Diatom Enterprises, based in Latvia, is a specialist outsourcer in software development. It was established by a group of software developers whose enthusiasm and expertise in software solutions has been accumulating since their school days. Now, having amassed nearly two decades of experience, the business has expanded to become a prominent company among organizations providing custom-made, unique solutions for their clients. Diatom Enterprises has worked with specialists from all over the globe and is very proud to have completed projects in many different areas, ranging from logistics and finances to e-health. Every single one of these projects has been specially created for each individual client, avoiding a one-size-fits-all approach.
Ever since Denis Gorshkov got involved in IT 25 years ago through the founding of Diatom Enterprises, many groundbreaking technological innovations have been introduced. Perhaps the most significant changes have taken place in the communications sector. The idea of the ‘long-distance call’ has become something of an anachronism. Communication and information sharing have long been fundamental to human societies. Until recent changes, the two were heavily resource dependent: it was very expensive to communicate while the exchange of information was extremely slow-moving. Now humanity can benefit from almost unrestricted access to video, audio and data communication that is largely available free of charge.
The low cost of communication has radically altered the way individuals work and study: they do so in a truly borderless, transnational world. Indeed, it is precisely this opportunity to bring together global teams of specialists and organize their tasks from anywhere on the planet that allows Diatom Enterprises to implement demanding projects with unparalleled speed. This is now the reality of the contemporary world and Diatom Enterprises harnesses the new technologies to the full. We’ve come to understand that our potency does not lie in gathering a multitude of employees in one location — on the contrary, we have chosen distributed best talent and expert project coordinators. We have the know-how to locate specialists and create teams. The client can rest assured that the relevant experts will effectively work together — we make sure this happens.
“It may seem unusual, but all our current American clients discovered us through references and endorsements. We have not advertised or marketed our services in the USA. The quality of our work is self-evident”.
Denis Gorshkov, Chief Executive Officer
Moreover, since its inception, Diatom Enterprises’ very purpose has been to attract elite specialists. And so, because of the company’s exacting criteria and the rapidity at which information can be shared, it is now a business that can deliver a project in just two months in contrast to the situation 20 years ago when it might have taken more than a year to implement.
Nowadays, it is the norm for project teams to be scattered all over the world. The opportunity to communicate without hindrance and exchange huge quantities of information permits us to fulfil projects on an unprecedented level of complexity and scale.
A new, younger generation of employees and professionals play an important role in this efficient operation. These individuals were born at a time when technology really took off and are truly transnational people. They have mastered the English language, they have achieved their degrees in top international institutions and their professional learning continues at work, through online education and their own private sources of personal development. We have discovered that this generation has a project-oriented way of thinking, which can be simultaneously challenging and fascinating. By this, we mean that they prefer engrossing and demanding projects rather than stable, long-term careers. This keeps us on our toes, forcing us to consider how we can engage our strongest tech warriors through the most challenging projects. These individuals are savvy, clever and are well aware of their value in the market. First and foremost they can operate from any location, so geographical restrictions no longer apply to them.
The fast-emerging freelance economy epitomizes these developments. Freelancers are the fastest burgeoning group in the EU labour market and it has become a very enticing and high-income career choice for both university leavers and experienced professionals alike. We have observed many talented people entering into this new group. Accordingly, the demanding task for many businesses, including both large companies and new startups, is how to tap into this group in a risk-free manner and without incurring a lot of burdensome contracts and micromanagement.
In short, there has been an exodus from large companies as young talent enters the jobs market although, paradoxically, those jobs are not easy to obtain. We have pinpointed a series of key factors that will help us to solve this problem:
- well-tested yet not burdensome processes sustained by a sophisticated digital office, allowing us to integrate new remote members of our team into any given project.
- a highly capable team of technical experts who can carry out scrupulous testing and handpick remote talent to ensure that our pre-sales and consulting work remain independent (stand out among?) of the freelance crowd.
- a durable and very talented project leadership and technical team
Diatom Enterprises is an expanding group of project managers for the digital age. Their steadfast professionalism, in-depth knowledge, cultural and linguistic capital, and most important of all, their capacity to deliver quickly and efficiently is impressive. “They can be described as “problem solvers”, says Denis Gorshkov. They may not be technical as such, but they have a strong understanding of technical matters. Crucially, they have what it takes to operate in a multicultural, multilingual and transnational world. Their key competence is the aptitude to run an international production operation whether that may involve managing a team of software developers or establishing an office in any location on the globe.
In January 2019, Diatom brought all of these elements together to launch a novel program for startups and midsized businesses, entitled Diatom Teams. This project enables startups and midsized companies to increase their capacity in an affordable way while maintaining focus on their key goals. Diatom Teams has access to a substantial European engineering network of elite consultants and developers.
Diatom Enterprises’ central office can be found in Riga, although a significant share of its experts base themselves in different countries. Similarly, the project leaders of the business are predominantly based in Riga where they gather and guide their teams, always looking at the most affordable options. In terms of geographical location, Riga is an ideal base from which to manage projects. When we arrange important meetings with our clients or specialists, the city can be reached from any area of Europe within two hours by plane. Its time zone is also ideal for business purposes. Moreover, Latvia has access to some of the speediest Internet connections on the planet. Diatom Enterprises was first established in Canada, and a large proportion of its clients can be found in the USA.
The article is published by the Scandinavian Traveler Magazine
Source: Scandinavian Traveler Magazine, page 80