Inside NERDZ LAB: A Conversation with Volodymyr Khmil, CEO & Co-Founder at NERDZ LAB

Today, we are excited to feature Volodymyr Khmil, CEO & Co-Founder of NERDZ LAB, a technology leader who turned a student-era idea into a fast-growing international software development company.

With offices in Lviv and Tallinn, NERDZ LAB has evolved into a team of 80+ specialists helping startups and growing businesses transform bold concepts into scalable digital products.

Hello Volodymyr! Good to have you today with us! To set the mood, please tell us a little about yourself.

Thank you for having me, it’s a real pleasure.

I was born and raised in Lviv, and it has been home throughout my life. My childhood included several moves and a few different schools, but the most defining stop was the Lviv Physics and Mathematics Lyceum, one of the top academic institutions in Ukraine for many years. That place shaped how I think: analytical mindset, problem-solving confidence, and lifelong friendships with incredibly talented people.

I later joined Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, majoring in Applied Mathematics and Computer Science. Starting from my second year, I was already working full-time as a developer, and I was too excited to wait. I began in C++, but quickly shifted into mobile engineering because I wanted to build things fast, iterate fast, and feel the impact fast.

Eventually, that passion for creating things took over, and it led me to entrepreneurship.

Your journey from student to CEO is inspiring. What motivated you to start NERDZ LAB back in 2017, and when did you realize it could become a global company, not just a local development team?

It really started back in high school, my twin brother, Vasyl, and I always dreamed of building something of our own. We didn’t overthink it, we didn’t make huge plans. We simply told ourselves: Let’s create something great and see how far we can go.

Of course, the road was filled with bottlenecks we couldn’t have predicted. But each one made us smarter, stronger, and more convinced that we could build not just a company, but a global partner for ambitious founders.

That belief never changed.

NERDZ LAB follows a Scandinavian management philosophy. What drew you to this approach, and how has it shaped your culture, daily work environment, and the way you collaborate with clients and deliver projects?

We spent years observing how IT outsourcing companies treated people, and we knew we could do better.

Developers are the core value of this business, yet so often their experience is overlooked. We wanted to flip the script and build a People-First organization where talent feels respected, trusted, and empowered.

Our model is simple:

• flat structure instead of rigid hierarchy
• strong work-life balance
• competitive compensation and benefits
• very low bureaucracy and turnover

We have tightened our processes in recent years, and growth demands structure. But we stay true to the essence: human-centered collaboration creates high-quality delivery and happy clients. Always.

What made Tallinn, Estonia, and Lviv, Ukraine, the right locations for NERDZ LAB, and how does this setup help you collaborate with clients and strengthen your product- and startup-focused approach?

Lviv is the heart of my story, and one of Ukraine’s strongest IT hubs, known for top-tier engineering talent and proximity to European clients.

Estonia came into play later when a major partner required a local engineering presence there. It felt like the perfect moment to expand, and Tallinn, with its digital-first ecosystem and startup mindset, aligned beautifully with our strategy.

This dual presence allows us to support EU businesses more closely, while preserving the cultural and technical strengths of Ukrainian engineering.

Today, your team has grown to over 80 specialists. In an industry where talent retention is a major challenge, what drives loyalty inside NERDZ LAB, and how do you support continuous learning and innovation within the team?

People stay when they feel seen, supported, and challenged.

We invest heavily in:

• continuous learning and growth
• modern technologies and product exposure
• leadership opportunities without bureaucracy

Our culture is built on trust. When you give smart people space to innovate, they stay, they thrive, and they bring others with them.

From your experience working closely with startups, what are the key ingredients for turning an idea into a market-ready product, and what common mistakes do founders make when building an MVP — and how can they avoid them?

Focus.

Founders often try to solve ten problems at once and end up solving none. A strong MVP does one thing right for one specific user group.

Other common traps:

• burning the entire budget before launch
• obsessing over minor features no one cares about
• ignoring experienced advice

We’ve completed over 300 projects, and patterns are clear. Listen to real users, prioritize feedback over assumptions, and let the product evolve step by step.

For more insights, take a look at the 8 startup tips shared by our CTO.

As we enter the 2025 TechBehemoths Awards voting phase, your company has already earned this recognition four years in a row. What does this consistent achievement mean for your journey, and what qualities do you believe helped you build the trust needed to reach this milestone year after year?

It reflects trust and a delivery model that truly works.

Alongside developers, every client team gets a Delivery Manager, part CTO, part business partner, part firefighter, part best friend. This role bridges technology, strategy, and communication, preventing misunderstandings and making decision-making fast and effortless.

Clients know we have their back, and that peace of mind is priceless.

What is your long-term vision for NERDZ LAB, and how do you see the next generation of software development companies evolving in the years ahead?

The future is being rewritten by AI, and that’s both exciting and unpredictable.

We are staying agile: continuously monitoring emerging tech and ready to pivot quickly. At the same time, we are building our own intellectual property based on years of product delivery experience.

Our goal is to contribute not only as a service partner but as a product innovator, shaping the next generation of digital solutions.

Quick-Fire Round

A city that always inspires you:

• London — a perfect fusion of creativity and business energy.

A book or podcast for every founder:

• The Lean Startup and the CEO Dialog podcast. “MBA in 10 Days” is also a great condensed business knowledge boost.

One tool you can’t live without:

• My calendar, and AI copilots like ChatGPT or Gemini.

A guilty pleasure during busy weeks:

• Video games. They help me switch off and recharge.

Finish the Sentence

Success, to me, means…

Being uniquely recognized for excellence in something that truly matters.

The best ideas come when…

You deeply understand a problem and finally see the path to solve it.

If I could go back 10 years, I would tell myself…

Build a product startup, not an outsourcing company. Dream even bigger, even earlier.

Finally, what advice would you share with entrepreneurs launching their first tech product?

Just start. But be prepared: this path demands time, resilience, and a lot of patience. If you stay committed and keep learning, progress will follow.

Thank you, Volodymyr, for this inspiring conversation!

Thank you, I’m energized every time I get to share our story. I hope it motivates others to build bravely and create places where both people and ideas can thrive.

NERDZ LAB is one of the leading companies on TechBehemoths. If you like this interview and think that Volodymyr and his team can help your business, don't hesitate to contact them via TechBehemoths or discover the agency on social media: LI