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IT giant are afraid of startups. Such conclusion can be drawn from the research Dell Technologies and Vanson Bourne. Analysts counted that 78% of the medium-sized and large companies in the different industries see in startups threat for business.[1]
First of all fight between corporations and the small beginning companies of the IT industry goes for minds. Founders of the new companies try to entice in the ranks the successful, taken place specialists from corporations. At the same time IT giant the mass of "counters" and "buns" try to hold people at themselves.
Corporations are cemeteries of programmers, the CEO of Postgres Professional Oleg Bartunov who also worked in Rambler considers, but then went to independent swimming, having become one of the leading world experts according to the PostgreSQL database management system.
For brains there is a big hunting, Bartunov says. Right after university of young and perspective developers try to entice into corporations – the well-known name, cool offices, training, lunches and many other. But what occurs further?
 | The big company is a machine. And the person in it turns into a small screw. He not is engaged in development, he should adapt to create within the space allocated for it. In these big companies thousands of people sit, and nobody knows what they do. As there is no identity of the programmer there. And it is normal. At corporations it is so built that they should not depend on the personality. They work and will be commercially profitable while all small screws-shpuntiki work like clock-work. It is especially business. But at the same time hi-tech which consumes hi-tech food – people and mills them, turning into small screws which sideways have effective managers, and everything develops |  |
Developers, according to Bartunov, are divided into two types. There are those who, having got to corporation, reconcile, accustomed to live with "buns and pies", forgets that he dreamed to do "kind good projects". And others with horror understand that nothing is done of the fact that wanted.
| | Therefore many leave the big companies to be independent and to manage still young to make something special | |
Corporations are useful to young people on short term – year or two to accumulate experience, and then "fade" from there, Bartunov is sure. "If the person had ideas – it is necessary to run", – he calls.
In a varying degree, many entrepreneurs who selected an independent way in the field of IT agree with Bartunov. TAdviser listened to several such stories.
Sergey Ivliyev – from Forecast in Lykke
In Forecast Sergey Ivliyev worked 19 years, generally at the leading, well paid positions. Everything was inverted by a meeting at a conference in Canada with Richard Olsen, one of pioneers of a fintekh.
Olsen is the founder of Oanda company which offered completely automated trade on Forex, having implemented the FxTrade platform. Ivliyev is a specialist on risk management. He actively pursues science, wrote tens of articles and several books on risk management and financial modeling.
In December, 2015 Ivliyev, having become the cofounder of Lykke, left Forecast. Now it with a command works on creating "the murderer of banks" – so some call blockchain technology. The first result of development should become crypto - the exchange - marketplace based on a blockchain.
| | If last year I was told that I will leave Forecast and I will plunge into financial that, I simply would not believe. Then it looked for me as other planet: blockchain, "color coins", "smart contracts" … But at some point you just feel that it is time to change something | |
In Forecast there were many calls, the company grew every year and achieved much, Ivliyev remembers. But then it became clear that perspectives of an entry into other markets are not browsed.
| | And here the blockchain appeared. Perhaps, it time in life happens – there are some opportunities which you begin to notice. And if really something excites you, so it is necessary to be engaged in it. Otherwise everything turns into a routine, and the routine kills creativity and gives senselessness | |
In the small company, of course, there are much more risks. But that freedom which appears to be implemented, much more valuably. It covers all risks, Ivliyev considers.
| | In a startup the routine can also strongly reduce a fuse. As the startup you is forced to be engaged in many things in which was not engaged before. For example, travelers itself should write out. But quickly you get used to it and if the company grows up, then it is possible to delegate these functions, to automate something. If you do all this, then you will waste a lot of time | |
In a startup there is more responsibility for a financial result. But it is compensated by the fact that you are a co-owner, the founder of Lykke says – "you realize responsibility not only to someone, and to yourself. Perhaps, once again you will have a sleep less, but you will make something that promised".
The working schedule after dismissal from Forecast at Ivliyev became more free. Though on a number of hours did not decrease.
| | It is necessary to try to work less, but is more effective, - he notes. - If you correctly work – you work a little, you have time for creativity, for strategic things. And at workaholics the stock of forces, health, etc. is very quickly lost. | |
In Forecast under the leadership of Ivliyev the team of 184 people worked, in Lykke – there is nobody: "Such system: there is a common goal to which we run, and we distribute who that does. Unlike big hierarchical organizations where nobody does anything, and everyone just controls that does subordinate, we have a peer-to-peer structure".
Even CEO Lykke manages nobody. It says: "We want to reach this". All think how, and everyone takes the responsibility for some part of works. Further SEO is not necessary that to make it. And all works without daily reporting, Ivliyev describes.
| | To hierarchical structures where everything is built and it is controlled, it is very difficult to adapt when everything quickly changes. The small company – is very mobile | |
Handshaking in Lykke is chats, phones, mail. Communication happens constantly.
| | I always understand who what does where we do not cope in what a distortion why. We constantly monitor it, but at the same time it is not necessary to have hierarchy and all to sit at office. All our employees sit in the different countries. For example, we still did not see one colleague from the Crimea personally. Perhaps, time in half a year all of us are going to communicate. It is useful, there is some "chemistry" which allows to communicate then better | |
Lykke prefers not to employ people according to the summary, considering that it does not work. Take those to whom the company is interesting. A competition is for this purpose held. It allows to eliminate those who are not carried away by a subject.
| | The one to whom it is interesting can make 100 times faster and better, than that whom you employed, but is uninteresting to it | |
Ivliyev's income after transition to Lykke was not reduced. For what salary would agree to pass into corporation? The price question at some point does not become important any more, he says.
| | It is much more important what you will do, and it depends on the fact that it is interesting to you. If it dreams, so interestingly. Yes, I constantly dream a blockchain, bitcoins! Nothing useful happens, but dreams. And Forecast does not dream | |
At the same time, the entrepreneur recognizes the startup does not get profit yet and if it is not possible to make business, all this will quickly end. According to the plan should reach payback of Lykke in 2017.
Evgeny Kobzev - from SKB Kontur in Button
Once in the fall of 2012 Evgeny Kobzev participated in a training for an IT shnikov of Happy PM. Distances a task – to write what wants to be reached at work and to estimate on a 10-mark scale whether it is possible. "On any metrics, I had to be happy, – he remembers. – And I did not feel it".
Until he successfully worked about 5 years in large Russian IT company "SKB Kontur", directed the project of creation of the electronic accountant Elba. But being a hired employee, could not influence some processes – in particular, on their speed. It was necessary to reach the desirable at the price of some improbable efforts - forces left, according to him, on "fight against home company, but not on that being improved".
| | I thought only of one – I waste time. To me 35, the most productive age and to lose year, two, – it is a pity for three | |
As a result at the beginning of 2013 Evgeny Kobzev left SKB Kontur together with colleagues Anton Sizov and Andrey Zavyalov. Soon they created an online service for entrepreneurs Button. At first it worked as a part of "Банка24.ру", and after a response at bank of the license "Button" became the independent company.
At the same time company executives make a managerial experiment – they refused a traditional hierarchical system for benefit of a holacracy. There are no heads, positions are replaced with "roles", people select for themselves duties. Having refused army of chiefs, Button decided to save on dear managers.
| | There was a wish to do something useful to people: that they used it that [case] grew, was abrupt. Everything grew in SKB Kontur not so quickly as I wanted. Did not suit me how there were some things, and I could not change it | |
Upon transition to own Kobzev project, by own recognition, did not experience experiences.
| | I did not have it that I, for example, sell the apartment, or there is money for a year and I invest them. Enough everything was soft. It was not any overcoming as though in a garage to start a startup, losing everything. Experiences would be if comes to the large company: there the monastery, the orders | |
One of problems in SKB Kontur, according to Kobzev, is that "did not dismiss for bad work of people from there". It led to the fact that, in addition to a great number of good employees, there was always a percent of people who worked badly, "did not export". It acted on others razlagayushche, he says.
| | Though then in Button there was an important revelation. Thought first: as we will begin to dismiss all who badly work, at once all also will get better! There was a big temptation – to write off the defects on what people "do not export". Actually not. First of all it is necessary to create operational process which allows people to achieve result with the necessary speed, with a certain quality level. The command with the correct motives and values can "export" imperfection of process, but only to a certain line | |
Kobzev's earnings in connection with transition to Button remained approximately at the previous level.
| | In general earnings ceased to disturb me when I purchased the apartment. So I have no household problems which need to be solved money. Recently I began to earn so much how many offered me that I did not leave. It seems to me that if I went somewhere to work as the hired employee, then I would earn more | |
To the large companies at Kobzev of a claim. Happens, important people work, appreciate them and that they do – unclear.
| | Affirms that it such important that it is even impossible to ask what it does. And you begin to ask – you in reply "And who you are such?" I want that the deposit of everyone at us was clear. The holacracy gives such transparency | |
The holacracy increases motivation, and the potential of people is realized more powerfully, are sure of Button. It, approximately, as with children. It is possible to explain, motivate. And it is possible to flog and force something to do, but until the child does not run away or will not beat you.
| | In the large companies there are lawyers, the financial director some, service of work with corporate partners, branches, somebody else... And at all these levels everything begins to stick. For example, we decided to purchase the coffee maker – it will take 10 minutes. In the large companies – I would not speak about minutes. History went that in some of Microsoft branches ordered an independent research what tile to make in a toilet | |
In the large strong companies, according to Kobzev, there are also pluses - it is values, culture, strategy of which specially think and which specially broadcast. And a part of small businesses in Russia are ready to be engaged in anything if it in the moment gives them more money.
| | We pay white salary. There is a wish that people did not prefer your company to larger, but the worst, just because you did not provide "white" salary. We have any VHI things too. It costs actually not much. But usually happens so that in the small companies on it do not bother.
So three main differences of the large companies from small – vision, values and hygienic aspects. The small companies often "chuck in" it, and good people leave. Or they do not understand what to do to them what from them wait for | |
Andrey Leushev - from Promsvyazbank in FarZoom
Earlier the number of subordinates of Andrey Leushev was measured by digit with three zero, now they are 35. Having climbed a career ladder to the vice chairman of the board in bank from top-10, he decided to throw career and opened the case.
Leushev started the career in IT in Sberbank where he worked 10 years. In 2011 he offered the technology project "Business Environment" for development of small business. With its help entrepreneurs can make out requests for products of bank in the online mode, using cloud services to manage the company, to automate routine processes, to look for partners, etc. In fact, it was the startup as a part of Sberbank.
But in two years Leushev understood that "The business environment" is his career ceiling, and in 2013 passed into Promsvyazbank. In two years he held the deputy chairman's position. His student's dream of such position came true. But in February, 2016 the top manager left bank and founded FarZoom financial technical-company. The startup proposes to the clients a complex of solutions for creation of a single frontal system.
| | For the first time the thought came to create the company more than five years ago. Desire to receive freedom to do what I consider correct was the main incentive. Still I wanted to create something big and this. In corporation, unlike own project, the victory is always depersonalized. In a startup freedom is limited only to market demands and clients. It is fine | |
Actually since 2009 Leushev was engaged in corporate projects with big risk level. This risk is similar to entrepreneurial therefore the fear was not, he says.
| | Doubts were banal — financial stability. And that everything was good, I long prepared — morally and financially. Life became much more cheerful, at the same time it is spasmodic and unpredictable. It is necessary to work at peaks much more, than earlier, but free time can be spent as will like | |
About earnings: Leushev already passed that digit which was fixed in Promsvyazbank. And here to cover bonus, it is necessary to work still. But successful projects yield the guaranteed revenue and there is no subjective appraisal of the chief and the chief is not present, he rejoices.
Nikolay Patskov - from Bashneft in FreshDoc
Unlike those who suddenly decided to change once a usual job on a risky startup Nikolay Patskov dreamed own matter still in students. In the mid-nineties he graduated from faculty of computers, end-to-end systems and networks. Being a student, heard about artificial intelligence, robots. Then learned about solutions of ABBYY on translation services, 1C for the aid to accountants, etc. The idea of own project ripened since those times.
But Patskov started a career as the hired employee. Right after institute got a job on line position in Bashneft and for several years grew to a position of the director of IT department. But already then he understood that this position – a step for start of own case.
Patskov began the business with foundation of web studio which was also engaged in consulting in the field of IT and business process automation. Then gradually the technology allowing to create automatically documents on standard templates was also developed. It formed the basis of FreshDoc.ru service (QuickDoc.ru initially was called).
In Russia then demand for legaltech only just arose, but many lawyers already complained that they lack the simple tool which will be able to undertake daily routine work and will allow to concentrate on really important and difficult tasks, Patskov remembers.
And it is just that case when demand generated the offer. So the idea of a new startup – development of the designer of legally competent documents was born.
| | Undoubtedly, the fate of the idea caused concerns. We were perplexed why such good idea yet is implemented by nobody? Why, the direction which promises to blow up the legal market and some adjacent is not patented yet by someone from giants not that in Russia, around the world! It would seem, the obvious solution which will unload millions of employees, and nobody undertakes to implement it. Thought, can we miscalculated somewhere, suddenly will not fly up | |
The FreshDoc project was started only using own means.
| | We burned with the idea, invested independently and did not look for any third-party investments. Over time the list of founders changed, new people came, there were new opportunities including financial | |
Implementation of technology was more difficult, trudozatratny and more expensively, than thought, but the main thing that more than 750,000 clients use its results, is proud the founder.
| | In any startup which is not important connected with the IT industry or not, on the management much more responsibility lays down, than during the work in the large company. Yes, it is undoubted, it is simpler to influence process in a startup. But this advantage is leveled considerably by smaller available resources, lack of "parachute" in the form of the additional budgets available to the company. In such conditions to impracticablly test solutions and the ideas which seem unprofitable on the date of implementation, but capable to bring benefit further. Of course, now it is much simpler. You take the idea, you go to Fund of development of internet initiatives and everything is farther clear more or less: your project is taken or not taken in an accelerator, and there as will carry. Before it was not | |
Work in the small young company, according to Patskov is, as a rule, less bureaucratized. Decisions are made quicker and more simply: if it is justified from the financial point of view, the startup can change strategy several times a year.
| | Much later we learned that it – is simple pivot (a turn point, change of the direction – an editor's note). For the big company it is a nonsense: corporations took place in respect of strategy, and sharp changes in it can negatively affect both image, and annual revenues. Actually, it is criterion of growth: the startup looks for, changes, develops, and as soon as finds the direction which will bring it stable income, fixes this direction, becoming nonflexible structure which, in case of success, will become corporation | |
Among pluses there are works of a startup – high dynamics and the widest perspectives for development. Among minuses – so high risks: always there is a chance that the idea will not be demanded or unprofitable, the founder of FreshDoc notes. And happens and so that the idea just advances the time, and being implemented later, will make due profit and success. Therefore, the startup is an undertaking for those who are ready to risk.
Fedor Sigayev - from Mail.ru in Postgres Professional
Fedor Sigayev has a work experience in Rambler, Stack Group, Mail.ru. In the last he took part in several projects: "Agent", "My world", Goods – built architecture of storage systems and search, participated in their development. Tells that laid a hand to Tarantool DBMS and derivative of it, for example, to the rate limit system for nginx which traces too frequent requests from the different addresses that gives the grounds these addresses to check, reveal bots and their network.
In Mail.ru Sigayev worked the leading architect six years. But at the beginning of 2015 he became the cofounder of new company Postgres Professional. The startup was engaged in development, implementation and promotion of PostgreSQL in Russia.
They with Oleg Bartunov were engaged in development of this DBMS since the beginning of "zero". And of creating the company thought since 2005. They even had customers, for example, of 1C and Novartis with whom programmers worked as freelancers.
When began to think of creation of the case, long there was no understanding how to deliver everything on a flow – it would be impossible to exist on one-time contracts.
| | First doubts in the basic concerned existence of a broad base of customers on development/completion of PostgreSQL and in general model of sales. Neither I, nor Oleg, nor Ivan Panchenko and Alexander Korotkov who joined us in it "rummaged", and to find the person who is carried away by "hardcore" IT and at the same time aware how to build sales, it was heavy | |
In 2014 there was a window of opportunities provoked by sanctions policy, was headed for technology security of the country, for import substitution. Sigayev is a word does not love - "security does not mean that we take nothing abroad, so that we are down on to that we take, we understand as it works, and we can make all necessary changes to it. As, for example, we were engaged in the advancing development of PostgreSQL DBMS and created its advanced version - the Russian Postgres Pro DBMS".
| | In the fall of 2014 we activated search of the person capable to solve the main objectives talked to domestic banks, to the large IT companies, as a result there was Anton Sushkevich who believed us, and we believed it. And at the beginning of 2015 we jointly created our Postgres Professional company | |
Sigayev is recognized that he was never going to go on a drive line, and in the childhood did not dream to become the chief, wanted to be the scientist-physicist, to pursue science. the 1990th corrected these dreams, and he found more monetary, and as it appeared further, not less interesting profession of the programmer.
| | Therefore when we agreed about work in Mail.ru, I initially set a condition that I do not want to be a head, in direct permanent subordination I had no employees. Now about 60 people work for us in the company, and I directly direct the sixth part of this continent | |
Establishing when choosing work location for Sigayev always were interest and comfort. If work is not interesting if there are no normal conditions that it is easy, with inspiration, productively to work, did not even consider such offer, he says.
| | But the most important - I wanted that the result of work was really used, it was important, brought benefit to whenever possible bigger number of people. Then it seems that you are necessary to people, both you work not for nothing, and you live not for nothing. Perhaps I was lucky, but I never especially complained of lack of an opportunity to influence workflows. On the other hand, now there was an opportunity to influence also those parties which developers call management or marketing, to involve new springs | |
In the big company there are pluses in the form of long ago smoothly running interaction, flows, minus often is the bureaucracy, he notes. Though in correctly organized companies everything becomes that not "eat away" a brain to workers.
It is simpler to grow in a small startup - experienced and aware colleagues closer, at arm's length, and more you know about common goals, you participate in their achievement at the different levels, Sigayev adds.
| | In the big company usually there is known for all and widely propagandized purpose or the mission of the company. But strategy and even tactics, as a rule, are not led up to non-management employees. So the normal worker has local tasks and knows "mission" of the company, but the purposes of intermediate level to him are little-known even on condition of its interest and need of their understanding | |
The big companies, anyway, provide social packages, lunches, parking spaces, at small there is no it usually. Postgres Professional, according to Sigayev, in this sense tries to go to an ideal - adjusts a permanent flow of "buns" in the form of coffee, tea, cookies and other pleasant pleasures.
| | Big corporations give valuable experience, but at the same time often disaccustom people to initiative and responsible work, and they become "small screws". It is interesting to knead experience of people from big corporations with experience from small and average and to dilute with not turbid freshness of beginners. Variety here more than appropriate | |
Evgeny Fenyushin - from Microsoft in New cloud technologies
Having started a career at steel works in department of an ACS, Evgeny Fenyushin then reached large IT projects in IBS, Sibintek, Microsoft. In IBS he participated in implementation of one of the projects of a mail system of Mezhregiongaz company, largest in Europe. It was necessary to reorganize information infrastructure of the Yukos company operating then into Sibintek.
Fenyushin came to Microsoft in 2004, having wanted to see and study processes of work of the largest international company. He is recognized that he was not going to work there too long, but as a result worked in a command of Microsoft more than 10 years. On its account a set of large projects. It finished career in corporation as the head of department of Account Technology Strategists (his specialists are engaged in system architecture).
However, despite a powerful brand of the employer and stability, Evgeny in 2014 went to young IT company "New cloud technologies" which was engaged in development of domestic software, in fact, of an analog of the office suite of Microsoft.
| | Despite interesting challenges, at the level of Russia there was no influence on the development strategy and functional filling of products. The main objective was up in landing of the methodologies and processes which are already created to standard corporations. Time to move forward came. Frankly speaking, coming to Microsoft, I was also not going to be delayed so for a long time in this company. Tasks in MS generally concerned sales increase that was not interesting any more | |
The programmer looked rather long time at the market in search of the interesting, large-scale project until the destiny reduced it with Dmitry Komissarov. It literally bewitched, telling about tasks and project objectives, Fenyushin remembers, it was impossible to refuse this offer.
| | In New cloud technologies there was a unique situation - the fascinating business idea, a highly professional command and successful time to market | |
The problem of creation of a complete packet of the office software competing on equal terms to products of Microsoft and Google is very ambitious. Therefore doubts were not, there was only desire to enter as fast as possible the project.
| | the Possibility of participation in development is almost from the very beginning unique. This opportunity is not in the settled international and Russian companies if only it not opening of the new direction of business.
Certain risks of course are, but, as well as in any project, their timely identification and the work plan (risk mitigation plan) with them is important | |
In New cloud technologies the possibility of fast decision making, orientation to convenience of work of each specific employee remains, Fenyushin notes. It is expressed as in a social package that typically now in IT market, and in a huge number of "trifles", such as breakfasts at office, a possibility of the choice of the equipment, convenient for work, the convenient working schedule, a design of offices.
In Mirosoft in subordination 25 people, in New cloud technologies - 17, but it not essentially worked for Fenyushin, he says.
| | Degree of a business impact and level of responsibility is more important. In my opinion the most important is the internal conviction in the value of that, what are you doing. Existence for the answer to the question "what for?" | |
See Also
- Development tools of applications - a product catalog and projects
- Programmer
- Day of the programmer
- Cemeteries of programmers. Why not all IT shniki want to work in corporations
- Developers of the websites (contacts of programmers)
- Rating of the HackerRank programmers
- Cost value of a working hour of the programmer
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