Julia Pysmenna, founder of Taker | Maker, a web-service of high-quality content creators that offers on-demand content creation, is talking to a startup business magazine Best Startup about the essence of the platform, its core values and current challenges, the inspiration and the magic sauce behind the business.
A quick introduction about what your company does/your values/mission.
Taker | Maker is a web-service of high-quality content creators. We are offering content creation on demand. We help founders and marketers in creative and tech industries to find and choose talents, who accurately solve their content tasks. Our mission is to help Ukrainian talents to contact international clients seamlessly and promote Ukraine as a hub of creative talents. Our core values are creativity, high-quality, trust. Our approach is being friendly, personal & non-pushy.
Tell us about yourself?
Since the age of 14, my life has been associated with the creative and media industries. I started my career as a journalist in a print teen paper and continued as a PR manager and a marketer, which gave me an opportunity to find out the business requirements of my profession in practice.
Over the past 20 years, I have worked with both content creators and their clients in industries such as beauty, fashion, advertising, PR, marketing, media. I conducted marketing researches, worked on annual strategies and budgets, organized advertising campaigns and grand events.
My multifunctional experience allows me to identify the essence of any brief and provide a business with a right talent, who successfully delivers its creative project.
If you could go back in time a year or two, what piece of advice would you give yourself?
Choose your partner wisely. Avoid those who offer you to try to do business together without any obligation.
What problem does your business solve?
On the one hand, 44% of marketers suggest content creation as the biggest challenge. They dream of creating content in the most effective way. It means not spending on pre-production process too much time and effort.
On the other hand, 70% of content creators are stressed by the process of getting new clients and negotiating the terms and conditions with them. They dream of an affordable agent who will be responsible for that kind of stuff. So, they can focus on the creative part of work. So, we are the people who truly understand the needs of both clients and creators.
We provide a web service that not only helps clients to find and select high-quality content creators, who fit perfectly their business and content tasks, but also we find clients, check their reliability and negotiate all details of the collaboration on behalf of and instead of creators.
What is the inspiration behind your business?
When I was a marketer, to find a content creator was a real challenge. I needed quality content within my deadline and budget. I asked recommendations and contacts on Facebook or among my colleagues and friends. It took a lot of time and effort.
So, I decided to launch a web service with curated portfolios of content creators to help founders, marketing, content, pr managers find easily creative talents who create efficient content and promote their business.
Speaking to our first customers, we have found out that both marketers and founders:
Don’t know how to create content on their own;
Don’t have huge budgets for content production;
Don’t have time for ideation and creation.
Speaking to our first content creators, we have discovered that they:
Don’t have a constant source of clients;
Feel uncomfortable to sell their portfolio to clients directly;
Don’t want to spend a lot of time on negotiations, briefing, agreement of conditions etc.
Such issues are inspiring my team to find and deliver the best relevant solution for them. Long story short, we are inspired by people, their needs and talents. Taker | Maker is all about the business of people.
What is your magic sauce?
We are people who truly understand the needs of both clients and creators. A ‘one size fits all’ service is not our approach. Instead, we tailor our service to meet the needs of each individual.
We are matching the right talents to the right projects, brands, companies. And the most important feature, our content creators are brave Ukrainians! So, just tell us what you need – and we’ll do the rest!
What is the plan for the next 5 years? What do you want to achieve?
We have 2 long-term goals. The first one is to become the Company №1 in Ukraine that promotes local creative talents in Europe. The second one is to form the image of Ukraine as a hub of creative talents.
What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced so far?
Actually, the most challenging for me is to find a technician co-founder. As a solo founder, I almost don’t have any chance to get a grant, attract investment or get into an accelerator.
How do people get involved/buy into your vision?
Currently, we are looking for new freelance projects for the residents of Taker | Maker in UK. I am sure our talents will be valuable for creative and tech companies and their clients there. All of our creators are hand-picked and verified by content experts.
So, we can select the relevant one to your business and content task in 24 hours. Just share your needs – and we’ll definitely find the right creator for your business and content task! You can brief us there https://bit.ly/3etxczX
Be brave like Ukrainians! Glory to Ukraine!