Yotewo™ Podcast #9 Technology with Taste – Mikael Saakyan & Valeriia Volkova (Rattlesnake Group)

In this episode, Yotewo CEO Aliaksandr Kazhamiakin sits down with Mikael Saakyan and Valeriia Volkova, the duo behind Rattlesnake — a creative tech studio helping startups and scaleups bring bold, original digital products to life. They talk candidly about breaking into the creative tech scene, navigating weird client requests, making tough hiring calls, and why sometimes the smartest move is to say “no.”

Highlights from the Episode

• The origin story of Rattlesnake
• Facing competition: fears and mindset shifts
• Breaking into the industry with an unconventional path
• How non-tech experiences shaped the studio’s creative vision
• What kinds of clients and projects excite them most
• The weirdest client request they’ve ever received
• How Rattlesnake approaches tough hiring in creative tech
• Knowing when to say “no” to a client — and sticking with it
• Surviving the hardest early days of the studio
• Bootstrapping vs fundraising: what they learned
• How AI is changing the digital studio model
• Why London remains a magnetic hub for founders and creatives
• What’s next for Rattlesnake
• A crash course on startup marketing from Mikael

Listeners can access the full episode on Yotewo’s official Youtube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts channels.

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