Dmytro Voloshyn, 30 years

How did you come up with the business idea?

This is already my fourth agency. I started with a digital marketing agency. At one point, while working as a CMO at a company, I thought that instead of having «one employer», I could have «10 clients» and, accordingly, earn 10 times more. Of course, it doesn’t work that way, but that was the impulse behind it. My partner, Vira Voron, came from the world of traditional PR, while I had expertise in digital marketing. We combined our skills. Now we do international PR for technology and B2B companies. For the B2B segment we work with, it’s a highly effective tool, unlike, for example, the more familiar digital marketing.

When you’re talking about contracts worth hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars, traditional marketing such as advertising on Google or Instagram doesn’t deliver the results you need. What matters most is what niche and high-profile media outlets write about you.

Our key strength is our ability to immerse ourselves deeply in complex technology niches. For example, we work with a company in the United States that performs vibration diagnostics on equipment at large manufacturing facilities. In fields like these, advertising doesn’t work; reputation, built through PR, does. Our team includes PR specialists, editors, and journalists with decades of experience working specifically with technology companies.

What key skills helped you launch your business?

Being able to do a lot of different things. Beyond the areas where I’m an expert, I bring together a whole range of related skills. In general, I think this is key for everyone. Deep expertise in a particular niche is, of course, a must-have, but you never know how life might turn you around or what “pivots” lie ahead.

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

Looking at my experience across all the agencies:

1. At my previous agency, we lost and then won back a key client that generated over 50% of all revenue and whose business supported the jobs of 15+ team members.
2. A dozen changes in the agency’s direction before we finally found and clearly defined the niche where we work and deliver the greatest value.
3. Learning to turn down “money” when necessary (in client services, some projects are “different”: either you’re not a good fit for them, or you won’t be able to help them effectively).

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

At my previous agency, the main crisis was the threat of losing a client that accounted for over 50% of our cash flow. This client had grown with us, and losing them would have meant laying off almost 15 people. The rift was caused by the actions of an intermediary we worked through. The only solution was to contact the company directly, bypassing the intermediary, who was sabotaging the relationship. After lengthy negotiations, we agreed that the intermediary was damaging the relationship and the business, and arranged to continue working together for another year. This gave us the time and resources to restructure our operations and avoid collapse.

Which decisions proved most effective in growing the company?

Revising our pricing policy. Focusing on a narrow niche, which allows us to build an image as experts and optimize the team’s work. We consciously turn down tasks and projects that don’t fully align with our direction, because they throw the team off track and don’t deliver the desired results. Instead, we’ve focused on what we do best: international PR for B2B and IT. Investing in the quality of the team rather than its size. Previously, three people might work on one task. Now, one highly expert specialist handles it and delivers more value.

This is safer for the business because you pay one salary instead of three, while the client gets a better product thanks to “high-end” expertise. Deepening our work with existing clients. We’re growing not so much horizontally, by bringing in new clients, as vertically. We’re constantly thinking about how we can provide more value to the people we already work with. This is our main path to sustainable growth.

What mistake do you now consider your most valuable experience?

Building and launching something isn’t enough; you need a plan for what to do with it next.