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"There is a lot of buzz around NFT and Blockchain projects right now"
Yuri Gres - Co-Founder and CEO of HF-Solution told about his path in IT, modern tech-trends, goals and principles of the company.
10 minutes of reading
Yuri Gres is 37 y.o., received a technical education in Belarusian National Technical University, is working in the IT industry for more than 15 years, and owning a software development outsourcing company for 7 years.
Tell us about yourself, your career, and how you founded HF-Solution
It all started back in the fifth grade of school. Our family got our own computer. It was expensive in those days. However, seeing my love for technology, my parents agreed and bought that unsightly square box. It was so humble that it was impossible to put disks in it - only floppy disks with a limited amount of bytes and information. If you wanted to connect to the Internet you had to wait for the coveted set of hissing and popping sounds and hope that the noise would not get interrupted - “Please, don't disconnect!”
At that very time, I became interested in programming - I began to study Pascal. The sets of numbers and letters on the screen formed for me into clear algorithms, the miracle of technology obeyed my commands.
The deeper I was diving into the IT sphere, the more I liked it. Gradually, the hobby transformed into work. It happened more than 20 years ago. I started by setting up software and infrastructure for small offices. I was also setting up local networks and installing the OS. At the same time, I was studying the programming languages available to me those days - C, C ++, java. A year later, I decided to take risks and try myself as a developer. You know, I did like it.
Having worked as a developer for about three years, I decided that it was time to grow, as three different specialties were trying to get along in me - developer, business analyst, and project manager. I changed several IT companies, carefully studying each aspect. I was trying to figure out how the work was organized, the development approaches that were used, and gradually formed my idea of the ideal IT company. This is how HF-Solution was born.
At that very time, I became interested in programming - I began to study Pascal. The sets of numbers and letters on the screen formed for me into clear algorithms, the miracle of technology obeyed my commands.
The deeper I was diving into the IT sphere, the more I liked it. Gradually, the hobby transformed into work. It happened more than 20 years ago. I started by setting up software and infrastructure for small offices. I was also setting up local networks and installing the OS. At the same time, I was studying the programming languages available to me those days - C, C ++, java. A year later, I decided to take risks and try myself as a developer. You know, I did like it.
Having worked as a developer for about three years, I decided that it was time to grow, as three different specialties were trying to get along in me - developer, business analyst, and project manager. I changed several IT companies, carefully studying each aspect. I was trying to figure out how the work was organized, the development approaches that were used, and gradually formed my idea of the ideal IT company. This is how HF-Solution was born.
Young startups come to us to develop MVP and get an initial audit
(by the way, we do it for free).
Large enterprises turn to us to automate their processes.
(by the way, we do it for free).
Large enterprises turn to us to automate their processes.
What are the key areas of activity of HF-Solution? What do you love the most about your job?
We provide services of a full development cycle. Previously, this was called outsourcing, since in general all companies were divided into outsourcing and product. Today the boundaries of definitions are blurred, and the scope of our services is much wider. Young startups come to us to develop MVP and get an initial audit (by the way, we do it for free). Large enterprises turn to us to automate their processes. I like complex projects with a high degree of secrecy and exclusivity. We have developed lots of patent solutions for customers from different countries. Although, strict NDA and nondisclosure rules for 20 years create some difficulties for our marketing team when collecting cases.
Why was the company named HF-Solution?
I ask each new employee how they would decipher our name and there were already many different options - from the classic High Frequency or chemical Hydrogen Fluoride to the segmented Health Focus. However, the initial idea in the name is due to the spirit of the company and the search for non-trivial solutions. It sounds like Hunting For Solution.
I ask each new employee how they would decipher our name and there were already many different options - from the classic High Frequency or chemical Hydrogen Fluoride to the segmented Health Focus. However, the initial idea in the name is due to the spirit of the company and the search for non-trivial solutions. It sounds like Hunting For Solution.
What are the goals of the company?
I’ll say in a simple way - our main goal is to be ready to cope with any challenges so that our customers are sure that any of their ideas will be implemented with maximum accuracy, efficiency, and in the right time frame.
Your company has quite a wide geography of clients. Have you noticed regional peculiarities when working with clients?
We mainly work with clients from Europe, the USA, Israel. Although, there are also more distant regions - once we had a project in Costa Rica. We are all people, and everyone should be treated with respect and consideration. We try to create comfortable working conditions, taking into account both personal characteristics and peculiarities of mentality.
However, our world is not that big. There was a case when I went on vacation to Italy and quite by an accident I met our American client, whom we had only met on Skype before, in one of the restaurants on the coast. We didn't just chat and admire the beauty surrounding us. During our four meetings, we discussed a lot of ideas, and he came up with an idea for a new application. By the end of his vacation, we had already compiled a backlog for the project. This is how our chance meeting became the starting point for a successful project, the implementation of which the HF-Solution team had begun even before my return.
However, our world is not that big. There was a case when I went on vacation to Italy and quite by an accident I met our American client, whom we had only met on Skype before, in one of the restaurants on the coast. We didn't just chat and admire the beauty surrounding us. During our four meetings, we discussed a lot of ideas, and he came up with an idea for a new application. By the end of his vacation, we had already compiled a backlog for the project. This is how our chance meeting became the starting point for a successful project, the implementation of which the HF-Solution team had begun even before my return.
HF-Solution employs over 300 people. What are the basic principles in hiring the team-members?
When recruiting personnel, first of all, we take into account, of course, technical knowledge. However, the personal qualities of an employee are not a less important factor. The more comfortable working within the company is, the better the results for the client will be. We already have a small tradition in our team - once a month I bring a new mosaic of increased complexity (starting from 1000 details) to the office and the employees put it together during breaks. This is both a brain exercise and a kind of team building because every workflow is well-coordinated teamwork and a search for the “right parts” of the solution.
What is the main priority in the company's work?
No matter how complex the project and its implementation are, we always bring it to the result that we agreed with our clients. Whatever unexpectedly difficult task we encounter in the process of implementation, we bear full responsibility and value each client and our reputation.
What business goals does the company have for the next year?
In the near future, we want to open an office in Europe and the USA. We also do not forget to build up our expertise and attract talented guys to our team.
No matter how complex the project and its implementation are, we always bring it to the result that we agreed with our clients. Whatever unexpectedly difficult task we encounter in the process of implementation, we bear full responsibility and value each client and our reputation.
What business goals does the company have for the next year?
In the near future, we want to open an office in Europe and the USA. We also do not forget to build up our expertise and attract talented guys to our team.
What technological trends have the most promising future?
This is a philosophical question. Since I consider our time to be exploratory, I would not give preference to any of the trends. When working on our projects, we choose the best solutions for every client and their project, taking into account the best practices of today.
We’d like to know about your latest projects. Which industry solutions are most relevant and in-demand now?
There is a lot of buzz around NFT and Blockchain projects right now. Recently, we have done several projects for the fintech industry, including applications for working with cryptocurrency. Also last year, with the advent of the pandemic, we helped startups create useful applications in healthcare. COVID has impacted many industries and business automation solutions. Bringing most of the processes online has transformed the business in many ways. In the past, automation was not a top priority, but now it is trending.
There is a lot of buzz around NFT and Blockchain projects right now. Recently, we have done several projects for the fintech industry, including applications for working with cryptocurrency. Also last year, with the advent of the pandemic, we helped startups create useful applications in healthcare. COVID has impacted many industries and business automation solutions. Bringing most of the processes online has transformed the business in many ways. In the past, automation was not a top priority, but now it is trending.
Can you tell us about your hobbies? What helps to refill energy for new ideas and development?
Life itself gives me the energy for development. The best motivation is when you improve every day, set new goals, achieve them, and move forward. I also follow the thirst for movement in my hobbies - motorcycles, skiing, and rafting. This is probably why I chose the field of IT technologies - this is the most dynamic industry in the modern world, and I am proud to be involved in this movement.