The story of SupportYourApp started in October 2010 — back when Instagram didn’t exist yet, TikTok was just a Ke$ha’s song, Facebook still felt fresh and exciting, and everyone was checking in on Foursquare. Behind that first chapter was Daria Leshchenko, who spent her days as a student and her nights as a support consultant. Fast-forward 15 years, and Daria, now our CEO and Managing Partner, has grown our company into a leader in customer support, with over 2,000 team members and 250 clients across industries.
For the first time in the company’s history, Daria was invited to answer questions about her personal life, career, and SupportYourApp.
She’s shared her thoughts on whether AI will replace support consultants, talked about her taste in music, and what her career in an alternative universe would look like. Let’s dive in!
Company Questions
Q: What makes you most proud about SupportYourApp?
A: What makes me most proud is that we’ve changed people’s perception of customer support. Before SupportYourApp, call centers were seen as depressing, boring cubicles. We did for customer support what Cirque du Soleil did for the circus or Uber did for taxis — reshaped the industry’s image.
With experienced consultants, modern offices filled with murals, and quality equipment, we showed that customer support can be innovative, inspiring, and “sexy”.
Q: Which year was the most impactful for the company and for you as a CEO?
A: Every year is important, but 2016 stood out. That’s when the company grew from 50 to 300 people. Before that, SupportYourApp struggled with clients and profitability, and I often thought about firing myself. I told myself every month, ‘This is the last month,’ but somehow kept moving forward and growing.
In 2016, it became clear there was market demand, we had a strong team, and I belonged in this role. It was the turning point that proved we could grow, thrive, and build the company for the long run.
Q: Do you think AI will eventually take people’s jobs in customer support and other roles?
A: The short answer is yes. And the long answer is also yes! (Unless you turn AI into your ally, of course.) If you’re in support and not using AI, you’ll get replaced. But if you embrace AI in customer support, it’ll make you more competitive and efficient, and you’ll stay valuable. Many entry-level support roles are already disappearing. That’s why people should be like Swiss knives — adaptable, quick learners, and ready to apply the right skill at the right moment.
Q: What is your biggest wish for the company in the next 15 years?
A: My biggest wish would be that SupportYourApp continues to grow steadily year to year, shaping support standards and shifting the industry. We’re already a role model that others try to copy, and I want us to remain a leader.
Q: What’s one value you want the company never to lose, no matter how much we scale and transform?
A: Respect. No matter how much we grow, our clients, teammates, me — we all should feel that our time, work, and ideas are valued. Respect is the foundation of our culture and something we work to keep present in every interaction. In a company of our scale, with so many people and situations we face daily, it isn’t simple to maintain it, but building and protecting a culture of mutual respect is what defines us.
Q: Is there a tradition or an ‘inside joke’ we have at SupportYourApp you wish we’d keep for another 15 years?
A: Bring up a hyphen or dash, and teammates who’ve been at SupportYourApp for years will instantly think of me. In the beginning, I was extremely focused on polishing everything: how our website looked, how we communicated with clients and candidates. For years, I corrected every single misuse of a hyphen instead of a dash — no matter who wrote it: a manager, consultant, or a teammate. It became a company-wide joke.
There were cases when a person rewrote a project email five times using different phrasing, and in the end it turned out the only problem was… yes, a hyphen instead of a dash. Some of our Windows users had it even harder — they literally kept a separate .txt file just to copy the dash from.
Looking back, it’s funny. And today it’s part of our shared culture and a reminder that the devil is in the details. Details matter.
Career Questions
Q: What’s one time management habit you’ve adopted that significantly impacted your effectiveness as a CEO?
A: I don’t believe in time management. ‘Time is relative,’ — as Einstein said. You can’t manage time, but you can manage yourself within it. So, I believe in self-management rather than time management.
What I usually do is set a timer for eight minutes, say, to work on my emails. After eight minutes, I switch to another mailbox. Since I’m running different projects, I manage multiple mailboxes, and this way, each one gets attention. Even when I want to focus on a single project, I still set that timer.
At home, I use the same approach for personal tasks like cooking or cleaning. I break them into eight-minute blocks. For example, eight minutes of cleaning, eight minutes for my personal inbox, eight minutes of cooking. Then I repeat the cycle.
This timeboxing technique helps me feel like I’m moving forward in different areas every day, even if just in small steps. It matches my multitasking style and works well for me. I know it may not be for everyone, but I enjoy it and find it effective.
Q: What advice would you give your 20-year-old self with regard to career, love, and marriage?
A: I would say: ‘This too shall pass,’ as king Solomon said. Everything is temporary. If I had understood that 20 years ago, some things would’ve been easier for me.
In my career, nothing is constant. You are constantly changing. Or, if you’re standing still, something still changes around you. The same applies to opportunities, emotions, marriage, and personal life. Nothing stays the same, whether it’s a person or a feeling. Some feelings become stronger, others fade, and relationships also change.
That’s why it’s important to appreciate the good things when you have them. This quote reminds me not to get too excited about successes, as they’ll pass. And when things are difficult, you just have to remember that those moments will pass, too.
Q: What is the most non-business skill or hobby that has unexpectedly made you better at being a CEO?
A: Playing squash. Physical activity has helped me, whether it was running in the past or squash now. Running cleared my mind and helped me reflect on challenges.
Squash, on the other hand, trains quick reactions. The ball moves so fast that you have a millisecond to predict its path, and only experience will help you do that. It’s also interesting in terms of creating a strategy. You observe your opponent’s strengths and weaknesses, much like in business, and adapt your actions. So, I think reflecting on the game helps me use some of its techniques in real life as well.
Q: What does your inbox look like in the morning, and how do you avoid spending the whole day on it?
A: I use filters and labels, so my inbox isn’t overwhelming in the morning. Some messages are automatically marked as read, others go into specific folders. Only critical emails remain in my main inbox.
Another trick: instead of adding my primary email to all email groups, I use a secondary one. That way, if I want to check what’s going on in different departmental inboxes like CV, Security, or Marketing, I just go to that secondary account.
Q: What has been the greatest piece of advice you’ve ever received?
A: The greatest piece of advice would be that the world is too complex to figure out all the answers by yourself. If you have a question, ask others — mentors, partners, managers, friends. You don’t need to solve everything alone.
Q: What helped you take the first step and gave you confidence in the beginning of your journey? How do you cope with taking risks?
A: In the beginning, I didn’t have much choice. I had to try, so I took that first step. I prefer trying and possibly regretting it later, rather than regretting not trying. I wasn’t confident in my skills back then. I just acted instead of overthinking. Confidence came later.
And as for coping with risks, I believe that risk is worthwhile when you have a great team to share it with. From the start, I focused on building such a team, and now I’m confident we can handle challenges together and turn risks into opportunities.
Q: Can you share how you manage to remember so much without feeling overwhelmed?
A: There is a saying: “A short pencil is better than a long memory.” I write things down, so I don’t forget them.
Q: In an alternative universe, if you weren’t a CEO, what career would you pursue?
A: I’d still be a manager, working with people. Most likely in sales or HR, since communication is my strongest skill.
But if I didn’t need money, I’d run a small coffee shop. I’d make coffee and tea, sell cookies, and communicate with customers. Maybe one day, in retirement, I’ll open a coffee shop.
Personal Questions
Q: Can you share your favorites with us?
A: Favorite movies: Cloud Atlas and The Fifth Element.
Favorite comfort food: Buckwheat, eggs, salad, avocado — I eat food like this daily.
Favorite music: I’m into trance, club, and alternative music, and I have a soft spot for the ’90s and 2000s. Picking a single favorite song or artist is tough for me, because my playlist can jump from Hans Zimmer and Abel Korzeniowski to Eminem and Rufus Du Sol.
Favorite travel location: Japan.
Favorite books: The Night in Lisbon by Remarque, Principles by Ray Dalio, and Essentialism by Greg McKeown
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Anastasiia's writing expertise spans tech, mental health, business growth, and customer excellence. When she's not crafting engaging, insightful content, you can find Anastasiia curled up with a book or walking her dog in the nearest park.
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