What made us who we are today

TechPods Team Photo

By Benjamin Kane

  • Business

TechPods timeline of events that made us who we are today:

AUGUST 2018 - TechPods was born. Mike Panayotov and Ben Kane embarked on a quest to create the best co-sourcing company there is. Teodora Kane (was Kacharova back then) designed and built our first website, and created the first logo. 

A photo of Benjamin Kane and Mihail Panayotov - CEO and CTO of TechPods

SEPTEMBER 2018 - Tony joins TechPods as our very first hire. We found out via a mutual friend that Tony was looking for a new role on the back of a bad employment experience. We had nothing, but he believed in the TechPods mission. Tony also promised that he wouldn’t let us down, and I promised that he will be well looked after at TechPods. 4 years later, Tony is a Team Lead, and we continue to stick to our promises.   

A picture of TechPods employee

OCTOBER 2018 - Ivan Kerin joins TechPods as our second hire. Not an easy hire at all, but I am so thankful that Ivan saw the potential in us when we were just 3 big beer-drinking, meat-eating guys, trying to make ends meet. An ex-CTO, Ivan was a fantastic addition, and has played a major role in shaping TechPods over the years. Today, Ivan manages his own team, and is always available to help, coach, and mentor his colleagues across other teams.   

A picture of TechPods employee

FEBRUARY 2020 - Ina joins TechPods (TechPods was made up of 10 people at this time). Ina brought organisation, and professional branding to the company when she joined, but quickly became the glue that holds us all together, and quite rightly our Head of People & Culture. TechPods turned a corner and became a serious company on the day that Ina joined.

MARCH 2021 - Dayana joins TechPods (TechPods was made up of 18 people at this time). Recruitment was our top priority for 2021, and Dayana was our main target. I researched Dayana’s background, and reached out to her directly on Linkedin. Unfortunately, she totally ignored me! Thankfully, she was more responsive to Ina’s approach. Dayana’s mission was to grow TechPods to 50 people, and she smashed it within her first year. As Head of Recruitment, Dayana will continue to scale TechPods, and grow her own recruitment team around her. 

A picture of TechPods employees

JANUARY 2022 - TechPods is officially a 50-strong company. 

DECEMBER 2022 - Although we grew exponentially in the previous year, 2022 was our best year, as we stabilised as a midsize company and organically grew to 62 people. 

A collage of pictures of TechPods employees

What's next? 2025 is a pivotal year for TechPods and the tech industry as a whole.

Our team has grown to 80 people, with the addition of Antoana (Marketing Specialist) and Karina (Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist), who are helping to drive more people to buy into the vision behind TechPods. Katerina (Senior HR Specialist) joined our team at the beginning of the year, playing a key organizational role for the company. With her help, we were able to structure our internal processes in a way that supports sustainable growth and fosters a culture of transparency and collaboration.

Looking ahead, 2025 marks a new phase in our development – ​​focused on deepening partnerships with our clients, building an even stronger internal community, and developing talent within the company.

TechPods will continue to grow, so stay tuned for more exciting news from our team!

Benjamin Kane

About the author

Benjamin Kane

Benjamin Kane is the Founder and CEO of TechPods, a technology company dedicated to helping startups, scaleups, and enterprises build high-performing software engineering teams through modern co-sourcing models. With over a decade of experience in the global tech industry, Ben specialises in designing scalable engineering structures and long-term delivery capabilities that support sustainable growth.

Throughout his career, Benjamin has worked across the full spectrum of the tech ecosystem - from high-growth startups to established global consultancies. This journey gave him deep insights into the limitations of traditional outsourcing, leading him to champion transparency, team integration, and knowledge retention. His background allows him to bridge the gap between business strategy and technical execution, making him a trusted advisor for founders and CTOs.

As a thought leader in the sector, Benjamin regularly shares expertise on IT outsourcing strategy, the evolution of remote-first engineering culture, and the benefits of mission-focused "pods." Through TechPods, he has successfully helped numerous organisations reduce hiring risk and accelerate digital transformation by accessing elite global talent.

Expertise: IT Outsourcing & Co-sourcing Strategy, Scaling Tech Teams, Engineering Culture, Remote-first Leadership, Sustainable Product Development
LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kanebenjamin/