Bohdanov Stanislav

Sold a phone when there was no salesperson by the display window — and found his calling

Today I am an entrepreneur with three business lines. The first is 4GSTAR, a company that provides internet in hard-to-reach places and on transport. The second is consulting, which over time evolved from recruitment to building management systems for businesses. And the third is coaching for entrepreneurs under the Clarity brand.

My journey began with technology. At 16, I really wanted to work with mobile phones, but no one would hire me. So I got a job as a courier at a mobile phone store. At one point, there was simply no salesperson by the display window. A customer came in, and I sold them a phone. That was when the world of sales and entrepreneurship opened up to me.

In 2005, I effectively became the owner of a chain of mobile phone stores because of unforeseen circumstances. My employer simply disappeared, and the landlords told me, “Now you’re in charge.” I learned entrepreneurship in real time: negotiating payment deferrals with suppliers, filling display windows with dummy phones from merchandisers, and building sales through service and communication with customers.

In 2008, the crisis practically collapsed the market. The dollar exchange rate rose sharply, demand for phones fell, and at 20 years old I entered 2009 with debts of more than 50 thousand dollars.

That was when I changed my perspective. There were still mobile internet modems in the display windows, and at the time they worked far from perfectly. But I suddenly realized: people were still buying them because “bad internet” was better for them than having no internet at all. In February 2009, I personally sold 77 connections and decided to rebuild the business entirely around this line.

In 2010, together with my partner Volodymyr Kuts, we launched an online store. It became clear that demand was not just local, but nationwide. From 2012 onward, we became the largest seller of wireless internet in Ukraine, and we still hold that leadership position today.

My thinking changed in parallel. At first, I thought locally — within the bounds of my city. Then I began thinking in terms of markets: their size, dynamics, and prospects. Eventually I reached the main conclusion: business is first and foremost about people. The right people bring speed, scale, and the ability to see things through.

As for advice to aspiring entrepreneurs, the first and most important thing is to find someone you can consult. It could be an adviser, mentor, or coach. Personally, I think a coach can be even more valuable, because they don’t give you ready-made advice but help you find your own answers. At the same time, you shouldn’t treat any recommendations as absolute truth. It is important to have an additional point of view, rather than live by someone else’s decisions.

Second, surround yourself with a strong community. That is why I believe entrepreneurs’ clubs are so important. Even if you don’t have one specific person you can turn to, you have a community of hundreds or thousands of people who have already faced similar challenges.

And third, think in terms of markets and the long term. Many entrepreneurs look only at what is right in front of them and deal with the issues of this week or this month. But that makes their thinking short-term. I believe it is worth lifting your head and looking at least 5–10 years ahead, or even better, 20. Ask yourself: where do I want to be in 20 years? And will the decisions I make today matter? If you won’t even remember a decision 20 years from now, perhaps you shouldn’t make it yourself at all — let the team handle things like that.

The same applies to problems. Many entrepreneurs become emotionally immersed in difficult situations they won’t even remember a few years later. For me, it’s a question of rationality and the ability to take a longer view.

Honestly, I don’t feel that business has taken anything away from me. On the contrary, it has given me a great deal.

Of course, there were times when I was exhausted and wanted to give it all up. But my sense of integrity always kept me going. I understood that I could hide from other people, but not from myself. And I would have to live with my own decisions and actions for the rest of my life.

So I have a very simple criterion: will I be proud of this decision? If yes, I act. If not — if I’d want to hide it or feel ashamed to tell someone about it — then it’s the wrong choice.

My wife and I also created a free women’s club in Germany called Girls Rule. We help Ukrainian women adapt abroad: find friends, doctors, nannies, trustworthy people, and simply feel supported.

The idea behind this project is very simple: to give people a feeling of home even far from home. When you live in your own city, you have a circle of acquaintances you can call to quickly resolve any issue. After moving, that feeling disappears. We want to bring it back.

As for my vision of the future, my main focus today is helping entrepreneurs become stronger, move faster, and achieve their goals more effectively.

Over the next five years, I want to publish at least five books on these topics. I am already actively working on a book titled Clarity: How to Make Decisions in Uncertainty. After that will come a book called Scale and an educational program for entrepreneurs on how to build a scalable business.

Today, I increasingly feel that my impact comes through developing entrepreneurs. When I was working in wireless internet, we managed to connect more than 150 thousand families. But now, working with entrepreneurs, I see how their decisions allow me to affect hundreds and thousands of other people — employees, teams, and families.

When an entrepreneur begins to think more clearly and make stronger decisions, it changes the lives of a great many people, even if they never find out who is behind those changes.

I am an absolutely happy person. And to me, happiness means overcoming obstacles on the way to an important goal.

I really like this idea: if you have a big goal and face difficulties, overcome them, and keep moving forward, that is where a true sense of being alive is born.

If a person simply travels along a smooth road without challenges, they feel almost nothing. But when they see an obstacle, get past it, and move on, they feel emotion, excitement, and a sense of victory.

That is why people climb mountains, take up demanding sports, and tackle difficult tasks. The greatest thrill is not in comfort, but in overcoming difficulties for the sake of something truly important.

The first person in Ukraine to start selling phones on credit

How did the business idea come about?

At first, I worked with mobile phones. I had always loved technology: computers, phones, anything new.

At 16, I dreamed of working in this field, but nobody wanted to hire me. The only place I managed to get a job was a mobile phone store, as a courier.

For a few months, I worked on a “fetch and carry” basis. But one day there was no salesperson by the display window, a customer came in, and I sold them a phone myself.

The owners were so surprised that they let me work as a salesperson. In my first month, I sold phones worth 100 thousand hryvnias, and in the second, almost twice as much.

Then I became the first person in Ukraine to start selling mobile phones on credit. I saw that people could buy a refrigerator or washing machine on credit, but banks were afraid to finance phones at the time.

I went from bank to bank and was turned down, but eventually I found a small bank, Family Credit, and persuaded them to finance phones at high interest rates. We put a loan officer right in the store — and it immediately brought tremendous results.

Then Pravex Bank joined us, and sales rose again.

By 2005, I had become a co-owner of the stores and started opening my own locations.

But the financial crisis hit in 2008. The dollar exchange rate rose sharply, demand for phones almost disappeared, and the business was left with large debts.

There were still wireless internet modems in the display windows. The internet worked poorly at the time, but people still bought it because the alternative was even worse — having no internet at all.

That was when I realized we were making much more money from modems than from phones. In February 2009, I personally sold 77 mobile internet connections and decided to rebuild the business entirely.

In 2010, my partner Volodymyr Kuts joined me. We created an online store and were surprised when people started ordering modems from all over the country.

From 2012 onward, we became the largest seller of wireless internet in Ukraine. And we have maintained that leadership ever since.

Natural curiosity and tolerance for uncertainty

What key skills helped you launch the business?

I think there were several key things.

First was natural curiosity. I’m interested in absolutely everything. Sometimes it even worried the people around me. My father used to say I was too inquisitive.

Second was a high tolerance for risk. I handle uncertainty well. I can live through a situation where one business is already declining and another has not yet taken off, without panicking.

I’ve gone through many such periods in my life, and perhaps I handle them more easily than most people.

Dummy phones in the display windows while the courier ran to the warehouse

What were the 3 toughest challenges you faced in the early years?

One of the most difficult moments came when my employer suddenly disappeared. He had a phone sales business and another line of business that was not entirely legal. He probably went into hiding because of the problems.

As a result, several stores were left without a manager. The property owners told me, “Now this is your business.”

I had no money, no inventory, and no idea what to do next. But they gave me the opportunity to keep working.

I negotiated deferred payment for phones with suppliers, and to keep the display windows from looking empty, I asked Nokia, Samsung, and Sony Ericsson for demonstration phone models.

Dummy phones stood in the display windows, and when a customer wanted to buy a particular model, the courier ran to the warehouse to get the real phone.

That’s how we survived and grew.

“You don’t have a company, you have a hobby club”: two lessons that changed everything

What crises has your business faced, and how did you overcome them?

The financial crisis of 2008–2010

During that period, I was left with large debts. On top of that, I had also unsuccessfully launched a startup in Kyiv, after which my debts doubled.

I didn’t know how to deal with it until I met a mentor who taught me financial management and management accounting.

He explained something very important to me: management is about managing the future, not the past.

I started planning expenses, forecasting solvency, and influencing future decisions. By 2012, I had paid off all my debts in full.

Another important piece of advice I received at the time was: “Can you pay back at least 50 dollars a month? Then do it.”

At first, people laughed at me, but later they started thanking me for at least repaying my debts gradually.

The management crisis of 2012–2013

I invited business trainer Vache Davtyan to Kharkiv, expecting him to praise our company. But he said, “You don’t have a company, you have a hobby club.”

I was shocked.

We started many projects and didn’t see them through. The company had no systems, rules, or accountability.

Through the Adizes approach, I realized that we had almost no administrators — only people who generated ideas.

I tried to hire a strong administrator, but quickly realized the problem wasn’t with the people, but with me. I had to develop my own administrative role and learn how to build a system.

Think in terms of growing markets, rather than fighting reality

What decisions proved most effective in growing the company?

First, the ability to think in terms of markets.

It’s important to look not only at how much you earned in a year, but at the entire economic cycle. There are markets where you can make a lot of money today and almost nothing tomorrow.

That’s why I try to work in growing markets instead of fighting reality.

Second, people.

My main principle is: business is people and ideas.

It matters a great deal to me who I spend my day with, who I work with, and who I build something together with. I want to work with ambitious people I can trust, who do things responsibly and without constant reminders.

When you have people like that around you, business stops being a struggle and becomes a game where you create something great together. And money becomes a welcome consequence, not an end in itself.

Why I stopped being a “shepherd”

Which of your mistakes do you now consider your most valuable experience?

My most valuable mistakes were related to people.

I used to believe in strict management. I thought that if you couldn’t reach an agreement with people, you could force them.

It works, but it takes too much energy. You constantly end up playing the role of controller and supervisor.

At some point, I realized I didn’t want to live and work that way. I don’t want to be a “shepherd.” I prefer a partnership of equals.

So today I try to bring together people who are inspired by what we do and share our goals and values.

When you have people like that around you, you create an environment where you want to live and work.

Popcorn at school and a construction helper at 12

How did you earn your first $100?

I started earning my first money while I was still at school. I made popcorn at home, sprinkled it with powdered sugar, brought it to school, and sold it to my classmates. Then I made various coloring pages on a photocopier and sold those too.

Of course, it wasn’t hundreds of dollars—more like money for ice cream and pocket expenses.

I earned my first 100 dollars at the age of 12, working as a construction helper. My parents divorced when I was 10, and at that time each of them was busy with their own problems. My mother worked as a nurse, and my father was a plumber.

I decided that I wanted to have my own money, so I went to work on a construction site. They were people my father knew, so I was supervised. I worked all summer and earned my first money of my own.

I think that’s where I earned my first 100 dollars.

How did you earn your first $1 000?

I earned my first thousand dollars while studying at a technical college, when I started selling computers.

I knew a lot about technology, and one of my classmates was great at assembling computers. I found wholesale suppliers online, made arrangements with them, and started taking orders from friends and classmates.

The setup was simple: I sourced the components and sold them, my partner assembled the computers, and the customers got a finished product.

How did you earn your first $10 000?

I earned my first 10 thousand dollars in my own business, selling mobile phones.

At one point, among the small stores, I became one of the biggest phone sellers in Kharkiv.

I was about 18 at the time. I entered this field at 16, and at 17 we started selling phones on credit, but I was still an employee then.

I became an entrepreneur in October 2005. I turned 18 on October 13, and by October 21 I had officially opened my own business.

How did you earn your first $100 000?

I earned my first 100 thousand dollars selling modems and mobile internet.

I may have earned that much from phones too, but back then I didn’t really keep systematic track of the money. Once I started working with modems, though, the financial picture became much clearer.

Around 2012, the business started bringing in good money consistently, and eventually we reached profits of about 100 thousand dollars a year.

How did you earn your first $1 000 000?

I definitely didn’t earn a million in a single lump sum.

I think I earned my first million dollars through the mobile internet and modem business. But it was the result of several years of work, not one big breakthrough or a single year.

I find the real problem the entrepreneur doesn't even know about

For Young Business Club members, I can be useful primarily through my own experience in the areas of people, business systematization, and management.

But, honestly, there are already many experts like that in the club.

It seems to me that my strongest skill is finding an entrepreneur's real, core problem and helping solve it.

And the most interesting thing is that often the entrepreneur doesn't even know about this problem. If they did, they would have solved it long ago. Usually, people look in completely the wrong place and try to fix the consequences rather than the cause.

I work with entrepreneurs through coaching, and sometimes we can't find the real problem in the first session or even during the first month of work. But when we manage to «bring it to the surface», everything falls into place.

Clarity emerges: it becomes clear what to work on, what to do next, and where to go.

20–50 documents a week: systematization starts with the team

Your experience: how do you systematize a business?

Strangely enough, I believe that systematizing a business is one of the easiest tasks.

Really.

I would start with the team. I would go to the employees and ask: «Where are we having problems? What isn't working right?»

Then I would ask: «And how would you fix it?»

The team almost always knows the answers. Then I would give this information to artificial intelligence, which would help turn it into processes and documents.

After that, I would go back to the team and say: «Take a look. Is this what you were talking about? Is it right?» If the team agrees, it becomes the new standard of work.

Next, you need to conduct an assessment. And artificial intelligence can help with that today, too.

And these shouldn't just be tests with a correct answer, but questions that check understanding: why this process matters, what happens if it isn't followed, and how the person sees it themselves.

In my opinion, 20–50 key documents are enough for most businesses. In the past, creating them could take years. Today, it can be done in a week.

The problem isn't writing the documents. The problem is getting the team to accept them, understand them, and start using them.

If you introduce at least one new standard every week and help the team learn it, in a year the company will already be operating completely differently.

And most importantly: first, you need to implement what the team asks for. Only then should you bring in your own ideas. People need to feel that they are heard and involved in change.

Not every business can grow x2—and why that's okay

Your experience: how do you grow x2 in a year?

I believe that not every business can double in size in a year. Sometimes claims like that sound like catchy slogans.

Yes, a small business with a team of 10 people can still grow x2. But when a business is already large, that's a completely different story.

Besides, it's important not just to grow, but to understand at what cost that growth is happening. You can quickly bring on employees, clients, or members, but lose quality.

In my opinion, systematization doesn't in itself accelerate growth. On the contrary, sometimes it holds growth back so the business doesn't fall apart.

What actually drives x2 growth?

First: the right market. Preferably one that's growing.

Second: the right offering. You need to clearly understand what customer pain you solve. Sometimes a company creates a product that nobody needs.

And third: the right people.

An owner can't be everywhere. The best way to scale is through a strong team.

When a business has good people, they want growth, development, and responsibility themselves.

We went through this ourselves when we sold wireless internet modems. From 2010 to 2016, we grew by approximately x2 each year. But then the market stalled, and that kind of growth became impossible.