Five years later

I wrote my last blog post five years ago. At that time I was an indie Android developer. A lot has changed since then. I’ve co-founded a software company that has 130 employees. I am CEO of that company and I do not write code anymore. Not what I expected. How did that happen?

In 2011 I started to organize local Android developer meetups. I wanted to have like-minded people around me. I wanted to meet them once a month and talk about Android over beer and pizza. I wanted to do something for my home city because I’ve felt like nothing was going on there. On those meetups, I’ve met my two future co-founders. We didn’t know each other and we lived in different cities. We were talking about setting up the company, but I was hesitating for months. I didn’t want to work for clients. I preferred to sell my own apps.

I needed stronger impulse and it came at the right time. Revenues from my apps were declining and I had to make a decision what’s next. I could provide new updates or create new apps. Or I could get a well-paid job. Because I was one of the first Android devs in the regions. I was receiving offers from companies to build apps for them, but I was forwarding them to other people. In this situation, one friend told me: “Those companies are giving you money. Why are you throwing them out?”. That clicked. Timing was perfect, I was ready for next challenge.

We started to build mobile apps for others. So many businesses were struggling to hire people and deliver good software. That was a clear opportunity for a company that was able to attract smart people to join. We have focused on quality, trust, and long-term relationships. It worked.

Over time we added more technologies like web apps, backends, AR and VR. We cover full software product lifecycle, from initial analysis to long-term support. We have learned what it takes to deliver software. Often in difficult environments, with vague requirements, technical and non-technical clients. We have learned how to hire and keep best people, which seems like the most important thing.

We’ve built software for Intel, Mercedes-Benz and other clients including banks and startups. More than 50% of the revenue is coming from the US and less then 25% is local. Google recognized us as one of only 25 Android Certified Agencies worldwide. We are EY Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year. And of course, we are bootstrapped and profitable.

Those five years were crazy, fast, but fantastic. There are so many areas to improve and discover, that I still feel like a total beginner. All the experience and new goals give me a lot to write about. Hopefully sooner than in next five years.