Many companies see the problem, understand the risks and know that the solution already exists. But instead of buying the original product, they choose internal workarounds, pirated software, manual processes or delayed implementation.

In this episode, Maxim Zverev explains why businesses do not always act rationally, how a product enters the market, and why “free” can end up costing more than a proper solution.

A conversation about B2B products, licensed software, cybersecurity, market maturity, long sales cycles and product management across 8 countries.

Timestaps:

00:00 — Why companies don’t buy what they actually need

01:17 — Original software, infrastructure and the cost of “saving”

03:00 — What a product manager actually does

06:00 — “We’ll manage as we are”: the main business objection

07:45 — Need, risk and offer: how to convince a company

09:00 — Why some clients refuse to be convinced

10:10 — Building your own solution vs buying an existing product

12:00 — Product managers as “preachers” of value

13:00 — Money, value perception and market readiness

15:00 — Long sales cycles and waiting years for a deal

18:00 — When a deal finally lands

20:00 — Pirated software and makeshift solutions in the CIS market

22:00 — Market maturity, Kazakhstan and regional differences

24:00 — “Pirate certificate” and understanding vulnerabilities

26:00 — When original software still fails because of poor implementation

28:00 — Mobile devices, personal phones and hidden corporate risks

30:00 — Enterprise mobility management and large-scale infrastructure

32:15 — What makes something a real product

34:00 — Believing in the product before selling it

35:00 — Features for the sake of features

36:20 — When an idea becomes real value

39:00 — Niche products, “exotics” and unclear demand

41:30 — Unexpected competitors and old tools that still win

43:00 — Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Armenia, Georgia and local market logic

45:00 — Adapting the product without losing its core

47:00 — Product promotion as a daily sport

49:00 — Forecasts, faith and product success

51:00 — Products that sell themselves vs products you have to explain

52:30 — What happens when faith in a product starts to fade

54:00 — What makes a strong product manager

56:00 — Final thoughts: why people choose less-than-ideal solutions