Dismissal and the full-scale war — two catalysts for starting my own engineering company
I was born and raised in Kyiv, where I studied at a university specializing in construction. I began my career as an engineer and later became a project manager. One day, I was laid off, and that became the catalyst for change. I realized then that I no longer wanted to depend on other people’s decisions.
The full-scale war forced me to start from scratch. That was when I decided to create my own company. This is how ODNER LLC came into being. Today, it operates not only in Ukraine, but also in Germany and Moldova.
My path in business was not easy: a constant shortage of funds, a crisis after losing our key client, and a team downsizing. These challenges made me a stronger leader. I learned financial discipline, understood the importance of diversifying clients, and learned to build a flexible business model.
My own company was the logical next step in my engineering career
How did you come up with the business idea?
The business idea came naturally. I studied at a university specializing in construction, worked as an engineer, and then as a project manager. Starting my own company was the logical next step in this professional journey.
Empathy, management methodology, and understanding how to do better than the competition
What key skills helped you launch your business?
First and foremost, empathy, knowledge of project management methodologies, and an understanding of how to deliver a project for a client faster and to a higher standard.
A shortage of funds at the outset — the main challenge in the early years
What were the 3 most difficult challenges you faced in the early years?
The biggest challenge was a constant shortage of funds. We had to find money for the office, salaries, and licenses.
Three months without income and a reduced team — a crisis that taught me a lot
What crises has your business faced, and how did you overcome them?
One of the biggest crises came when a major client stopped paying for our services because of its own financial difficulties. As a result, the company was left without its main source of income for three months, and no new major projects were coming in. This also affected the team — some employees began to leave. To overcome the crisis, we completely reassessed our approach to work. We outsourced some projects, stepped up our search for new clients, and expanded our professional network. I also stopped covering losses on unprofitable or unfunded projects with money from other projects and focused on financial discipline and transparency. This experience taught me not to depend on a single major client, to diversify our client portfolio, and to respond to risks more quickly.
A flexible model for engaging specialists and a hybrid methodology — two decisions that drove growth
Which decisions proved most effective in growing the company?
First, we decided not to maintain a large in-house team of designers at the early stage of business development. Although my long-term goal is to build a strong team of engineers, doing so at the outset was not economically viable. So we opted for a more flexible model for engaging specialists. Second, we introduced a hybrid project management methodology that combines structured planning with flexibility in execution. This allowed us to adapt to change more quickly, use resources more efficiently, and improve the quality of project delivery.
Trying to please everyone — and the company stopped growing
Which mistake do you now consider your most valuable learning experience?
My most valuable learning experience came from trying too hard to please everyone — clients, employees, and partners. I thought every decision had to satisfy everyone. Over time, I realized that a leader does not always have to seek compromise. A leader must stand up for their vision and the company’s interests. When I began to stick more confidently to the course I had chosen and worry less about upsetting others, I found there was far less discontent than I had expected. Instead, the company began to grow faster, and decisions were made more effectively.
