From 90s Character Encodings to Systems for Millions: An Engineer’s Journey to Boca Raton

Many IT services measure their experience in years. At Sfixy, it’s been a few very different eras — from pre-internet PCs to modern systems. That’s why today we pay attention to details others often miss.

1996–1997: The Era of "Encoding Choices"

My journey began in 1996 with the development of the book.ru portal. In those days, web development was an art of survival. Back then, an engineer had to manually ensure that text remained readable across completely different systems.

A look back at book.ru in 1996. Before Unicode, we built manual selectors for KOI8, CP1251, and DOS encodings just to keep the web readable.

In 1997, I released my first commercial software — KnoRus Navigator. It ran on Windows 3.1, 95, and even OS/2, helping hundreds of users manage databases in an age before the "cloud," when every hundred kilobytes of RAM was a precious resource.

The launch page for KnoRus Navigator 3.0 (1997). Robust database management built for the Windows 3.1 and 95 era.

1998: The First PC Shop

I’ve had a passion for hands-on hardware from the very beginning. I overclocked my first Pentium 120 to 133 MHz while in college, simply by manipulating jumpers on the motherboard. In the spring of 1998, I left a comfortable position at a publishing company to open my first computer shop. I offered custom PC builds, tuning, and repairs. Unfortunately, that young business did not survive the 1998 financial crisis.

1999–2004: Founding SNK Software & My First Books

In 1999, I founded SNK Software. It was a time of creating "tools for pros": I developed IDEs for webmasters and FTP clients used by professionals worldwide. Symbolically, the design of our 2002 website was inspired by the engineering aesthetic of IBM—the very company that gave birth to the PC right here in Boca Raton.

The SNK Software hub (2002). This IBM-inspired interface was the home for Metaproducts WebStudio and my early technical books.

I soon realized that this accumulated knowledge needed to be shared. This led to my first books: "The PC Self-Teacher" and "The Webmaster’s Handbook." I wrote them in the early 2000s to help people navigate the transition from Windows 98 to NT and XP.

2003–2008: A Network Insider’s View

In 2003, my focus shifted from pure software to infrastructure. I founded Lenet Telecom, an ISP where everything was built by hand: from configuring Gentoo Linux gateways to designing physical networks and billing systems. This was also my first encounter with the challenges of setting up Wi-Fi networks, which were just beginning to emerge.

Founding Lenet Telecom in 2003. Managing high-speed dedicated lines and ISP infrastructure long before fiber became a household standard.

2009–2025: Scaling to Tens of Millions

For the last 15 years, I’ve dedicated myself to the architecture of high-load mobile systems. Serving as a Senior Engineer for major enterprises — including a Top-3 National Bank and a premier international retail chain — I engineered core components of mobile ecosystems serving over 30 million active users.

Managing tech at this scale requires more than just coding; it demands an obsession with security, zero-downtime reliability, and flawless user experience—the same standards I now bring to every SOHO project at Sfixy.

Academic Leadership: My 2025-edition Kotlin development textbook, officially recommended for university-level IT programs. This bridges my experience in enterprise engineering with the latest standards in modern software education.

2026: Sfixy — Returning to the Roots in Boca Raton

Why would someone who built systems for millions open a local service? The answer is simple: I love technology, and I believe that small businesses and home offices deserve the same level of quality and reliability. At the end of 2025, I once again left a stable corporate position to move to Boca Raton — the birthplace of the PC — a place I had dreamed of visiting since the 90s.

At Sfixy, we combine the "old-school" meticulousness of the 90s with the power of 2026’s AI tools and cloud systems. We don’t just fix computers; we ensure their absolute stability, backed by 30 years of hands-on experience solving real technical problems.