Archive for May, 2015

Under the Hood of Viacheslav Kravchuk

Posted by: Alana Twelmeyer Monday, May 4th, 2015

Viacheslav Kravchuk is CEO of Atwix (@atwixcom), a team that specializes in web development with a focus in Magento and open source solutions. From Custom Development to Design and SEO, Atwix utilizes years of experience in eCommerce solutions to assist their customers in making their business do better.

Viacheslav takes on many tasks throughout the work day. With that said, he knows the importance of taking a break, enjoying time with friends and exploring the world. Within this witty interview, we get a sense of what Viacheslav does during the work day, his work/life balance, and his thoughts on the future of the eCommerce space.

Can you describe what you really do at work?

That’s a hard question. As we’re not that big yet (just a bit under 20 people) I still have many things to take care of, and it will be easier to tell what I don’t do daily. Thanks to the great team we have, I don’t do actual coding, QA, some of the daily operations and project management (almost).

If money was no object, what would you spend your days doing?

I believe that business is about many other things just as much as it is about money, and that there should sometimes be a room for altruism and irrational decisions. When it is not just about money it is much easier to enjoy the process of building and running a company, and for now I cannot really imagine what else I would do for some longer periods of time.

In your spare time what do you get upto, and how do you balance this with your work time?

I have seen enough examples of people overworking and burning out to understand that we all need to have a break once in a while, and I really try hard to do so. Even though I work a lot, I believe that my work/life balance is alright. When I do have some spare time, I like traveling, meeting new friends and keeping in touch with old ones.

How do you see the future for Magento and the eCommerce space in general?

Normally, we’d think that Magento’s future depends on its owner, which is currently eBay Enterprise. However, I believe that we have a unique case here that puts the future of Magento into the hands of Magento’s ecosystem and that makes any predictions even harder as there are too many variables (companies and people around). What I do know is that all the people and companies around Magento are very much interested in pushing it forward which brings nothing but optimism.

Regarding eCommerce space in general, it is quite possible that the trend will be similar to what we see in offline retail, where large supermarket chains (think marketplaces) are eating smaller merchants that sell the same goods and leaving room only for niche ones with unique, specific or rare products.

What is usually your last thought before falling asleep?

Have I locked my car? Joking. I usually try to suppress my internal dialogue to fall asleep quick.

Who is your role model, and why?

I’m quite careful now with choosing one, because we always see just one side of a person and you may never know how that person behaves in different situations and what may be on their mind. Plus, why would you want to be someone if you can be yourself?

Although, if we speak about Magento and people that inspire me, there are a great bunch of them. However, if I had to pick one, it would be the ex-President of Magento, Bob Schwartz. That gentleman has a lot of charisma, skills and wisdom with him! Plus, he’s doing a really great job supporting Ukraine.

What’s the worst thing you have to do as part of your job role?

That’s simple. Firing someone. Luckily, I don’t have to do it often.

What motivates you?

People. In a different context, but it is always people.

What is the most played song on your MP3 player or phone?

I don’t know the name of the company that organizes the Magento Imagine Conference, but they are doing a fantastic job picking up soundtracks for the conference. So, I always listen to the tracks overheard at Imagine for some time after the conference is over, and this year it is “No Church In The Wild” by Kanye West & Jay-Z. But, otherwise, my taste is too wild to define. I listen to anything from classic and folk to modern hip-hop songs. But only good ones of course.

Would you like to plug anything?

I want to thank you guys for all the efforts you do to evolve the Magento community and its ecosystem. I met Karen in 2012 at the first Meet Magento Poland event and it is evident how the community around Magento evolved since then. I believe that it is all because of us – little companies that care and make a difference. Keep it up!