The CEO and co-founder of Beetroot and Beetroot Academy, Andreas Flodström, communicated with The Journalist’s correspondent. Andreas told about how and when the idea of business opening in Ukraine had appeared and how they managed to create a 350-staff company and organize training in the IT sphere in order to help people start their careers. Read below about ambitious plans, symbolism and motivation for development in the nearest future of the atypical IT-company.
– How did your story begin? When and why did you decide to open a company?
Two Swedish entrepreneurs wanted to come to Eastern Europe and open IT company focused on the social dimension. It was in 2012. At that moment we were considering Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and Moldova and we chose Ukraine. First, we cooperated with a partner – we found clients and start working. Our first office was in Odesa. Today we have 350 people working at our Academy.
Also, we have a non-profite educational organization Beetroot Academy, which is strongly supported by the Embassy of Sweden. The Academy provides educational services in 13 cities and we plan to expand up to 23 ones within the next two years. We help people to start their IT career and develop the sector. About 1% of all developers in Ukraine will graduate from our academy by the end of this year.
– How does the Beetroot algorithm work?
We offer our Ukrainian developers to Swedish customers. There is a lack of programmers there. They turn to Beetroot and the company lands talents.
We integrate Ukrainian teams with teams throughout world. Our developers who work in the Ukrainian offices, are both members of our team and our client’s one.
For ensuring an effective team work, we have implemented an innovative approach into the management. Our company does not have classical hierarchical structures, we rely on team self-organization and partnership relations instead. We have created a culture that encourages initiativness and gives freedom of action. In May this year Beetroot has became the first Ukrainian company, which has received the WorldBlu Freedom-Centered Cultures Award for creating a culture based on freedom in. Thus, we are among the most democratic employers in the world, along with thirty leading international companies.
– The name of your organization is not typical. Why Beetroot?
Because “a beetroot is not a bampot” (laughing). When we arrived in Ukraine, we still did not know how to name the company. We started to get acquainted with various IT-teams. A few months later we already had a lot of contacts working in the industry, but we did not like the replicability of the names.
We wanted to have a name that would be associated with Ukraine. We were inspired with borsch. First of all, it is familiar for Ukrainians and, secondly, this dish combines a mix of good ingredients. And we, combine good “ingredients”: Ukrainian developers and foreign projects, as well as the best from Ukrainian and Swedish cultures.
– What are your future plans? In which direction will you move?
We are actively expanding and we plan to maintain a dynamic development rate. We are going to expand a comprising of Beetroot Academy. A year from each city we train 120-150 people to the level of developers. We create our ecosystem in such a way. In addition, we have courses for experienced IT specialists. We also believe that the Academy can be implemented as a product in other countries.
– Is it difficult to work at the Ukrainian market?
There are some difficulties, yes. They concern, in particular, bureaucratic issues. However, the Ukrainian market is very interesting for enterprises. In a very short space of time we have built a company, where 350 people work. So, yes, there are difficulties, but at the same time there is great potential. I want to develop our business further here and invest in the Ukrainian economy.
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