From freelancing in high school to AI transformation for companies
I’m Artur Vasylchenko, the founder of Zore AI. Today, we focus on AI transformation for service companies.
My entrepreneurial journey began in my final years at a technology lyceum. A friend and I were looking for ways to earn some extra money, and one evening he messaged me: «I found a freelance job. We need to build a website, but the deadline is 24 hours».
I said: «Let’s do it».
At the lyceum, we learned the basics of HTML and CSS, but that night was when we got our first commercial experience. We started taking on small projects, and eventually, that grew into a real business.
It all happened quite organically. At first, we just wanted to earn money using our skills, and gradually we realized we could build a company around them.
Curiosity, fast learning, and empathy for clients
What key skills helped you launch your business?
At the beginning, curiosity and a certain degree of naivety played a big role. I liked the romantic idea that anyone could become Steve Jobs. To be honest, I still think that, although I now understand that the world is more complicated than Netflix documentaries about great creators make it seem.
In terms of specific skills, the first is the ability to learn quickly and not be afraid of new technologies.
The second is empathy for people. I realized quite quickly that a technical solution matters, but it’s even more important to understand how the client feels and what they really need.
From startup romance to a systematic business
What are the 3 most difficult challenges you overcame in the early years?
1.Understanding how different the romantic image of startups in films and books is from reality.
At first, I thought it was enough to have a great idea, energy, and a desire to change the world. In reality, entrepreneurship involves a lot of uncertainty, routine, difficult decisions, and responsibility. I had to accept this reality and learn to work with it.
2.Understanding the importance of contracts and formalities.
At first, I thought you could build a business mostly on trust and good relationships. Over time, I realized that trust is the foundation, but clear agreements, documented terms, and a legal structure protect both the partnership and the business itself.
3.Building a team and processes that make it possible to consistently deliver high-quality results.
When everything depends on one or two people, it’s not yet a business, but a collection of the founders’ individual efforts. We had to gradually move toward a system in which the team could work effectively without constant hands-on supervision.
From losing planned work to a new chapter for the company
What crises has your business faced, and how did you overcome them?
In my case, a crisis means several moments when we had to start the business over. But each time, the core team stayed together—the people who went through these changes with me and built the next version of the company.
At the beginning of 2022, we had signed major contracts with Ukrainian companies, some for a year ahead. After the full-scale invasion began, everything changed, and we were left without the work and income we had planned for.
But it was at that moment that I saw the incredible power of partnership. Our clients, partners, and colleagues began helping one another. We acted almost like a single organism—looking for solutions together, supporting each other, and helping one another overcome problems. It was very powerful and inspiring.
About a year and a half ago, we saw how rapidly artificial intelligence was developing and realized that we wanted to evolve along with it.
We shifted entirely to developing AI solutions and AI agents and rebuilt the company from scratch. For us, this wasn’t a forced reaction to the market—we saw a chance to create something truly great and decided to seize it.
The main lesson for me is that a crisis sometimes forces you to start over, but it’s in those moments that the strongest partnerships and most important opportunities can emerge.
AI-native transformation instead of a new tool
What decisions proved most effective in growing the company?
The most effective decision for growth was transforming into an AI-native company. For us, this means much more than simply introducing artificial intelligence into individual processes or starting to develop AI products. True transformation required us to completely rethink our team model: whom we hire, how we define roles, how we build our organizational structure, and how people work together.
We had to define the company itself much more clearly—its focus, processes, working principles, and value for clients. If you want to build an AI-native organization, it’s not enough to add a new tool to the old system. You need to rethink the system itself.
This is probably the biggest change we’ve gone through. It’s already producing tangible results in efficiency and laying the groundwork for the next stage of development.
From a development team to a fully fledged organization
What mistake do you now consider your most valuable experience?
My most valuable mistake was spending a long time thinking of us primarily as a development team rather than as a fully fledged business and organization.
There was a certain «cozy, close-knit feel» to it: we knew each other well, worked very closely, and relied heavily on mutual trust. But this approach created serious problems with finances, planning, and performance.
At one point, our team grew to 15 people. I realized particularly keenly that the number of people alone doesn’t make an organization stronger. Without a clear structure, financial discipline, and accountability, scaling may not strengthen the business—it may only magnify its problems.
Over time, I realized that the «special forces of creators» approach and a systematic business aren’t mutually exclusive. On the contrary, combining a strong, autonomous team with clear processes, accountability, and a business focus can create a very strong organization.
The best thing about this kind of system is that the team strengthens itself: people share experience closely, help one another, and continually improve the way they work.
