She’s building a no-code CRM and workflow automation empire

Katherine Kostereva has emerged as a force to be reckoned with in the competitive world of enterprise software. Her company Creatio provides a generative AI and no-code platform for workflow automation and CRM solutions, allowing companies to build custom solutions without writing a single line of code. But Creatio’s path to success wasn’t easy. Ms. Kosteleva has been self-starting the company for six years, overcoming constant challenges while relentlessly pursuing product-market fit.

Her resilience and perseverance, combined with her relentless focus on customer needs, helped drive Creatio’s valuation to $1.2 billion and solidify its position as a leader in the no-code revolution. Recognized by Gartner and Forrester for providing research and market analysis to technology, business, and IT decision makers. The global market size in 2024 is $25.22 billion for workflow automation and $101.41 billion for CRM.

CRM and workflow automation, no coding required

Creatio’s competitive advantage lies in its unwavering focus on “time to value.” This effort has been translated into a platform that allows companies to quickly and easily implement automation and CRM solutions and see tangible benefits within months, distinct from the lengthy schedules often associated with traditional software development. In contrast to No-code platforms enable non-technical users to build and deploy custom technology tools to meet business needs. This agility is paramount in today’s dynamic business environment, where adaptability and rapid response to change are critical to success.

Creatio’s evolution was marked by strategic changes in its target market. Initially, it catered to the needs of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). Over time, the company changed its market focus to encompass large companies, including Fortune 500 industry giants. As the company expanded, it built deep expertise in serving the financial services sector. Creatio has made great strides in serving banks, credit unions, and insurance companies. These institutions require a delicate balance between robust security and compliance capabilities and the ability to quickly adapt to market conditions. The company’s no-code automation and CRM platform effectively addresses this challenge.

“Creatio has helped us grow our deal size by 60% in five years,” said Jim Slomka, CRO at customer BSN Sports. “The platform helped us structure all sales processes and lead a company-wide transformation of our revenue function. BSN Sports achieved 100% user adoption with Creatio, using only 3 people Managed a 2,600 user deployment with a team of

Part of Creatio’s success can be attributed to its strategic approach to growth. Despite attracting investor interest from the beginning, Kosteleva chose to run the company herself for the first six years. This decision was born out of a desire to maintain control over the company’s trajectory, thoroughly validate the business model, and ensure strong product-market fit before seeking external funding.

“It took us some time to understand exactly what the product-market fit was and the types of organizations that needed our technology,” Kostereva explained.

This bootstrapping approach was successful and laid a solid foundation for future growth. Creatio ultimately raised $68 million four years ago and another $200 million in June 2024, increasing its valuation to $1.2 billion.

“We couldn’t be more impressed with the company’s growth and the impact Creatio’s platform is having on our customer community,” said Sean Cantwell, managing partner at Volition Capital and an investor in Creatio. “Creatio addresses the complexity and inflexibility of traditional software vendors, enabling organizations to seamlessly replace legacy technology and delivering market-leading ROI.”

Bootstrapping CRM and Workflow Automation Platforms

Her decision to start on her own led to what Kostereva calls the most difficult period in Creatio’s journey. Bootstrapping meant operating with limited resources and relying on profits to fuel development. This required a huge amount of discipline, frugality, and a relentless focus on delivering value to early adopters. Kostelyova has had to make difficult decisions, often with incomplete information, and has had to learn from every setback.

“It took us some time to understand exactly what the product-market fit was and the types of organizations that needed our technology,” Kostereva explained.

This phase included countless trials and errors as we navigated a landscape where no-code workflow automation and CRM were still nascent concepts. The challenge was to build a powerful platform that allows companies to build custom solutions and identify the specific needs and pain points of their ideal customers without any coding.

This period required resilience and a deep belief in the company’s mission. Kostelyova has had to endure doubts, setbacks and constant temptations to take the easier route of external funding. It tested her leadership, vision, and commitment to building a sustainable business that has the potential to transform how companies operate.

Ultimately, this bootstrapping phase formed a strong foundation for Creatio. This has instilled a culture of resourcefulness, customer centricity, and a deep understanding of market needs.

CRM and Workflow Automation: Overcoming the Challenges

Building enterprise-grade software without code sounds great, but ensuring secure, efficient, and adaptive operations across complex organizational environments requires robust security and You need privacy, scalability, reliability, compliance with industry regulations, seamless integration capabilities, and advanced user access controls. . Kostelyova understands this all too well.

In the dynamic world of entrepreneurship, such challenges are not just obstacles, they are the essence of the journey. “In reality, I feel that at least nine out of 10 things that happen in a day are bad news. Only one is good news,” Kostereva recalled.

Entrepreneurs face constant challenges, from human resources issues to customer demands, and require unwavering grit and determination. Kostereva’s ability to persevere through these challenges, fueled by her mission to provide no-code solutions to organizations around the world, contributed to Creatio’s success.

Immigrant entrepreneurs like Kostereva are often resilient, adaptable, and determined due to their experience in overcoming the challenges of settling in a new country and building a life from scratch. She is from Ukraine. These qualities, combined with a strong work ethic and drive to succeed, greatly contribute to your success as an entrepreneur.

How have your life experiences helped you build your business?