‘You Feel That the Impossible Becomes Possible’
In November, an open talk with Tatyana Bakalchuk, the founder of Wildberries, took place at HSE University’s Cultural Centre. The topic of the meeting was ‘The Era of the Platform Economy: Opportunities and Prospects for Everyone.’ A thousand people gathered to listen to the speech—students, teachers, and staff not only from HSE University, but also from other universities, as well as representatives of the business community. The event was organised by the HSE Business Club.
Tatyana Bakalchuk has achieved impressive success. Starting with the idea of creating an online store, over time, she brought the business to a leading position in the Russian market. Today, the work of the Wildberries platform actively contributes to the development of small and medium-sized businesses both in Russia and in countries where the company has representative offices. Thanks to Wildberries, manufacturers gain access to an audience of 70 million people every day.
The open talk was launched by HSE University Rector Nikita Anisimov. ‘Tatiana Bakalchuk showed us what it means to be a real woman leader,’ he said. ‘She is also an amazingly bright and warm person. I sincerely believe that when such a professional opens her heart to the world, it makes our future better.’
Tatyana Bakalchuk began her speech by defining the concept of ‘platform economy’. ‘To put it simply, this is an economy that is based on a platform,’ she explained. ‘A platform is a unique thing that unites a certain number of participants and in which the greatest added value comes from technology.’
The development of online stores and marketplaces has become a frequently discussed issue in the economic environment, amid fears that they will soon displace regular stores. ‘In fact, this is not true,’ explained Tatyana Bakalchuk. ‘In no country in the world does the share of the online economy exceed 30% of the entire retail economy. Regarding marketplaces, it is correct to speak not about online stores and online commerce, but rather about the developing internet industry. Marketplaces occupy a significant place in it, but they are far from prevailing.’ The founder of Wildberries also expressed confidence that e-commerce is now an integral part of our lives, since gadgets and social networks are firmly entrenched in everyone’s daily routine.
‘Why do I believe the platform economy is the future?’ asked Tatyana Bakalchuk. ‘Because the distinctive feature of platforms is that a significant share of their benefit comes from technology development. It seems to me that some time will pass and we will get the economy we are striving for, which will bring only positive changes to people’s lives.’ The platform economy is based on the principles of balance, equilibrium, and transparency, she added. ‘The bonus is that there is less opportunity for fraud and you get a significant reduction in the cost of all services and products,’ she added.
What is more, the Wildberries founder noted, the platform economy presents a unique opportunity to earn money. In her opinion, entry into business becomes easy, fast, understandable, and more predictable in a positive way not only for professional entrepreneurs, but also for people with little experience or knowledge.
At the end of the meeting, the audience had a chance to ask questions. One of the participants asked what values exist within the Wildberries company. ‘We have many people who originally came as storekeepers or call centre operators, and now they have grown to become managers and top managers,’ answered the marketplace head. ‘I believe that the uniqueness of our company in terms of building a corporate culture is that it was created by people who have been working with us from the very beginning. We grew up together.’
Another participant asked about the key moment in the development of Wildberries. According to Tatyana Bakalchuk, this moment came in 2014. ‘The dollar exchange rate rose sharply then, and that hit us hard. Our partners began to ask for different conditions. That was not the most pleasant period in our lives. But as a result, we arrived at a new working process, and it gave us the required growth point,’ she said.
At the end of the meeting, Tatyana Bakalchuk urged young entrepreneurs to never give up. ‘Try to do something that you will never be ashamed of,’ she advised. ‘If you find a business that resonates in your heart and soul, even if at first glance it seems absurd, believe that you will succeed. The main thing is to feel that you like it and want to do it.’
The participants of the open talk shared their impressions with the HSE News Service.
Yulia Nesina, third-year student at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, has followed the HSE Business Club on VK since 2021. ‘I decided to come today because I am interested in Tatyana Bakalchuk’s life and career path. I wanted to hear about her achievements and business experience. Events like this make you feel that the impossible is possible; you gain self-confidence and motivation,’ says Yulia.
Her friend and classmate Laura Dzivaeva agrees. ‘I really respect the activities of the business club and of HSE University as a whole,’ she said. ‘I actively follow all university events and try to attend them as much as possible. I learn important information, which I then try to use in my life and put into practice.’
Nikita Lyapin, first-year student of the Applied Mathematics and Informatics programme at HSE University’s Faculty of Computer Science, came to the open talk because he wants to grow as an entrepreneur and start his own business in the future. ‘It has to be related to IT, but there are general principles in business,’ he says. ‘That’s exactly what I wanted to learn about at today’s open talk.’