Employee Success Story: The Journey from Support Team Member to Growth Hacker

Our devoted growth hacker Suren joined Ucraft in 2019 as a night shift support specialist. Now, Suren is one of the most active employees in the company; not only is he busy with his tasks, but he also goes out of his way to help others too. 

For this week’s success story interview, we sat down with Suren and asked him to tell us all about his journey at Ucraft: how he paved his way from support specialist to growth hacker, what challenges he faced, how he adapted to changing teams, and more.

1. Let’s start from the beginning. Tell us how you joined Ucraft’s customer support team?

   It all started in 2019. I had just returned from the army and was trying to return to my everyday life. Finding work was the first priority on my list, but I couldn’t even imagine that Ucraft would become such a big part of my life. 
   
   My first interview was with Lena. She introduced me to the company and the team; it was the first time I thought, “hell, I want to work in this team.” Oftentimes, other people's decisions affect our fate more than our own decisions. And so, thanks, Len jan, for trusting me and letting me join the Ucraft family. Thank you for all your support as a team lead and friend. And yeah, formally, I'm not in the CS team anymore, but I still have a lot of love for everyone there.
    

2. How would you describe your experience at the customer support team? Tell us some cases you’ve had, for instance, with frustrated users.

   As I previously mentioned, I started out working night shifts because it was the only way I could work while still attending college. 
   
   The best part of the work process was seeing the end result of my efforts - happy customers (even if they sometimes called me Susan).
   
   There were many cases with frustrated users during specific periods, such as the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and during the migration to Ucraft v2 (note: v3 is coming soon, sorry support team). But I will never forget one customer. Picture this: it’s 4 am, I’m on my first official night shift, and a 60-year-old Christian man is trying to create a website to represent his beliefs. Let’s just say his use of the F word was unexpectedly frequent for a man of his faith.
    

3. You’ve changed positions from customer support specialist to growth hacker. What were some challenges you faced when switching to the marketing team?
   Remember the part about others’ decisions affecting you? This is the continuation.
   
   I worked as a support specialist for a year, and I knew the builder from A to Z. Although I became pretty good at my job, I soon realized that I had reached the ceiling as a support specialist.
   
    

   
   I knew that I could use my skills and knowledge more efficiently, and our CMO, Ines, gave me that opportunity by asking me to join her team. 
   
   It was quite difficult initially because real marketing is quite different from what you study at university. I know I made some mistakes in the beginning, but the team was always there for me. They helped me, guided me, taught me. Thanks, guys, for everything - especially for your patience.
    

4. We know that you’re a real family man…you have seven dogs! How do you manage to work and take care of those seven beautiful creatures?
   I’m sorry, but your info is a bit outdated. I have ten of them at the moment.
   I noticed that I am the most productive when I work surrounded by my dogs. Ucraft definitely should consider becoming pet-friendly.
   
    
    

5. How do you define success as a UC marketer? What qualities can make a person successful at Ucraft?
   Well, I could give you a list of required qualifications, but our HR team will do it better.
   
   Understanding the market, your clients, and your product is very important, but what is even more important for me is the ability to be a part of a team.
    

6. We also know that you’re the unqualified “psychologist” of the marketing team. Where did that nickname come from?
   I don’t know how it started. I could say that to be a good marketer, you should understand the psychology and other marketing-related aspects, etc., but that’s not the case. The true answer is straightforward: I love my team and want to make sure that I can support them whenever I can (I guess it comes from literally working for the support team too). And you know what? They do the same for me.
    

7. If you could master any sport overnight, what would the sport be?
   Quidditch, of course. I have always dreamed of flying on a broomstick.
    

8. As per tradition - share a fun fact about you that nobody knows!
   I love mythology and especially the parts connected to witchcraft. Actually, my doggo’s name is Wanda, the Scarlet Witch from the Marvel universe.
   I’m thinking of opening a shop with witchcraft items, crystals, herbs, and other cool stuff. Only white magic at least until midnight!