Get a Better View: A Conversation with Nikolay
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“My favorite place in Kyiv is the roof of the InterContinental. Not only is it a cool hangout spot, the view is incredible. You can see all the churches. At night, it’s gorgeous. You must go there,” advises Nikolay, manager of the IT projects implementation department at Kyivstar.
In our chat with Nikolay, we talk more about good views, along with work and life. His nuggets of wisdom will teach you a lot. So, let’s get right to it.
You’ve been working in telecom for a while. What have you learned throughout your career?
I’ve been working in telecom since the early 2000s, starting with an internship during university where I worked on network infrastructure. After university, I worked for another telecom company as a network engineer, then as a platform engineer. Before joining Kyivstar, I served as head of the network management center for another telco. So, it’s been quite the journey.
Kyivstar has given me lots of space to grow and improve. For example, I worked on a complex mobile conversion project when I first joined. I built a way for our users to transfer calls from mobile devices to landlines. It was cool and challenging — and benefited people.
Most notably, I’ve learned the importance of understanding the people you work with and your customers. You can find out inspiring things and innovative solutions if you just ask questions and communicate. You bring the most value when you grasp what people want. Only once you understand should you act. You must have the proper view of things first.
What projects are you working on now?
The launch of the VEON app has been a big part of our work recently. We’ve also been working on mobile financial services in Ukraine, specifically integrating mobile cash with bank accounts so there’s no need for transfers.
Our main goal is to unite all these services within one unified app. We know users don’t want apps scattered everywhere. It’s just more efficient and convenient when everything’s in one place.
Kyivstar has a startup accelerator. How’s that going?
We’re running the accelerator well now. Startups help us with new ideas, while we help with management and implementation of products and services. We have a good dialogue going, which ensures a mutually beneficial relationship and a clear vision of the road ahead.
Our accelerator presents so many opportunities in the telecom sector to innovate and solve customer needs. For example, with Greenbee, we’re working on an IoT solution for monitoring agricultural land. With mBill, we’re working on a payments service for small businesses and individuals. We’re also working on e-signatures to eliminate the need for paper.
Kyivstar has adopted an agile approach. How has implementing lean strategies helped the company?
Our goal is to be flexible and nimble. So we’re releasing quickly and iterating often. The agile approach is the only way to create a platform that covers all the needs of our users.
The biggest positive we get from an agile approach is we can clearly see where improvements must be made. This is why it’s crucial to always implement lean methods, when possible. If you know what’s wrong, you can optimize the product.
It’s good that we’re making moves like this at Kyivstar. We’ve been serving customers for 20 years.
It’s my wish that Kyivstar continues to move forward in the right direction. We must keep finding opportunities and think about improving lives. We must have the proper perspective, as that will enable us to make smart investments and keep doing good things for people.
There are a lot of tech trends impacting the telecom sector. Which ones do you see sticking?
Artificial intelligence will certainly have a huge influence. Neural networks and internet of things (IoT) will enable us to innovate like never before. We have projects going on with these technologies already and we’re excited about what the future holds.
With that said, it’s important to step back and get the right picture. We must know the purpose of these tech trends. Otherwise, we can risk losing human interaction and real-life experiences.
For example, when the smartphone arrived, Steve Jobs and others perhaps didn’t envision that it would also serve as a distraction and relief from boredom. Smartphones have been a tremendous positive for humanity, but we’re not always doing important things when looking at screens. Sometimes we’re just wasting time. We need to understand that technology should help us live more meaningful and enjoyable lives.
Great answer. Here’s a final question: If you could have a dinner with any three people, who would they be?
To work off my last answer, I would want the dinner to be enjoyable and meaningful. I would invite my wife. I would also invite Jesus. And I would invite someone from the future so I could get information on what’s coming for the world.
Also, of course, we would eat borscht. That’s my favorite dish.
Stand on the roof!
Now you’ve met Nikolay. Hopefully, his words have shown you how to stand on the roof and get a better view. It’s how you can see it all and make the right moves going forward.
