This January, Bugsee turns ten.
That sentence still makes me pause. Not because we didn’t aim to build something lasting — we absolutely did — but because ten years looks very different when you’re standing at the beginning versus when you’re looking back.
When you’re starting out, ten years is an abstract concept. A vague ambition. A hopeful “someday.” When you’re standing here, it’s suddenly very concrete. It’s people. Decisions. Trade-offs. Long nights. Quiet wins. And a lot of showing up.
Before Bugsee (and Why It Matters)
Bugsee didn’t start with a grand launch plan or a polished pitch deck. It started right after we shut down our previous startup.
That shutdown wasn’t dramatic. It wasn’t forced. It was deliberate.
We realized the business we were running wasn’t going to become what we wanted it to be — and that continuing would only waste time, energy, and trust. So we stopped. Cleanly. Respectfully. With lessons learned the hard way.
That moment shaped everything that came next.
Bugsee wasn’t born out of optimism alone. It was born out of clarity.
A Company Built on People
Bugsee exists because of people — not features, not trends, not timing.
First, Dmitry.
We’ve known each other for about 30 years, since university. We’ve built multiple things together. Some worked. Some didn’t. What never changed was trust.
We’re very different. I move fast. He moves deliberately. I like momentum. He likes certainty. Over time, we learned that this contrast isn’t friction — it’s balance.
People often ask who designed the Bugsee logo. The answer surprises them: Dmitry did. Himself. From idea to execution. It’s one of those small details that perfectly reflects how he works — quietly, thoughtfully, and end-to-end.
Then there’s Alexey.
Alexey has been with us from day zero — not just of Bugsee, but even before that. He worked with us during Dishero, stayed after it ended, and helped build Bugsee from its very first incarnation.
He is one of those rare engineers who has touched almost every part of the product over the years — not for recognition, but because he genuinely cares about how things work and how they hold up over time. Bugsee’s stability, breadth, and quiet reliability owe a lot to him.
We’re incredibly lucky to work with people like this.
Staying Small, Staying Human
From early on, we made a conscious choice: grow responsibly, or don’t grow at all.
Bugsee has been profitable for many years. We have customers who’ve been with us for nine of those ten. Some signed up early and simply never left — which, to me, is the strongest signal you can get.
Staying small allowed us to do a few important things:
- Treat customer data with absolute respect
- Provide real, human customer support
- Make decisions calmly, without panic
On privacy: we don’t play games. We don’t monetize data. We don’t “learn interesting things” from customer information. Our customers’ data exists for one reason only — to help them. Full stop.
On support: when you contact Bugsee, you’re not entering a system. You’re talking to a person who knows the product, cares about the outcome, and often helped build the thing you’re asking about. That’s not scalable in the VC-pitch sense — but it’s incredibly effective in the trust sense.
What Changed, What Didn’t
A lot has changed over ten years. Platforms evolved. Expectations shifted. The industry got louder.
But some things stayed remarkably consistent.
We still believe that software should explain itself when something goes wrong.
We still obsess over details most people never see.
We still value long-term trust over short-term wins.
Recently, that’s meant carefully integrating new tools — including AI — in a way that actually helps people rather than overwhelms them. Not because it’s fashionable, but because it removes friction and saves time.
The tools evolve. The philosophy doesn’t.
Gratitude (The Real Kind)
I want to say thank you.
To our customers — especially the ones who’ve been with us for years — thank you for trusting us, for sticking around, and for quietly validating that we’re building something useful and durable.
To our investors, partners, and vendors — thank you for belief, patience, and restraint.
To the team — thank you for caring deeply, even when no one is watching.
And to the families and spouses behind the scenes — thank you for the invisible support that makes all of this possible.
Looking Forward
I’m genuinely excited about what’s ahead.
Not because of some rigid roadmap, but because we’re still curious. Still learning. Still improving. Still building with care.
Bugsee didn’t last ten years by accident.
It lasted because of people, choices, discipline, and trust.
If you’ve been part of this journey in any way — thank you.
And if you’re just discovering Bugsee now, you’re welcome to explore it at bugsee.com/demo. No pressure. No pitch.
Just something we’ve been building thoughtfully for ten years — and plan to keep building for many more.
Alex Fishman