Inwork is a startup that simplifies time tracking for companies

Bakyt Irsaliev, city — Bishkek, entrepreneur, Instagram

How it all began

I am an entrepreneur with 10 years of experience, actively engaged in business development. I graduated from Beijing University of Science and Technology. My main business focus is logistics and freight transportation from China. We position ourselves as an IT logistics company. In addition, I am passionate about IT projects. One of our recent products, Inwork, is a working hours tracking service.

The ideas for my IT products arose from personal needs and pain points. In the case of Inwork, I was concerned that I could not always be in the office and fully participate in the operational activities of my teams. I tried using products that already existed on the market, but they failed to meet all my requirements. This pushed me to create my own solution, which turned out to be much more effective and convenient.

It took us three months to introduce the product to the market. We performed a colossal amount of work — product research, development, design, sales, and marketing. On the very first day of launch, 14 companies signed up for the trial period.

Target audience

Today, Inwork serves more than 300 companies from Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Russia, and Kazakhstan. Among our clients are representatives from various industries: HoReCa, manufacturing, retail, offices, as well as government, educational, and medical institutions.

Inwork is an ideal solution for companies of all sizes, from small businesses to corporations. You just need to choose the appropriate tariff depending on the number of employees, and our specialists will handle the application setup. Using the service is easy: employees take a selfie with their smartphones, and the information is automatically transmitted to managers and also displayed in the employee's personal account within the app.

Inwork is useful for those who strive to automate working hours tracking and improve employee discipline. The service allows creating reports and timesheets with just one click, which significantly simplifies routine tasks, reduces the burden on accounting and HR, and ensures transparent control over branches.

Acceleration programs

In November 2023, our startup participated in the Glovo KG Startup Competition, where only 15 teams out of 38 applications were advanced to the first stage for pitching. We are proud to have taken third place and received a prize of 200,000 som. This success became an important milestone in the development of the project and inspires us to further achievements. This experience allowed us to improve the product, receive feedback from experts, and expand our network of contacts.

Challenges

We were the first in the Kyrgyz market to launch a working hours tracking system. By that time, businesses were accustomed to traditional but inefficient methods, such as keeping logs, using cameras, and turnstiles. These methods take a lot of time and are not always reliable.

Despite initial difficulties, entrepreneurs and managers gladly accepted our product and actively supported us with feedback. This allowed us to adapt and improve the product, making it more useful for users.

My advice to those creating a product: research your audience's problems to better understand their needs. Regularly collect feedback from users and use this information to improve your product. This approach will help create a more in-demand solution and increase the chances of successful startup development.

Achievements

Our main achievement in a short period of existence was the successful implementation of a product that allowed Inwork to strengthen its position not only in Kyrgyzstan but also in the markets of neighboring countries. We have attracted more than 300 companies, and more than 7,000 employees use our service daily.

Each update brings new features and improvements, for which we express our gratitude to our users who provide feedback and help us improve.

Our success is due not only to the product but also to an amazing team. With each stage of product growth, our employees not only overcome challenges but also develop their skills. We continue to work on improving the service, facing new challenges and strengthening internal collaboration.

Plans

We will continue to develop the product, expand its presence in new markets, and attract investments for further growth, relying on the strength and cohesion of our team.