Coming Back Around: Yuriy and Dani’s Return to Preply
In the fast-paced tech world, it’s truly remarkable to witness stories come full circle. Yuriy and Dani’s journeys are prime examples. With strong professional expertise, they joined Preply, worked here for a few years, left to pursue new challenges, and eventually returned to the company where they originally made their mark. We couldn’t be happier to witness such cases, as they exemplify the strong, collaborative culture we foster every day. We sat down with them to chat about their first experiences at Preply, why they left, and what brought them back to our team.
How did you start your career at Preply?
Yuriy: My story with Preply began in 2018. Before joining, I worked for an American company with a local office in Kyiv. When that company was acquired, the Kyiv hub closed, and I had to choose between relocating to the USA or finding a new job in Ukraine. I opted to stay in Kyiv and further my career here. I found my way to Preply thanks to a friend from the Ukrainian DevOps community, who told me about the company and their open roles. I joined as a Cloud Ops Engineer, working closely with various engineering teams. At that time, Preply was relatively small, with around 100 employees, including 30–40 engineers.
Dani: When I look back and connect the dots, I feel I was in the right place at the right time. A friend who worked at Preply raved about the product and the company’s culture. When he mentioned they were looking for a TA Operations Manager, I jumped at the chance. After a few interviews, I received an offer. Everything fell into place smoothly.
I joined Preply at the beginning of 2021, amidst the Covid pandemic, when our TA team was just eight people, and Preply had just recently opened its doors to the new Barcelona hub.
What was the reason behind your decision to leave?
Dani: It was a combination of factors. A former manager of mine offered me an opportunity within the AI space, something that was aligned with my personal motivations. It was a tough decision, but I decided to explore this new opportunity.
Yuriy: My reasons were both personal and professional. My wife and I wanted to live in an international environment, and Berlin was an appealing tech hub at the time (Preply didn’t have any offices around the world by that moment). So, we relocated to Berlin, and I joined N26, where I worked for almost five years.
What happened in your life that made you decide to come back?
Yuriy: While N26 offered a more deliberate pace for planning and execution, I missed the dynamic problem-solving and rapid innovation culture. After nearly five years at N26, I felt the need for a new challenge. Coincidentally, a TA partner from Preply reached out with an opportunity to return. That message caught me in the right place and at the right time, so I decided to return to Preply.
Dani: That’s an interesting story. Even while working at another company, Preply always had a special place in my heart. I stayed connected with many of my former colleagues, whether it was through Friday after-work drinks or Christmas lunches. After a year at the new company, I realized I missed the team spirit, the product (which I felt more aligned with at Preply), the collaboration, and the overall culture. The plans for the TA team in 2024 at the new company weren’t very exciting, so I reached out to my former manager at Preply, and he welcomed me back to the team.
What has changed at Preply since your first stint here?
Dani: The number of people! It’s now quite a challenge to know everyone in the office as we are growing rapidly. Additionally, there are many things happening simultaneously, which means we often have to adapt quickly and efficiently. Love this pace!
Yuriy: I’ve noticed how structured the processes have become. On the other hand, there are some constant things that I’m happy to experience again like the collaborative spirit and flexibility in many things but with the focus on disciplined execution. Overall, the broader scope of work now allows me to engage with different technologies and innovate in ways that weren’t possible before.
Inspired by the stories of Dani and Yura at Preply? If you’re driven by going the extra mile to raise the bar, hungry to have a visible impact on the business, and would like to join a fast-paced company where growth and learning go hand in hand, then check out our open positions here.
