Ivaylo Hristov of DEV.BG tells us about the IT ecosystem in Bulgaria.
Tell us about you, your career, and how you founded DEV.BG.
Ivaylo Hristov: I have been involved in entrepreneurship for years, and now I am a co-founder and manager of DEV.BG. Over the years, I have founded and developed several IT companies. I have more than 7 years of teaching experience in the field of information technology. I have won awards such as Young Entrepreneur of the Year and Next Generation Entrepreneur.
I believe that one of my greatest achievements is the creation of DEV.BG and the largest Job Board for IT ads in Bulgaria. I feel useful in contributing to improving the IT ecosystem in Bulgaria and the sharing of knowledge in the sector.
Tell us a customer success story of yours.
Ivaylo Hristov: Our story begins a little over six years ago. We started as an IT community, and in recent years we have become a leading advertising site. But we do a lot for the professional development of IT professionals in Bulgaria – we organize over 160 technology events a year, publish news and analysis of the industry, do research, develop online communities, and create career podcasts. All these projects give us the opportunity to constantly communicate with IT professionals and be close to them.
Do you have small habits that made a meaningful impact on your life and business?
Ivaylo Hristov: Habits are not as important as knowing exactly what your ultimate goal is. In all these years, we have not lost our focus. I believe that our efforts so far to build stable relationships with companies in the sector and with IT professionals are returning to us many times over. We have become the largest Job Board for the IT community in Bulgaria. With us, specialists can find all ads sorted by categories and positions. In addition, for the last 5 years, we have organized over 700 IT events, and their number is constantly growing.
How does DEV.BG market its product/services online?
Ivaylo Hristov: In 2021 DEV.BG has established itself as one of the leading places where IT professionals are looking for work. More than 60,000 applications pass through our tech job ad platform in just one year.
What specific tools, software, and management skills are you using to manage your online marketing?
Ivaylo Hristov: We have always known that the most important thing for the management of our business are the right goals. From the very beginning, we set a goal that we would not launch a platform for job ads with less than 1500-1700 ads. Now, after a few years, we see that this was right. Today we publish the job ads of over 1000 IT companies. Imagine how many jobs offer these are.
What is your hiring policy/process, and how do you retain your employees?
Ivaylo Hristov: I am always focused on people, and I think this is one of the most important decisions for a business to be successful. We have put together a team that has a real passion for technology because we want to help the community. Diversity, growth, and dynamics are what motivate our people to develop and continue to be part of DEV.BG.
How are you funding your growth?
Ivaylo Hristov: In 2019, we increased our revenues more than twice, and our turnover exceeded half a million. All financial activities were invested back into the business. And in 2020, we managed to raise an investment of € 200,000 from another private company. We continue to reinvest funds and expand.
Who are your competitors? And how do you plan to stay in the game?
Ivaylo Hristov: We place a lot of emphasis on the career profiles of IT employers in our Job Board. We work with almost all active IT organizations in Bulgaria and publish detailed information about them. I think this will help us continue to develop so successfully in the future and remain the Job Board for the IT community in the country.
Your final thoughts?
Ivaylo Hristov: My colleagues and I are doing what we are good at. We have created a successful company with which we contribute to the entire IT community. I am happy about that.
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