At the intersection of cutting-edge AI and human-first leadership stands Iordan Iordanov, the CTO who has quietly but powerfully shaped Corpy’s technological journey.

In a world where innovation often moves faster than trust, Iordan’s philosophy is refreshingly grounded: build with care, lead with empathy, and never forget that behind every line of code is a human story.

In this candid interview, he shares the principles that drive Corpy’s engineering culture, the values that define its growth, and the deep belief that real impact begins with people.

The Soul of Corpy: Values That Build More Than Just Code

ーWhat do you believe are the key elements that contribute most significantly to the strength and success of Corpy’s technology organization and products?

Iordan: Without a doubt, it’s our company values. These aren’t just nice words on a website—they’re principles we live by every day.

We have this thing we call the Sasuga Factor—the drive to exceed expectations, every single time. It’s not just a mindset, it’s in our actions. Grit got us from zero to almost 100 people in just a few years. And then there’s humility, kindness, and ownership. These aren’t just values—they’re how we build trust, grow across cultures, and enable people to rise fast.
Honestly, Corpy didn’t create its values to define a culture—we extracted them from a culture that already existed. That’s what makes them real.

ーCould you tell us more about the “Sasuga Factor”? It seems to be unusual.

Iordan: The idea came from a conversation with my wife, who works in sales. She told me that in Japan, a great salesperson thinks two or three steps ahead. When a client asks for something, you deliver that—and a little more. That moment when the client says “Sasuga!”—that sense of being impressed beyond expectations—is the goal.

And when she told me that, I thought: this is exactly what Corpy is trying to be. That mindset of anticipating needs, of going beyond, is how we can fulfill our mission, “save human lives and expand equality with AI”. It's not just a sales technique—it’s a philosophy.

ーYou yourself are known as a true embodiment of kindness. How do you define kindness as a leadership value?

Iordan: Thank you, though I’m not sure I deserve that reputation! Kindness is often misunderstood. It’s not softness. It’s strength.
In a diverse company like ours, we come from different cultures, different lives. Kindness means being flexible, listening deeply, and understanding others without judgment.

Sometimes, kindness means telling someone they’re working on the wrong task—not to criticize, but to help them grow. Sometimes it means giving feedback that’s honest and direct. As long as it's done with care and intention, that is kindness.
Ultimately, we work with people. And if we don’t understand people, we can’t build anything meaningful.

ーHow does Corpy’s technology strategy support its business goals?

Iordan: Our mission is to save human lives and expand equality with AI”. That’s not something we achieve overnight. We get there step by step—by building real expertise, trust, and understanding.
Unlike tech giants like GAFA that tackle massive problems all at once, we focus on highly specific, concrete problems. That focus lets us go deep. And in that depth, we build the knowledge and confidence needed to contribute to truly meaningful innovations—like in healthcare or autonomous vehicles.
Every single project we take on brings us closer to that goal. And the better we understand how AI works—and how to explain it—the more we can help our clients trust it. That’s how we unlock its full potential.

Building Trust Through Tech: From Purpose to Product

ーIs there a project you’re particularly proud of?

Iordan: There’s one that really stuck with me. A client came to us after working with another company that had built them an AI model. But then that company pivoted and disappeared, leaving the client without support, unable to understand or even use what they had.
So we came in and treated the model like a black box. We did a quality assessment, flagged risks, outlined when and how it could be used, and even proposed a retraining plan.
It wasn’t flashy. But it mattered. We helped someone recover their investment and find value in something they thought was lost. That’s impact.

ーLooking back, what decisions do you think had the biggest impact on Corpy’s trajectory?

Iordan: The decision to build CONFIDE(*1) version one. At the start, it was just three of us—and we had no idea what it would become.
It began as a simple HTML page, then evolved into a real product. We made mistakes. A lot of them. But we learned fast. And eventually, we built something with real value for clients.
Later, we realized we needed to rebuild the whole thing from the ground up—CONFIDE version two. New tech stack, better architecture, cleaner design. That was a massive investment. But now it’s more robust, scalable, and ready to grow. Those two decisions—start, and rebuild—were defining moments for us.

(*1)CONFIDE: Corpy’s proprietary AI operational management solution

Leading Side by Side: What It Means to Be a CTO at Corpy

ーAs CTO, what are your main responsibilities? What motivates you?

Iordan: I always say—half joking, but very sincerely—that my main job is to make sure everyone can work comfortably. If people feel safe, valued, and heard, they can do their best work.
That’s why I talk to the team constantly, watch for subtle signs, and stay close to the people—even in a team of 70 engineers.
Beyond that, I’m involved in product direction, client negotiations, emergency firefighting, organizational structure—you name it. If I’m lucky, I get to code 20–30% of the day. That’s the dream.

ーHow do you make sure people feel heard?

Iordan: You can’t know how someone’s doing unless you ask. I just ask. And I also watch. A Slack message that feels “off” is often a signal.
I also try to be vulnerable first. I’ll share a story before expecting others to open up. It builds trust. I want people to know—they can talk to me as a person, not a title.

Iordan always listens to the team and is at the heart of the group

ーHow would you describe the current structure and dynamics of the tech team?

Iordan: It’s evolving. Right now, we have around 70 engineers. About 15 are dedicated to our main product, CONFIDE, split into two teams—data management and model management—each with a product manager. They work in monthly sprints, longer than typical agile cycles, because we prioritize thorough testing.
For our R&D projects, especially with large automotive clients, we build ad hoc teams based on strengths, preferences, and interests. We always include someone bilingual to ensure smooth client communication, especially when clients are Japanese.
And importantly, people have the freedom to say no to assignments. If something doesn’t feel right or motivating, we restructure. No guilt, no punishment. Just honesty.

Human-First Engineering: Listening, Respect, and Growth

ーHow does Corpy stay on top of emerging technologies?

Iordan: Honestly, it’s our younger engineers. They’re full of ideas and always chasing the latest trends. I don’t even need to go searching—they bring the innovation to me. One of our interns recently built his own object detection model and asked for a GPU to train it. That kind of curiosity and initiative is gold.

As a leader, listening is my secret weapon. I can learn more from ten minutes with my team than hours of reading alone.
Our clients also push us forward—they’re often curious about cutting-edge tech. If a client commissions us to research something we already wanted to explore, that’s a win-win.
And right now, I’m really excited about AI agents. They’re small in scope but powerful in use. They offer a very practical way to apply AI in enterprise environments. Once you verify an agent is reliable, it can start solving real problems.

ーWhat would you say defines the culture at Corpy?

Iordan: Again, it comes back to values. Every person here has unique experiences and perspectives. And that’s valuable.
We encourage ideas from everyone—from interns to senior managers. Sometimes, the best insights come from those with no “context,” because they’re not limited by assumptions.
For me, leadership is less about giving orders and more about starting conversations. I’ll say, “Here’s my idea—what’s wrong with it?” That invites dialogue. If someone proves me wrong, that’s a win. We want the best idea to win, not the loudest voice.

And yes, I really do listen to young engineers or interns. They’re brilliant. They challenge us to see differently. That balance between structure and freedom, experience and freshness—that’s Corpy.

ーWhat leadership philosophy do you live by?

Iordan: Respect. Regardless of title or role, every person is giving their time and energy to this company. That matters.
Everyone is trying their best—while juggling their own lives and challenges. So if there’s a mistake or miscommunication, we deal with the problem, not the person. No blame games. We’re a team.
And again, it comes back to kindness. True kindness isn’t soft—it’s strong. It means standing by your team, giving honest feedback, and creating a space where people can be human.

The Road Ahead: Trustworthy AI and the People Who’ll Build It

ーWhat do you see as the biggest opportunities and challenges for Corpy in the years ahead?

Iordan: The biggest opportunity is in something we’ve been working on since day one—AI that people can trust.

Years ago, we were talking about explainability and AI quality assurance, and no one really understood why it mattered. Now, after the explosion of large language models, everyone’s asking: Can we trust this?
The world is finally catching up to what we’ve been preparing for. Corpy is uniquely positioned—technically and ethically—to lead in this space.

The challenge? There’s just so much to do. AI will touch every industry. If we want to support that, we need to grow—our people, our tools, our methods. That’s exciting, but it’s a big lift. We’ll need thoughtful, mission-driven leadership to navigate it.

ーWhat kind of people thrive at Corpy?

Iordan: I always tell candidates—it’s not about your resume. Technical skills can be learned. What matters is character.
People who thrive here are humble, curious, and open. They’re okay saying “I don’t know” or “I made a mistake.” They ask for help and offer it in return.
We don’t do well with people who care too much about titles, or who take themselves too seriously. We work best with those who listen more than they speak. People who embrace difference and want to grow together.
That’s the Corpy spirit.

Would you like to work with us at Corpy? Feel free to apply by starting with a casual chat!