"In the highly competitive iGaming industry, you need to be able to adapt quickly and be confident in your decisions"

SOFTSWISS, a global tech company, recently celebrated its 15th anniversary in iGaming. In the second part of this exclusive series, Andrey Starovoitov, Co-CEO at SOFTSWISS, and Vitali Matsukevich, COO at SOFTSWISS, continue to share insights into the company's key milestones, challenges overcome, and the lessons learned that have turned the company into an industry leader.

Apart from the developing incredible team you paid tribute to in your previous interview, what else can be valued among successful cases in your career?

Andrey Starovoitov: Firstly, we should delve into the changes in the company that have significantly improved our efficiency. One such change is the introduction of analytics and analytical tools like PowerBI. When I started at SOFTSWISS in 2017–2018, spreadsheets were our primary analytics tool. It was quite challenging to navigate our client portfolio and key metrics such as Total bets, Bet count, GGR, breakdowns by currency, country, game provider, game group, and more.

The PowerBI introduction helped us get a comprehensive overview of our client portfolio and their performance. Leveraging in-depth analytics, we initiated targeted upselling strategies, focusing on key growth areas to drive additional revenue.

In 2019–2020, I initiated a transition to Jira. At that time, we decided to overhaul our service processes completely. Before Jira, all customer requests were handled by account managers, with tasks created in Youtrack based on Skype chats. Managers had to manually track deadlines and ping executors – the process was very time-consuming and lacked transparency.

About a month after transitioning to Jira, I created project rules, automation, SLA, and key metrics, which are still relevant today. This was a significant step towards improving our workflow, as we got clear SLAs, tracked metrics, and understood the quality of service we provide to our clients in solving daily issues.

Another important measure was the adoption of Similarweb – an effective tool for web analytics, web traffic, and digital performance. Due to its implementation, our Business Development manager acquired our first client from the cohort of so-called CryptoDice projects, Roobet. Similarweb played a key role in generating valuable leads, enabling us to secure major clients like Primedice (Stake), DRGN, Betfury, Blaze, and many LatAm clients (Betnacional - NSX, Bet7k, ApostaGanha).

To sum up, I'd like to emphasize that the desire for proper analysis and the willingness to make data-based decisions led to excellent results. We are particularly proud of how analytics is now used in all company departments: marketing, business development, operations, payments, software development, finance, and human resources. I’m proud to realize that small steps taken many years ago have set work standards throughout the company.

It is well-known that iGaming is a very dynamic environment and sometimes grand plans have to be adjusted. Have you had such cases in your career?

Andrey Starovoitov: One of the most recent cases involved entering the Latin American market, specifically Brazil. In 2021, SOFTSWISS decided to target this market for further development. We conducted thorough market research, compiled lists of potential clients, and assigned tasks among the company representatives – it seemed that an effective workflow had been set. The preliminary data was fantastic, and it promised to be a goldmine.

In practice, things turned out to be much more complex. We faced differences in mentality, market specifics, and the general impact of geographic distance, all of which influenced the accessibility of our potential clients. And it wasn’t until about a year later that we started seeing the first tangible results.

Currently, the Brazilian market is the second largest for our Game Aggregator, and Rubens Barrichello has become our Non-Executive Director in LatAm. However, for me, this was another lesson that success does not always happen quickly. It's important to be patient and solve problems along the way to achieve your goals.

Vitali, can you share a landmark successful case from your career?

Vitali Matsukevich: I would say the creation of our B2C team in 2017 stands out as one of the most successful ventures in my career. It all began with just one client and a small team of four support members. But what started as a focused effort quickly grew into something much bigger. 

Since then, we've not only grown the team but also increased our client base and launched a full-fledged service that has become a successful business line. Today, it's known as Managed Services, supporting around 170 brands. Now it unites six teams: Anti-Fraud, Retention, Reactivation, Content Management, First Line, and VIP Player Support.

The department not only provides comprehensive customer support but also actively promotes Responsible Gambling. Through the development of our innovative Risk Scoring Tool, which detects suspicious player activity with ML algorithms, our company was honored with a prestigious award for Responsible Gaming at the SiGMA Africa Awards.

What lessons did you learn from dealing with uncertainty, and what advice would you give to those looking to succeed in the iGaming business?

Vitali Matsukevich: Not many people like talking about their failures, and recalling a particularly outstanding case is difficult. However, any crisis situation reveals your true expertise and the capabilities of your team, expanding the boundaries of what's possible for you. What I can say for sure is that in the highly competitive iGaming industry, you need to be able to adapt quickly and be consistent and confident in your decisions.