On August 13, Oleksii and Oleh Shcherbatenko joined a Diia.City United Q&A. The co-owners of IT-Enterprise — father and son — spoke not only about the business, but also about the synergy of two leadership styles inside a tech company. Here are the key points.

How it started: 1987 and the first computer

Oleh: In 1987 private business barely existed. I had just graduated from KPI in Automated Enterprise Management Systems, and together with colleagues we launched a science-and-tech cooperative at the department.
We began on mainframes — machines that took up half a room and required special facilities and cooling. First it was a Soviet variant of the IBM 370. Later, in the 1990s, we got our first IBM PC — it cost as much as three trucks. I was afraid to leave it at the office, so the team worked at my home at first.
The motivation was simple: build new, complex, professional solutions. We weren’t thinking about money then.

Two leadership styles in one company

Oleksii: I grew up around tech entrepreneurship, but there was never a ‘you must join’ conversation.
I graduated from Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. My first job was at Kyiv City Administration during EURO-2012 prep. On day one I turned on the PC — half the screen was game shortcuts. Two days later I realized: out of 27 people I was the only one who spoke English. It was a cold shower — government work was not for me.
I joined IT-Enterprise in 2008. It wasn’t easy. As the founder’s son people assume, ‘okay, they brought in the kid — more dead weight.’ I knew it meant extra responsibility and wanted to prove I deserved my role.

Oleh: The key for me is that he made the decision himself. That’s my value: people should choose their own path. Today we work in tandem — I bring strategy and composure; Oleksii brings drive and speed. It lets us move fast without losing focus.

From idea to product

Oleksii: The best ideas come from clients. That’s how SmartTender was born — a customer asked us to stop processing Excel files manually. A team of ‘two-and-a-half people’ grew into a business that now processes the vast majority of electronic commercial procurements in Ukraine. We displaced all Russian platforms.

Competing with SAP and Oracle

Oleh: When SAP and Oracle entered Ukraine in the 1990s, I thought: ‘We’re done.’ Then I realized: the winner isn’t the biggest — it’s the fastest.
We spotted weaknesses in their systems and did everything to make the market difficult for them. If competitors delivered up to ten projects a year, we delivered close to a hundred.

Oleksii: We didn’t sell a brand — we solved business problems. We asked: what’s your problem, what’s the goal? Then we gave a roadmap. Automation and the system are second-order tools. People don’t need a logo; they need a solution.

A culture of responsibility — not titles

Oleksii: We don’t worship job titles or last names. We value ownership and partnership. I still don’t have an official title. When people ask, ‘What’s your position?’ I say, ‘Who knows?’

Russian software: the issue isn’t technology

Oleh: Russian software is still used in Ukraine. It’s not about lack of money or alternatives. The issue is people buying a ‘Polish system’ that is, in fact, Russian.

Oleksii: Since the full-scale invasion, state companies have spent over 1.2 billion UAH on Russian software. That’s shocking. There are enough quality Ukrainian alternatives. What’s needed is the will of owners and executives.

What’s next for IT-Enterprise

Oleh: We started working with AI back in 2014. It’s our core direction.

Oleksii: We’re also developing HR technologies and an ecosystem of products for businesses of different sizes. But our main asset remains people. People were, are, and will be the key factor in any tech company.

On Diia.City United

Oleksii: I recently joined the Diia.City United Strategic Board. For me it’s a platform where companies amplify each other, share knowledge, and build ecosystems — and ecosystems create the future.