From Berries to Business: The Entrepreneurial Journey of Mikita Mikado
A Humble Beginning
Mikita Mikado's path to becoming a successful tech entrepreneur began in the most unlikely of places - the farmers markets of Belarus. As a young boy, Mikita's entrepreneurial spirit was already evident:
"I've been entrepreneurial since I was a kid. I watched cars and made some money through that, and then I sold berries on farmers markets. I picked them with my grandma and then I went to the market and tried to make a little bit of money."
This early hustle foreshadowed the innovative mindset that would later revolutionize the way businesses handle documents and close deals.
Key Milestones
1. From Web Development to Quote Roller
Mikita's journey took a significant turn when he co-founded Quote Roller, a pioneering software solution for sending quotes and winning deals electronically. This venture was born out of a personal need:
"We wanted to speed up that whole process and automate it. But then we also wanted to ensure people looked at our offers and then it's easier for them to ask us a question, negotiate on that offer with us, highlight something, or accept and sign under the deadline."
2. Transition to PandaDoc
The evolution from Quote Roller to PandaDoc marked a pivotal moment in Mikita's career. It wasn't just a rebranding exercise, but a complete overhaul of the product:
"Complete reprogramming from scratch and rework the product left and right, expand the market we focused on."
This bold move allowed them to address a broader market and build a solution with higher ambitions and potential.
Secret Sauce: Learning from Mistakes and Embracing Inbound Marketing
Mikita's success isn't just about creating innovative products; it's about the lessons learned along the way. His secret sauce comprises two key ingredients:
1. Embracing Mistakes
"The biggest lesson I learned in the process is that you shouldn't be afraid to make mistakes and you should be okay with it. Otherwise, you know, you're not going to learn quickly, and emotionally, the whole process and endeavor is going to be extremely drainful."
2. Leveraging Inbound Marketing
Mikita is a strong believer in inbound marketing, seeing it as an increasingly important go-to-market model. He observes a shift in the industry:
"I feel like over the course of, I mean over time, the toggle is moving right... and now you buy cars that cost you way over 100,000 online. And you know what, I have a feeling that it's only going to continue."
Actionable Items for Aspiring Entrepreneurs
- Embrace Failure: Don't be discouraged if things don't work out initially. Mikita advises, "Don't be afraid to fail. You'll fail and it's totally fine."
- Seek Balance: Productivity is an output of various factors. Mikita suggests, "I feel like I'm the most productive when I'm balanced, and that state is what I try to constantly move towards."
- Surround Yourself with Smart People: Mikita emphasizes the importance of connections. "Befriend more people who are much smarter than you are," he recommends. "Being around people that have been there, done that in the areas where I tried to advance myself... that does a lot of good."
- Stay Open to Learning: Mikita's advice to his younger self is telling: "I don't think you know everything because you definitely don't." He encourages aspiring entrepreneurs to be open to making mistakes and learning from them.
- Invest in Enablement and Training: Especially in remote work environments, Mikita stresses the importance of investing in team development. "Investing in enablement as you go full remote is, we believe, hugely important," he states.
Mikita Mikado's journey from selling berries in Belarus to founding a successful SaaS company is a testament to the power of perseverance, continuous learning, and adaptability. His story serves as an inspiration for aspiring entrepreneurs, reminding us that success is often built on a foundation of early failures and invaluable lessons.
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