Apiumhub – the Software Development Hub

We talked to Evgeny Predein of Apiumhub about software development, and he had the following to say:-

First of all, how are you and your family doing in these COVID-19 times?

Evgeny Predein: At the start of 2020, we had some different plans, but Coronavirus made us adapt to the current situation, and we have learned a lot during this year; we focused on working on changing digital projects that make a difference this year.

Tell us about you, your career, how you founded Apiumhub.

Evgeny Predein: I found a profound interest and respect for software development in Helsinki, where I was finishing my final career project. There I discovered how to work in a team in a modern way and how the development could be fun. Nevertheless, my first professional experience in Barcelona was the contrary of what I imagined it would be. Old processes, old way of doing things, and, most importantly, 0 respect towards developers. The enterprise world is ruled by different goals. I almost lost any hope, but I found myself involved in a startup project where everything seemed more similar to what I experienced in Helsinki. There I understood what enterprises were missing and how this startup approach was better for software development. No need to say that the idea of founding a company that would treat people and projects in a closer and more attentive way but working for the big enterprises, saving the existing gap, was in the air. And this is how it all started, taking a small project for Telefonica, assuming the risks, and initiating a new adventure. 

How does Apiumhub innovate?

Evgeny Predein: One of our core values is “Never Stop Growing.” And it drives the whole team to always be exploring and learning new things. In our company, we face new projects every month, and this gives us an opportunity to learn from new environments but also to apply something new to the upcoming projects.  

How the coronavirus pandemic affects your business, and how are you coping?

Evgeny Predein: The IT industry is probably the less affected one (or affected but in a positive way). So after a couple of months of adaptation to the new way of communication and sales we started to grow because the demand increased. Now everybody tries to digitalize their processes, meaning more work for us.

Did you have to make difficult choices, and what are the lessons learned?

Evgeny Predein: Communication is very different when you are not able to talk about things “in the kitchen.” The information stops “flowing,” so we need to adapt, to be more explicit, and communicate better, and ensure that it reaches everybody. We had some tough moments because of misunderstandings and miscommunication that, in some cases, resulted in unexpected departures. But in the end, we overcame this difficulty and now thriving in this new environment.

What specific tools, software, and management skills are you using to navigate this crisis?

Evgeny Predein: Any conflict is an opportunity to grow. It means 2 things: conflicts are good and that, if directed properly, can improve things. The human factor is more important than ever. There is no tool that can solve human frictions. But a proper mindset and culture can. So we are highlighting more than ever before the importance of our culture and values, what makes us be unique and what convinced us all to join and work together.

How do you plan to stay in the game?

Evgeny Predein: For us, the present is an opportunity to grow, to take our company to the next level. We have a very different challenge than most of the companies from other industries. But it is also a challenge. Hiring people just seeing them online, managing through zoom, maintaining the confidence and motivation of the team without any presence activities is something new. But we are here to learn, to grow, and to have fun while doing it.

Your final thoughts?

Evgeny Predein: In the current situation the human relationships are more important than ever. Both at work and at home. It is important to keep calm and not to get angry as the first reaction to anything that goes not the way you wanted. You need to be aware of this new situation and about false perceptions that may be generated when you can only see other people through a camera. The team concept now is different, but now it can make a huge difference if you play it correctly. 

Your website?

www.apiumhub.com