Yalantis policies, nor are they forgotten under the dust. They are an integral part of our everyday life. The primary value of our company is people, and our strategy fully reflects this commitment.”
— Oleksander Kholodov, CEO and Co-founder of Yalantis
This is just the beginning. We are confident that the future holds even more milestones and achievements. We hope you’ll continue to be by our side throughout this journey, because together everyone achieves more.
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