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Our Story

We've been on
both sides
of the build.

Duck Agency was born from operational pain. Not from a developer's desk, but from the trenches of running a growing team with broken tools.

From 80 people
in spreadsheets
to building the
systems that
replace them.

Before Duck Agency, Ruslan ran an 80-person customer care department at a fast-growing e-commerce startup in Ukraine. Five employees grew to 80 in 18 months. KPIs, scheduling, quality assurance, reporting — everything manual.

The development team couldn't help for a year. So Ruslan built the automation himself using Airtable. Within months, the management team had 50% more time for strategic decisions instead of firefighting.

That's when the realization hit: he understood operations problems because he'd lived them. Not studied them from a developer's chair. Duck Agency was built on that dual perspective.

2018 – 2021

Operations Leader

Running 80-person department at a fast-growing e-commerce startup. Facing the same chaos clients face today. Building the first automations out of necessity.

2021 – 2023

First Clients

Companies started asking Ruslan to build the same systems for them. First client was a hostel chain and recruitment company in Czech Republic who asked him to relocate.

2024

Duck Agency Founded

Formalized the agency. Focused exclusively on operational systems and automation. Stopped taking website projects. The focus changed everything.

2024 – Now

30+ Systems Delivered

Projects across manufacturing, engineering, e-commerce, logistics, staffing, hospitality, and corporate travel. Clients in US, Czech Republic, Ukraine, Germany, and across Europe.

Why Duck Agency

What makes us
different

◆

Both Sides of the Build

We've been the stakeholder, not just the developer. We've sat in the meetings. We know what it's like when the spreadsheet breaks on Monday morning.

◆

Business First, Tech Second

We don't ask "which API to connect." We ask "walk me through what happens when a new order comes in." The tech follows the understanding.

◆

4 Weeks to First Version

Not a mockup. A working system your team can start using. Then we iterate based on real feedback, not assumptions.

◆

Lead + Backup on Every Project

Every project has a lead developer and a backup. If someone's on holiday or sick, nothing breaks. Your business doesn't stop because our team has a day off.

◆

Systems People Actually Use

We build interfaces that feel familiar. Same visual layout teams are used to. Automations run in the background. Teams barely notice the switch.

◆

International Operations

Clients in the US, Europe, and Ukraine. We understand cross-border complexity, multilingual teams, and different business cultures.

Comparison

Off-the-shelf vs
custom-built

Not every business needs a custom system. But if you've tried off-the-shelf and it didn't work, here's why.

Off-the-Shelf CRM Duck Agency Custom System
Rigid structure, you adapt to the tool Built around how your business actually works
200 features, team uses 10 Only the features your team needs, nothing extra
6-12 months to "customize" First working version in 4 weeks
Team stops using it after 3 months Designed to feel familiar, team adopts naturally
$50-200/user/month forever One-time build + affordable retainer
Support tickets, 48-hour responses Dedicated team, same-day critical fixes
Can't connect everything you need Connects to any tool via API or automation
Vendor controls your data and roadmap You own your system, no vendor lock-in
How We Work

What we believe in

→

Understand Before Building

Every system starts with watching how the business actually runs. Not assumptions. Not requirements docs. Real observation.

→

Progress Over Perfection

Ship fast, iterate based on feedback. A working system in 4 weeks beats a perfect system in 6 months that nobody uses.

→

No Vendor Lock-In

Open platforms. Your data, your system. We build it to last and to work without us if you ever need that. But you probably won't.

Let's build something
that works.

Book a free discovery call. We'll figure out if we're the right fit for each other.

Book a Free Call