Entrepreneurship

Role

Co-Founder | Business Developer & Project Manager
Challenge
2008 — Global Financial Crisis
- Companies were cutting advertising budgets en masse.
- Market competition intensified: clients shifted to agencies offering lower rates.
- The market demanded flexibility, rapid adaptation, and innovative advertising formats.
Solution
Launch of MediaLab Advertising Agency (Full-Cycle) — 2008
- Built from scratch during a financial crisis.
- Flexible project structure: engaged specialists per project, optimized permanent staff costs.
- Active business development: client acquisition via tenders and cold outreach.
- Creative project production: collaborated with leading agencies and media platforms.
Results
- Participated in 10 tenders over 2 years.
- Served 5 mid-sized clients for one-off projects (website development, design, promotional materials).
- Collaborative project with BBDO agency and Sostav website — video version of the course “The Toothy Copywriter.”
- Outcome: after 2 years, the agency closed with a deficit of approximately 500,000 rubles.
Key takeaways

A mistimed pivot — and you’re bankrupt!)