Writing on the wall… with Yavor Jordanov from Dision
We continue with our favorite series ‘Writing on the wall…’, where we talk about the Escreo walls or rather about the people next to them. With this material, we aim to introduce to you our clients’ and partners’ activities and ambitions, as well as to show you various and specific applications of Escreo in an office environment. Today we’re interviewing Yavor Jordanov, CEO and founder of Dision.
Why did you choose Escreo for your office?
Ideas are something that is constantly being generated in our work. And it is extremely convenient to have a place to write them exactly at the moment when they are born. And while you’re in the office, there’s no surplus of walls.
How did it all start for Dision?
I would say that the idea of the company grew as I grew. When I graduated from university in 2010, I decided I wanted to start a company. But while you are alone, it is most logical and fast to start working as a freelancer. At the beginning, I worked as a web developer on the Upwork platform for 4 years. Over time I became quite popular, which led to the next logical step – my business grew to something bigger. So in 2015, I hired my first employee.
How many employees do you have today?
We are now five. So far I do not just do the programming myself, but rather try to help the team. My role is to communicate with customers and to be responsible for the business development of the company. As for Dision … A lot of our current customers are people I’ve worked with as a freelancer. It is a huge plus for them to communicate directly with the developer in the development of a project. That’s what’s missing from working with bigger companies – personal contact.
Of course, we have weekly talks during which we set future goals. But in the rest of the time, the client and the developer communicate without intermediary. Which is cool for both sides.
What kind of clients do you work with?
With small and large companies all over the world. This includes startups from the US and Canada, giants such as Shutterctock … We have recently been advertising in Bulgaria, where Easy Credit is our customer. We do not target a specific-sized companies. Rather, we try to help a maximum number of customers.
Does this mean that Bulgaria has not been your focus so far?
It was not, and I do not think it will be in the future. The market is very small. Easy Credit is an sort of an accident. Well, they turned out to be a super cool customer, but our focus remains to the west and (recently) Dubai as well as a serious customer from Saudi Arabia. But things there area bit more difficult – different cultures, though.
Our problem with Saudi Arabia, for example, is that in order to be able to finish our work we need some feedback from the customer. But for two days there is no answer, the deadline is approaching, and he suddenly appears with the words: “Come on, we have to do it.” Which is impossible, even if we work 24 hours a day. The project needs time.
Which customer did you most enjoy working with?
Surprisingly, it’s Easy Credit. They are trying to be an innovative company, which is not easy for a company with 1,000 people. But they make great efforts and it is really nice to work with them.
Another favorite is a Singaporean starter, working with all local schools. Its great to know that your work reaches lots of people and helps them.
If you have to convince someone to take the same step as you – start your own business – how would you approach?
I can share the only reason why I did it – I love to learn new things and the only way you can do it is to start something of your own. At the time, I had no idea of accounting, finance or marketing. Not to mention customer service. No matter how you progress in a company, it would be hard to get such a large set of knowledge.
But let’s not condemn the people who do not want to start their own business! You can just learn a lot when you start something on your own.
Read more about Alexandra Mechkova from Telerik Academy and her Escreo experience.