Danil Tolmachev: IT Is One of the Cornerstones of the Creative Economy
Russia is one of only three countries in the world with its own foundational AI models. As the next generation of digital creative projects emerges, creators will also need the ability to turn ideas into products and successfully present them to investors.
– People often ask which specific skills today's graduates and young entrepreneurs lack if they want to take an idea all the way to a finished product instead of stopping at the concept stage. I believe the first requirement is confidence. That is something you can only build through constant practice. Let me give you an example. I travel extensively across Russia for work, and when I speak with colleagues in the regions about successful creative economy projects in Moscow and St. Petersburg, I often hear the same response: 'Of course things are different for you in St. Petersburg and Moscow. Everything is close at hand. Companies like Sber, VK, or Wildberries will never answer us or help us.'
I believe that way of thinking is fundamentally wrong because people place limits on themselves before they have even tried. They put blinders on from the very beginning.
From my own experience, if you send someone a proposal, write an email, or make a phone call, about 80% of the time you receive a positive response. That is why determination and confidence are essential qualities for young creators. At the same time, confidence begins much earlier, when you are building your product. If you have developed it properly and genuinely believe in it, you are far more likely to secure funding or support from a potential investor. That means one of the most valuable skills is being able to tell – and, if I may put it this way, sell – the story behind what you have created.
That is the most important part: the creative vision you truly believe in.
Our creative professionals are steadily developing those skills. Among the most notable Russian success stories in the creative industries, I would certainly highlight fashion. I find what is happening in Russia's fashion market today genuinely exciting. After many international brands left, the industry went through a period of uncertainty. Everyone was asking what would come next. Yet it was precisely during that period that Russia's fashion sector began growing rapidly.
I often point to the brand 12 STOREEZ as an example. People can criticize its pricing, but every brand can be criticized for that. What matters more is the way the company communicates with its community, develops its collections, builds its long-term strategy, and continues expanding. That deserves genuine respect and admiration.
Russia's IT sector is also experiencing strong growth, and it has become one of the key pillars of the creative economy. Artificial intelligence and neural networks continue to advance rapidly. Alongside China and the United States, Russia is one of only three countries in the world with its own foundational AI models.
It is equally important that significant resources, expertise, and government support are being directed toward this field. Just a few days ago, legislation on artificial intelligence was adopted. That once again reinforces that the course Russia has chosen is strategically important and directly connected, among other things, to the country's technological sovereignty.
