#DataForSEOFaces: An Insightful Interview with DataForSEO’s CTO, Yevhen Vorobiov

We sat down to talk to Yevhen Vorobiov , DataForSEO's Chief Technical Officer, about the company’s legacy, the challenges of technological innovation, and what keeps him up at night.

Yevhen is not only a highly skilled tech professional but also a compassionate leader. His innovative thinking, problem-solving skills, and commitment to excellence have been instrumental in driving our company forward.?

To offer you deeper insights into DataForSEO and its leadership, we asked Yevhen about the key aspects and the vision that made DataForSEO the innovation-driven leader of the marketing data market ??

Can you share the story behind the founding of your company? What inspired you to start this venture?

Yevhen: DataForSEO's journey started with our first project, RankActive, an SEO tool for marketing professionals. Everything changed when our major customer requested an API to streamline data usage for their project.?

Inspired by our customers' vision, I delved into the APIs of other SEO tools. Soon, I discovered that they all required creating a project in a web interface before generating reports, so they couldn’t provide real-time results. Frustrated by this, I saw an opportunity — an API that would provide real-time data directly in response to a query, with no need for prior setup or web interface.

Our first version of the API, driven by the slogan “just data, no hassle,” was a game-changer. It allowed users to get real-time SERP data by specifying all the parameters directly in the API request. Technically, we were the first to achieve this.?

After a year of trials and various technical repetitions, we launched DataForSEO as a separate product, driven by the vision of my partner, Nick Chernets . By bringing together a committed team, we launched the public version, which quickly gained traction due to its unique real-time capabilities and flexibility.

The API had grown a lot. Clients started coming to us with volumes we weren't ready for initially. However, Nick Chernets always believed in us and never turned anyone away :)?

After celebrating New Year's Eve 2019 in the office, manually keeping our system running, I decided we needed a complete rewrite from scratch. The system of version two just wasn’t designed to handle such a high load.

Thanks to the team's hard work, we have launched the new DataForSEO v3 version, which is much faster, more flexible, and easier to use. However, perfection is elusive, and you may see version four in the future??

As the CTO, what is your approach to technological innovation? How do you stay ahead of the curve in a rapidly changing tech landscape?

Yevhen: Balancing experience with new technologies is key. While it may be natural to stick with proven methods, embracing new solutions is essential. Our approach involves continuous learning, supported by a talented team that isn’t afraid to innovate. Listening to the team’s ideas and acknowledging the advantages of new tools, even those I initially rejected, has been crucial for our growth.

As a co-founder and CTO, how do you balance your technical responsibilities with your leadership duties?

Yevhen: In addition to technical skills, I prioritize human qualities and often make decisions based on intuition rather than solely on logic. This approach and my ability to delegate and trust my team allow me to focus on non-profit work during these challenging times. As our country faces a war started by Russia, this commitment is crucial. Knowing that my team shares my values and understands our business goals enables me to delegate tasks confidently, ensuring the team’s effective operation.

What are your short-term and long-term goals for the company? How do you plan to scale your technological capabilities and operations as the company grows?

Yevhen: We have already reached a stage where there are no limits - achieving anything is just a matter of time and resources. Our future goals are inspired and envisioned by the innovative challenges presented by Nick Chernets . While our specific technologies depend on future tasks, our commitment to agility and customer satisfaction will remain a priority. We continue exploring new ideas and making improvements to ensure DataForSEO stays ahead in the industry.

Share your experience working with Yevhen Vorobiov in the comments! ??