Aida Vopyan, Co-Founder and CEO of Armenian digital marketing agency Prodigi, has joined the international contributor network of American business publication Entrepreneur. Her debut article, “I’ve Watched Over 150 Careers Grow. Here’s What I Got Wrong About Developing Talent,” explores employee development and leadership and was featured on Entrepreneur’s homepage.
Entrepreneur is an international business publication with nearly 50 years of history, covering leadership and business growth.
We spoke with Aida Vopyan about sharing Armenian management experience internationally, developing strong teams, and building businesses across different industries.
– How did the management experience of an Armenian company find its way to an international platform like Entrepreneur?
– In Armenia, we’re used to learning from international experience. But one of our goals is to share Armenian experience with the world, too.
During an executive leadership program at Oxford University’s Saïd Business School, I exchanged management insights with business leaders from different countries. Those conversations reinforced my belief that knowledge sharing should go both ways. Armenia has valuable management experience to contribute, and joining Entrepreneur’s contributor network gives me an opportunity to share it with an international audience.
– Your first article was featured on Entrepreneur’s homepage. What is it about, and what is its main message?
– Seeing the article featured on the homepage was an unexpected and welcome surprise. It draws on nearly 10 years of management experience at Prodigi. We’ve learned that building a strong company takes more than hiring talented people. You need a system in which employees grow, take responsibility, and help others develop. That way, the company’s growth isn’t limited by one leader’s capabilities.
– Your article draws on your experience developing more than 150 employees. What is the one principle you would share with other leaders?
– Don’t be afraid to develop strong employees. One leadership mistake I often see in Armenia is restricting employees’ independence out of fear that they might surpass their manager or leave the company.
To me, a strong team isn’t a threat to a leader; it’s one of the best results of their work.
– You work across different industries. How much does business success depend on industry expertise, and how much on an entrepreneurial mindset?
– Both matter. Industry expertise helps you understand the market, while an entrepreneurial mindset helps you spot new opportunities. We applied what we learned at Prodigi when building other businesses, including Smartic, an Armenia-based company specializing in smart home systems and premium automation solutions. The industries differ, but the fundamentals remain the same: understand customers’ needs, build a strong team, and deliver real value. Every new business also requires fresh knowledge and a willingness to learn.
– What advice would you give Armenian entrepreneurs looking to expand internationally?
– First, understand why a customer in your target market should choose you. Success in Armenia doesn’t automatically translate into success abroad. As Prodigi expanded internationally, we had to identify what sets us apart from local agencies—and the answer wasn’t simply price. Finally, making international sales doesn’t automatically make you an international business. You need the team, processes, and service quality to win clients and keep them for the long term.
