Jobs: Alexander Bochkin, service founder CrocoTime
Workplaces / / December 27, 2019
Alexander Bochkin
Businessman, developer. In 2008 he founded IT-company "Infomaksimum" known for CrocoTime product. He graduated from the Faculty of Electronic Engineering of Mordovia State University named after N. P. Ogarev. He defended his PhD on the subject taking into account the working time in the Penza Technological University.
What do you do in your work?
I run a company that develops a system of accounting and analysis of working time - CrocoTime. The program shows where the company lost work time, provides data for the analysis of business processes and allows you to keep your finger on the pulse of the business.
Prior to that, there was another successful project - Maxapt QuickEye (-spy system). You could say he was a student. But despite the fact that the system was not superprofessionalnyh not superdohodnaya, it bought a pretty big clients. Now I see that a lot has been done without proper attention to detail, without understanding the true path as a whole. But in spite of that, the memories of our first team project were only good.
I'm happy because I do what I'm wondering.
There were also several projects that failed. we even wrote for Forbes about the errors committed. But, hopefully, we make the right conclusions from the past experience. Now we are developing CrocoTime. The system has found its market, even though we are only at the beginning. So, despite the fact that we still did not start in Europe (the English version of the system will be released in late August), we have a pretty large customers in Spain, Holland and Israel.
What is your occupation?
By profession I am a software engineer. Since childhood, he could not tear myself away from the computer, and not playing, but it is programmed. The first commercial order complied with the classmates on the second year of university. So in the design of I love. :)
With regard to academic education, that all depends on what you plan to do and what the university reported. There are excellent universities that provide education in classroom, such as health. If you plan to deal with narrow specialization, in either case, you need to spend a lot of time to explore this topic. Another thing is that not always the knowledge that give the university needed. In practice, it is often necessary completely different. But it is a question of a particular institution: it gives relevant knowledge, skills or not.
If the university is committed to fill the training program with practical examples, not detached from reality, and attached to the current day, such education can be very useful. Especially if it includes more training in a large company where the student applies the acquired skills in business.
How does your workplace?
I'm not a fan of gadgets. Am I missing phone, laptop and tablet. And the laptop and tablet interchangeable.
Phone - iPhone 6. I like Apple products, use their phones for many years. Six models bought as broke "five." Apple tablet, too. The "apple" products I like the interface, performance and appearance. Again, a lot of applications for them.
But I have a laptop Asus Zenbook UX31E. He is thin and light, yet powerful. I am using laptop to work with documents, so Asus is more convenient than the MacBook. There was an option to buy a Mac, and put on it Windows, but decided not to bother. The model chosen by the principle of "perfect balance of price and quality." At the time of purchase of all fine with me. Already there are better models.
Everywhere with me just a phone, it installed the application, you need to work. Notifications are configured only to the post office, and there, in turn strewed pushes all work programs.
At home, I almost do not work. More precisely - do not perform specific tasks. But if I came up with some thought, I have to record it. The same is on the way, either through nadiktuyu voice assistant, or stop and write it down. The plate is mainly used as a reading room, at least - writing tasks Wrike.
Speaking of software. The working hours are more likely to use three services: Gmail, Wrike and CrocoTime. The fact that I use Gmail, historically, the special ideological reasons is not here. Wrike I tried after meeting with its founder - Andrew Filev. He is our compatriot, but the company is developing in California. Potestit service with the team, liked, decided to take a permanent use.
Many services do not use, because I do not have problems that they solve. For example, instant messengers. Quickly talk to someone? By phone. It should be non-synchronous communication? Mail or in the comments Wrike. In my opinion, the beauty of Wrike and other similar services is non-synchronous. There was a time - you make out the situation and answered the question. Employee finished work - looking their Taxco. In this case, I do not disturb, not jerking when it is concentrated, not interrupting the work process.
How do you organize your time?
I have read many books on time management, but does not entirely follow any of the methods.
Formulated a rule for myself: at any given time has priority, it does.
Short-term and long-term plans, of course, there is. All that concerns us is recorded in Wrike as tasks. They may be specified or recorded in thesis. The orientation in time helps CrocoTime: convenient to analyze the speed of development and planning time for the next release, depending on the amount of work.
I believe that the leader must be able to delegate authority. After all, it can perform different roles in the company, depending on the situation. For example, the current situation demands that we completed the product as much as possible faster. All that we are doing now depends on the version 5.0. All our future plans for the development and sales depend on the next version. Therefore, I see the realization of the product the highest priority and do, in fact, exclusively to this task. However, after a week of work on the release will be almost completed, will not rush for development. You will be able to pass into the hands of the development of the project manager and to focus on the promotion of the European market, as this task is critical at the moment.
Another example: in early 2014, it was very important to start PR-promotion CrocoTime. Specialist in the state at that time was not. Therefore, I myself wrote an article for the site and external resources. When the first results, it ceased to be a critical task and the work on these issues, I delegated.
In other words, you must first establish a process to choose reliable people to work with them to make sure that everything is normal, continue to give these processes.
I believe that the company should always focus on the problem areas, and customize it to switch to the next.
What's your daily routine?
Tried different versions of the regime of the day. I worked from early morning (from eight to 17 hours), and from lunch until late evening. Also tried to divide the day into two parts: in the afternoon went for a swim in the pool, a couple of hours sleep, and then again returned to the office.
Now I work a standard working day, from 9:00 am or 9:30 am to 18-19 hours. I wake up around eight. In the nine already at work. Saransk - a small town, the way from home to the office if it takes me 7-10 minutes. The first hour of operation - the most calm, I get into a rhythm: assort mail (as said, all alerts problems come to the email), is engaged in planning, together with the project manager assigns tasks to team.
At 11 o'clock we have a corporate charge. The idea about six months ago offered to our PR-director, and it caught on.
According to the guys, they like it, as do a break and warm up useful for the organism. One of the programmers even pointed out that six months later charging him feel better reach your hands to the floor. :) Also, the collective charge - it is an opportunity to communicate with other departments (marketing specialists, sales-managers, even accounting). Finally, after charging performance marked rise (CrocoTime statistics confirm). People are less distracted. During the lessons are sometimes included Soviet record production gymnastics - a lot of fun, it is recommended. :)
Around noon, the food in the pool, then home for lunch. When fails, I try to sleep in the afternoon 30-40 minutes. Sleep is very beneficial effect on productivity, since my personal effectiveness does not depend on the time of day, and the state of health: get enough sleep or not, healthy or sick, involved in sports or not. I am always motivated to work. This is probably the feature of most entrepreneurs.
I leave from work at seven or eight in the evening.
What place sport occupies in your life?
I think the sport - the most important part of anyone's life. It helps to be more productive, better focus, increases the effectiveness of the thinking process.
My sport - it's running, and in the winter - skiing. But perhaps the most important and favorite activity - swimming. For me, this is the perfect sport. I go to the pool almost every day during the week and one weekend. Swimming is great "free" mind trains the main muscle groups and gives a charge of vivacity body. Especially in winter, when all miss the fly. Injuries are extremely rare, unlike in many other sports.
What's your hobby?
I, like many, love to travel. Best holiday for me - inspiring: different places, people, atmosphere. It is also very important to me on a trip to be alone. Usually, arriving in another country, I take a car and travel on their own. Usually, we go round a few cities and detained there as I want.
When you travel to new places, to overcome a lot of little difficulties created something like a resistance to change. Then go home, and the problems that you previously stopped, not allowed to start something new, are perceived differently, they are no longer seen as barriers.
I've got one more hobby - archery. Archery - is a common hobby with his father, with whom we rarely see each other. Therefore, a common passion is very important for us. We have a long-range bow and crossbow. But unfortunately, now it is not possible to give this as much time as before. In terms of benefits for the body archery developing arm muscles, strengthens the back, and the head should work: it is necessary to take into account the distance to the target, wind, flight trajectory.
Layfhakerstvo from Alexander Bochkin
Unfortunately, I have very little time remains on the books, but I try to read at least two or three pieces a month. Sometimes I pumped simultaneously two skills, reading in English. From the latter, that read, would recommend Scaling Up Harnish Verne (Verne Harnish), and Only the Paranoid Survive Andrew Grove (Andrew S. Grove). Scaling Up - cool book about the business, which collected a large number of techniques for managing the company. «Only the Paranoid Survive"I have recommended several friends. In the book, a lot of useful information on how to overcome the crisis times associated with both external economic factors, as well as with state regulation, market changes or internal the situation in the company. This is a hot topic now, when many companies are experiencing problems.
From the literature, I, like many entrepreneurs, advise "Atlas Shrugged"Ayn Rand (Ayn Rand). This is one of the most motivational books I read.
In addition, I like to watch movies, but interesting leaves very little. I like "The Pursuit of Happyness" with Will Smith. The picture shows that not everything happens just that in order to achieve something, you need to go through many difficulties.
What is your life motto?
I think I would put it like this:
In work and in life you should always try to start with the answer to the question: "How do you look at what is happening now, in six months?"
It helps me time to realize that I'm not busy with the tasks and the need to refocus. More answer to this question lets look at the problems that are now there, from another angle and realize that after a while they will no longer worry about me. Immediately it becomes easier to act and make decisions.