Konstantin Durnev is the co-founder of startups, inBook – an offline survey app and Yafi – the feedback widget for a website. He is a frontend engineer with 7 years of experience. He has experience and expertise in digital product development. Konstantin completed his education from Southern Federal University (former Rostov State University). He is based out of Russia.
In an exclusive interview with AsiaTechDaily, Konstantin says:
If you launch a product, I think one of the main things is excellent customer service. It also includes the ability to listen to your customers and develop what they need.
Doing something is always better than doing nothing.
Read on to know more about Konstantin Durnev and his journey.
Please tell me about your background, and what are you working on currently?
Konstantin Durnev: I am a frontend engineer with about 7 years of experience. Currently, I am working on two startups with my partners: inBook — offline survey app, Yafi — feedback widget for a website.
What motivated you to get started with your company?
Konstantin Durnev: I always wanted to start my own business because working on your own thing is different. Every task you complete feels like an investment in your future.
How have you attracted users and grown your company from the start?
Konstantin Durnev: We communicated with our first users before we launched, and even before, we started developing the software. We can say that we developed our first versions with our customers. We wanted to make sure that people need our product and our product meets their specific needs.
What’s your business model, and how have you grown your revenue? What strategy worked best?
Konstantin Durnev: We don’t have any sophisticated business model; we are just trying to create the right product and improve it.
How much money (funding) have you raised in total so far? When was the recent funding round? (Additionally, any plan for the future?)
Konstantin Durnev: We didn’t raise investment money. All we have we did on our own. I handled all the technical stuff, and my partner did the rest: sales, legal, etc.
What are some marketing tips to help maximize the success of a product launch?
Konstantin Durnev: If you launch a product, I think one of the main things is excellent customer service. It also includes the ability to listen to your customers and develop what they need.
What is a good product launch checklist?
Konstantin Durnev: Gather perfect team, come up with an interesting idea, do not invent the wheel.
What’s the hardest thing about product launches?
Konstantin Durnev: Product launch is never easy, but I think the hardest thing is not to delay the launch because you believe it’s not ready for the outside world.
What are the most common mistakes founders make when they start a company? (or What should all first-time startup founders know before they start their business?)
Konstantin Durnev: I think the main mistake is to have high expectations. Maybe someone launches a business, and the second day they are a millionaire. But usually, this doesn’t happen. Every founder should be able to wait, work hard, and remember that they’re gaining experience.
What do most startups get wrong about marketing?
Konstantin Durnev: I do know for sure. We are always looking for marketing channels, and I can’t say that some way is wrong and other is right. It also depends on the type of business and the founders’ preferences.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? and What advice do you have for someone who is interested in doing similar things like yours or in a similar direction?
Konstantin Durnev: Doing something is always better than doing nothing.
What are the one or two things that you would do differently if you could go back to 10 years ago?
Konstantin Durnev: I would study more about business and programming and would start playing sports earlier.
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