What lures an Ukranian IT specialist to Stockholm? Epicenter, naturally. Meet new member Daria Liashchuk, the digital innovator here to change how Stockholm does outsourcing.
Sweden’s software skill shortage isn’t new news. But seriously outsourcing tech leadership to Ukraine is. And that’s why Daria Liashchuk is here at Epicenter.
Representing 35 ambitious Ukrainian business, Daria’s vision is to connect Scandinavian demand and Ukrainian supply. “No one had spotted the gap” she explains. “But outsourcing and out-staffing tech roles to Ukraine makes perfect sense for Nordic organisations.” With her partners, Daria provides tech leadership on any tech-stack , as well as helps startups to push through the investment rounds.
It’s simple, says Daria. Ukrainian developers, stacks and designers offer incredible value for money. If Stockholm rates for a mid-level developer are $60-80/hr, the same talent in the Ukraine could cost as little as $30-35/hr. Speed is also a key factor. Daria can resource and recruit bespoke tech teams around your business challenges in a matter of days. Lower costs, shorter lead times – and world-class quality.
“Start-ups have the strategy. They have the vision. But more often than not they don’t have the tech resources and tech leadership.”
For budget-limited start-ups, out-staffing affords both flexibility and control, helping avoid costly hiring mistakes. A common pitfall Daria has observed is a rush to hire extremely senior tech talent in the hope that they’ll solve all a company’s tech challenges. “People want tech superhumans,” explains Daria, “But of course they don’t exist.” Much more effective is out-sourcing your tech leadership, or making short-term hires instead.
The outsourcing case for start-ups is both logical and strong. But who else leans on Daria’s expertise to solve business challenges? Increasingly, she says, digital marketing and design agencies are seeking fast-turnaround solutions for which they don’t have the skills in-house. But with a huge range of stack, designer and developer talent available, the Ukraine can support creative agencies say yes to more clients.
“Epicenter is unique,” she says, who moved to Stockholm almost two years ago to hunt out opportunities to better connect Sweden and the Ukraine. Having experimented with other co-working spaces, it was the day-to-day collaborations that convinced her to make Epicenter home. “You meet so many people and get all these new connections. When you hear what they’re up to it’s just natural to say ‘I can really help you with that’ – and the collaborations just roll from there.”
Curious about how to solve your next tech challenge? A chat with Daria is highly recommended. Reach out to her here and make it happen: daria.liashchuk@gmail.com
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