Mikayel Vardanyan’s journey began with engineering and evolved into entrepreneurship when he co-founded Picsart in 2012. Leveraging his earlier experiences, including building and selling B2B SaaS products, he applied his technical and business acumen to scale Picsart into a platform used by over 150 million monthly active users. Reflecting on his roots, Mikayel emphasized, “Engineering is a tool—an enabler to scale businesses and make faster, smarter decisions.”

A key element of Picsart’s growth has been rapid experimentation. Mikayel champions the philosophy of "failing fast," which he describes as learning quickly through iterations rather than over-planning. "Fast means not thinking about approvals or processes too much—just releasing and learning from users," he explained. This approach has allowed Picsart to stay ahead in a competitive creative tech market.

Despite increasing competition in the creative space, Picsart thrives by constantly innovating and seeking partnerships. "Competition pushes us to be better every day," Mikayel noted. Recently, Picsart introduced an AI Logo Maker to cater to small businesses and freelancers. Partnerships, like their collaboration with Getty Images, have also allowed Picsart to enhance its offerings while maintaining a leadership position in the market.

Mikayel stressed that real growth often takes time, sharing, "Two to three years is usually nothing in a startup’s journey. Consistency and persistence are what make a business succeed after five or more years." He encouraged founders to remain focused and resilient, even when faced with early challenges.

Mikayel Vardanyan’s story is a testament to the power of persistence, innovation, and agility in building a global platform. By blending engineering expertise with a business-focused mindset, Picsart continues to evolve and inspire the creative industry.

Find Mikayel on:

LinkedIn: Mikayel Vardanyan

Twitter/X: @picsart

Find Ben on:

LinkedIn: Ben Costantini

Twitter/X: @bencostantini

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