Breaking Barriers in Tech: A Tech Startup Journey with Programmatic
Meeting Kalina Tonkovska, founder and CEO of Programmatic, was such a joy.
She’s an incredibly impressive woman with a track record of taking risks and pursuing her passion, to build great businesses.
In this episode we explore the ups and downs of startup life, the importance of focusing on quality, and how to stay resilient through pivots, challenges, and growth. Kalina opens up about her entrepreneurial journey, what she’s learned from building multiple startups, and her advice to aspiring entrepreneurs, especially for women looking to break into the tech world.
🎧 Listen to the Podcast
Available on Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.
From Problem to Product: How Programmatic Was Born
Kalina’s journey to building Programmatic, began two years ago while working as a software consultant. She noticed a recurring challenge for large companies, they were struggling to managing contracts, especially during the pandemic when dynamic clauses and compliance were ever-changing. After helping clients manage contract processes effectively, she realised there was an opportunity for a scalable solution.
Programmatic was born from this need, a platform that automates what happens after a document is signed. “Think of it like DocuSign,” Kalina explains, “but for everything that comes next.” Driven by the desire to create a high-value solution, the team dedicated an entire year to research and development before bringing their minimum viable product (MVP) to market.
Pivoting to Find the Right Customer
Finding the right customer wasn’t straightforward. Initially, Programmatic targeted medium-to-large enterprises dealing with complex operations. However, selling an MVP to large companies proved challenging, leading to a pivot toward smaller businesses.
But as Kalina quickly learned, smaller companies didn’t face the same operational pains and weren’t as interested in standardising processes. “Every day is a new way of doing things for smaller teams,” she says. Eventually, Programmatic returned to its original focus: medium to large enterprises that truly need process automation to handle heavy operational workloads.
Lessons in Leadership: Quality Over Speed
Kalina’s previous startup experiences taught her many lessons, but one stands out above the rest: never compromise on quality. Whilst many entrepreneurs are advised to ship fast and iterate later, Kalina emphasises the importance of delivering a product people genuinely love. “People pay for quality,” she says. “Rushing out an imperfect product can do more harm than good.”
Despite downsizing from a team of 10 to just 5, Programmatic has become more productive, more refined. Fewer people meant sharper focus and faster delivery cycles, sometimes shipping new features daily instead of biweekly. “Less really is more,” Kalina reflects.
“Never compromise on quality”
Values That Drive Success
Programmatic’s core values:
Keep it Simple
Be Resourceful
Take Risks
Keep It Simple: To avoid overengineering, the team focused on delivering straightforward solutions that meet real customer needs without unnecessary complexity.
Be Resourceful: With limited funding and a lean team, creativity was essential. From scrappy marketing to fast-tracking development, resourcefulness became a key survival skill.
Take Risks: Moving from a project-based mindset to a product-focused approach meant stepping into the unknown. The team embraced “Greenfield” weeks, time dedicated to developing out-of-the-box ideas under tight deadlines. “Some of our best features came from these sprints,” Kalina shares.
Breaking Barriers: Being a Young Female CEO in Tech
The journey hasn’t been without its challenges. Kalina openly discusses the hurdles of being a young woman in a male-dominated industry. With women receiving just 2% of global venture capital funding, bias is still prevalent. “I’ve faced both sexism and ageism,” she says. “But you can’t let that define you.”
Kalina credits her resilience to her mother, a strong corporate leader, and emphasises the importance of having a support system. “Even if you don’t have a personal network, there are so many communities out there willing to help,” she encourages.
Looking Ahead: What’s Next for Programmatic?
Programmatic’s vision is clear: revolutionise how companies handle operations after contract signing. “Operations are broken in most companies,” Kalina says. “We’re building the first autonomous operations platform, one that handles workflows from contract to project completion seamlessly.”
With big plans for the next five years, expanding into the U.S. market with both sales and funding initiatives, Kalina is determined to transform how businesses manage their internal processes.
Kalina’s advice to women considering the entrepreneurial leap is simple: “Just do it.”
“You’ll doubt yourself,” she says, “but the key is consistency, quality, and long-term vision. Just be a little better every day, and you’ll get there.”
🎧 Listen to the Podcast
Available on Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.
Learn more about Kalina Tonkovska and Programmatic.
