{"id":23465,"date":"2025-06-26T15:13:04","date_gmt":"2025-06-26T19:13:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wellnessliving.com\/blog\/?p=23465&preview=true&preview_id=23465"},"modified":"2025-06-26T15:13:04","modified_gmt":"2025-06-26T19:13:04","slug":"leading-through-change-alex-titov-vp-of-engineering-at-wellnessliving","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wellnessliving.com\/blog\/leading-through-change-alex-titov-vp-of-engineering-at-wellnessliving\/","title":{"rendered":"Leading Through Change: Alex Titov, VP of Engineering at WellnessLiving"},"content":{"rendered":"

Long before Alex Titov helped build the most robust business management platform in the wellness industry, he was a teenager trying to figure out what he was good at.<\/span><\/p>\n

In name, he goes simply by \u201cTitov.\u201d But his career aspirations were anything but simple. He knew he wanted to be part of something much bigger than himself.<\/span><\/p>\n

“I asked myself, \u2018What do I do well?\u2019 And it was not a big list,\u201d Titov recalls humbly. \u201cThe only subject I liked in school was development.”<\/span><\/p>\n

That clarity helped shape his career early on. Inspired in part by his older brother, who was already a developer, he threw himself into learning, taking extra classes. Though his brother left the field, Titov found his footing and never looked back.<\/span><\/p>\n

Today, Titov is VP of Enginering at WellnessLiving, the platform that serves more than 25 million users worldwide. In work and in life, Titov\u2019s path has taken turns as complex and unexpected as the challenges he helps solve.<\/span><\/p>\n

From Student to Teammate<\/span><\/b><\/h2>\n

Titov was attending Donetsk National Technical University when he met a young professor named Yuri Popoff, now Chief Architect at WellnessLiving. What stood out wasn\u2019t just Yuri\u2019s youth but his teaching style\u2014flexible, practical, and deeply focused on understanding.<\/span><\/p>\n

“His goal was that we really learn,\u201d Titov explains. Yuri didn\u2019t ask his students to do mindless tasks or rote memorization. \u201cIf you could develop the project, if you could do the job, that\u2019s what mattered.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Rather than adhering to outdated computer languages, Yuri was eager to pursue the latest modern technologies. He encouraged exploration. “He wanted us to understand,\u201d Titov recalls. \u201cHe wanted us to be able to explain in words, to ask unusual questions, to go deeper than our book showed it.”<\/span><\/p>\n

It was an approach that appealed to Titov\u2014and it led to more than a good grade. It opened a door. One day, over ICQ\u2014yes, that ICQ\u2014Yuri messaged Titov with an opportunity to join the development company he had started. At that point, the company was mainly building websites, but the goal was to pursue bigger, more complex projects.<\/span><\/p>\n

Titov jumped at the opportunity to get his first professional development experience. He was only in his third year of university at the time.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

One Door, One Window\u2014Then a Castle<\/span><\/b><\/h2>\n

Together with a small team, Yuri and Titov took on freelance web development projects. But it wasn\u2019t long before a Canadian contact connected them with entrepreneurs Len Fridman and Sasha Davids. The ask? A basic booking system to help manage class promotions sold through Groupon.<\/span><\/p>\n

People are often impressed when they learn that the original WellnessLiving platform was built in only four months. But that was only the start, according to Titov. He explains that development projects often begin with a smaller, well-defined request. \u201cThey come to you and say, \u2018Okay, let\u2019s make a very small building\u2014one floor. Very simple. One door, one window.”<\/span><\/p>\n

That first version was delivered on time. Four months. Done.<\/span><\/p>\n

“And they liked it. They loved it,\u201d Titov recalls. \u201cAnd they told us, let’s keep going. Let’s do something else. Let\u2019s do more. Let\u2019s add, let\u2019s build. One by one. Feature by feature. And here we are.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Today, that initial system has grown into a platform that handles more than a billion database requests per day. But what keeps Titov motivated isn\u2019t just the scale\u2014it\u2019s the constant evolution.<\/span><\/p>\n

“We don\u2019t get stuck doing the same thing over and over,\u201d Titov says, instead, \u201cwe get new challenges, new projects, new ideas every year.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Through Conflict and Change<\/span><\/b><\/h2>\n

Titov\u2019s journey with WellnessLiving spans not only technical milestones, but a decade of personal and geopolitical upheaval. When the bombing started in Donetsk in 2014, he relocated to Kiev, helping to open and support new offices in both Kiev and Kharkiv. Even with the conflict, the company continued to grow and hire developers. Eventually, the company had three offices across Ukraine. But those too would close\u2014at first, temporarily due to COVID-19. Then, in 2022, the war made returning to the office unthinkable.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe closed the office in Kiev completely because it was impossible to go in. The war was right on the streets of the city,\u201d Titov explains. \u201cAnd it was the same story for Kharkiv. No one could go in because it was too dangerous.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

As the invasion escalated, WellnessLiving helped relocate Titov and Yuri to Tbilisi, Georgia. Titov has stayed in Tbilisi, while Yuri eventually came to Canada. Others on the team relocated to western Ukraine or received help to leave the country all together. The company offered relocation support, flexibility, and time off to help people move.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cWe said, okay, how much time do you need? Move, get set up in your new place, and continue working with us,\u201d Titov recalls. \u201cWe will wait for you. The most important thing is to be safe.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The disruption was immense. And while coding software under those circumstances may sound difficult, if not impossible, Titov says that he and his team actually welcomed the focus that work provided.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWork gives you a distraction. It allows you to think about something else,\u201d Titov explains, \u201cbecause you can go crazy if you only think about the war.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

On the worst days, entire teams couldn\u2019t work due to power outages. Many worked with limited power when they could\u2014just three or four hours a day in some cases.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cStill, that\u2019s three or four hours when you can focus on what you love to do. It\u2019s so important,\u201d he says. The combination of meaningful work and the company\u2019s support has been crucial, in Titov\u2019s view. \u201cWe haven\u2019t overcome the war, yet. But the company\u2019s help and our work has helped us live with it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Through it all, Titov has maintained contact with his family in Ukraine. His parents remain in Donetsk, and his grandmother and brother moved only about 40 kilometers from the frontlines, where the conflict is at its worst.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI do worry,\u201d Titov says. He helps as much as he can. But he understands their reluctance. \u201cThey\u2019re older people. They don’t want to move. They don’t want to change their life after so many years in the same place.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Still, despite the difficulties, he feels a deep sense of gratitude for what is most important. \u201cMy family, they are alive, they are more or less safe,\u201d Titov says. He\u2019s aware of how many people in Ukraine have lost a loved one or experienced a serious injury. \u201cSo, I’m the lucky one. I have nothing to complain about.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Intangible Value and Significance<\/span><\/b><\/h2>\n

Though the backdrop has changed, Titov\u2019s values haven\u2019t. His ability to keep building in the face of uncertainty is grounded in a deep sense of responsibility\u2014to his team, to users, and to the work itself.<\/span><\/p>\n

The WellnessLiving platform is essential to the operations of thousands of businesses around the world. Titov knows that one small development mistake can create headaches for a multitude of business owners. He takes pride in his team and in the meticulous care they take in their work. While they\u2019re constantly building new features, they\u2019re vigilant when it comes to quality.<\/span><\/p>\n

“I love working at WellnessLiving because what we build truly matters,\u201d Titov says. \u201cThousands of people rely on our platform every day, and our work makes their lives easier and better. That sense of responsibility is what drives me.”<\/span><\/p>\n

This perspective also guides his leadership style. He wants his whole team to remember that, \u201cthey\u2019re building something that has intangible value and significance.\u201d\u00a0 His awareness of how deeply the platform impacts people\u2019s daily lives informs every decision he makes.<\/span><\/p>\n

In a world where disruption is constant and pressure can be high, Titov brings the kind of balanced optimism that inspires confidence. Whether building code, coaching teams, or simply living by example, Titov reminds us that strength isn\u2019t always loud. For as long as he can remember, he wanted to be part of something that mattered, something bigger than himself\u2014and through his calm, committed presence, he\u2019s doing just that.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Long before Alex Titov helped build the most robust business management platform in the wellness industry, he was a teenager trying to figure out what he was good at. In name, he goes simply by \u201cTitov.\u201d But his career aspirations were anything but simple. He knew he wanted to be […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":861,"featured_media":23466,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"disable_featured_image":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17866],"tags":[2276],"class_list":["post-23465","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community","tag-software"],"yoast_head":"\nWellnessLiving\u2019s Alex Titov on Engineering Leadership and Change<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Discover how Alex Titov helped shape WellnessLiving from the ground up\u2014navigating war, growth, and leadership with strength and purpose.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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