Alexander Varvarenko

Founder and CEO, SHIPNEXT
Founder, VARAMAR Group
Co-founder, Odessa Business Club

[Alexander Varvarenko @Alex_Varvarenko]

Many wars would never have happened if it were not for religion.
Part of the solution to this is education. Even today, many still confuse today’s Christmas with a “Catholic” holiday, and this is not correct. In fact, not only is this incorrect for Christmas, but it would also mean that the celebration of the New Year would have to be considered “Catholic” if it is celebrated on the night of December 31. This is why some Russian Orthodox Christians celebrate the “Old New Year” on the night of January 13, which really turns holidays and family traditions upside down.

Below is a list of Orhodox churches/counties that celebrate Christmas today:

Greek Orthodox Church
• Cypriot Orthodox Church
• Romanian Orthodox Church
• Bulgarian Orthodox Church
• Ukrainian Orthodox Church
• Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople (including Mount Athos and parts of the Diaspora, depending on local practice)
• Antiochian Orthodox Church
• Alexandrian Orthodox Church (in some regions)

Merry Christmas everyone!

[Alexander Varvarenko @Alex_Varvarenko]

No matter how long I am involved in building algorithms, and despite the fact that we developed our own Large Language model, I still can not accept the fact that so many founders mislead their clients using “AI” as a buzzword to describe pure automation.
Or confusing automation for AI.
But now there is a new one - “making AI-predictions on basis of maritime documents”. I would like to hear a professional debate on this. And yes, AI is clearly a bubble now.

[Alexander Varvarenko @Alex_Varvarenko]

95% of initiatives to use AI in daily corporations - fail.
All Shipnext users, however, can already claim they use AI in their work today. For reducing email flow, for CRM, for freight-search, for automation of workflow… A lot more to be launched still this year!

A nice video to show the developments in the AI adoption:

https://t.co/BPXuNU1RLH

[Alexander Varvarenko @Alex_Varvarenko]

From my early career I always remember a dutch joke:

A guy walks into a pet store to buy a pet. But he is a bit limited on budget, so he quickly sees three little parrots.
- "This green one. How much is the green one?" - Asks the guy.
- "This one is Lucy. She is worth EUR 1000."
- "Oh, that's a lot!" - the guy reacts... "Why is that?"
- "Lucy speaks english. Thats why.".
- "Oh... How about the blue one on the other side?"
- "Thats Nancy. She is worth EUR 3000!".
- "Oh! Really??? Why is that?"
- "Nancy speaks English and French".
Then the guy points at the red one in the middle. Hardly any feathers. Looks old and a bit worn out.
- "How about this one then?"
- "This is Franky! he is worth EUR 10.000!".
- "WHAT??? 10.000! Does he know anything else? What other languages does he speak?"
- "Franky speaks no languages at all. But the other two call Franky "Chief!"

There are many morals here, but the main one is that leaders should always remain in shape, smart, sharp and continue being a role model for as long as they can.

[Alexander Varvarenko @Alex_Varvarenko]

Yesterday while giving interview to Seanews, I mentioned that the energy transition in the maritime sector can not be perceived as the one that is disconnected from the rest of the transportation industry. And these latest news from China, if true, is one good example of that: https://t.co/wofzK0prPQ

#transport #usa #china

[Alexander Varvarenko @Alex_Varvarenko]

Just recently I watched an interview by Steven Bartlet with Roman Yampolskiy.
And this invetview is one of the best I’ve seen, not because it comes from such a noble and experienced person on AI, but also because it once again proved my concerns about Sam Altman. Not even about OpenAI.

“for him safety comes second”. And this was not only the reason why so many people like Elon Musk and Ilya Sutskever have been left out of the initial idea of a non-for-profit ground-breaking invention.

Here is a link: https://t.co/J5Jia49LJC

At Shipnext we developed our Language model and our algorithms, and none of them would ever be open to ChatGPT or OpenAI, and we call upon other companies to be very careful in doing so. There is more threat and risks than benefit in the long run. Especially around the usual “fake it until you make it” approach which for so long dominates the behavior of US-tech entrepreneurs.

Especially for companies in Europe it would be must safer to use European AI-solutions, if they are absolutely necessary and not just because it a new trend.

#transport #shipping #platforms #ai #automation #trade #saas #openAI #mistral

[Alexander Varvarenko @Alex_Varvarenko]

Email -vs- Market
An interesting post by CEO of Sedna reminded my of Javon’s paradox.

Jevons Paradox is the idea that increasing the efficiency of resource use can lead to an overall increase in consumption of that resource.

In orher words, moving to a more efficient email will create even more emails, and significantly increase more time spent on each email. This is exactly the feedback we increasing start hearing from the market.

But what is a Market? First it was the Baltic Exchange, then replaced by telex and Fax, and later Emails… Widespread of messaging and Platforms, and now powered by AI are making emails a thing of the past.

[Alexander Varvarenko @Alex_Varvarenko]

ANNOUNCEMENT
Last few months, we were planning to finally increase the subscription to SHIPNEXT, due to the fact that we still charge lower than any platform, while keeping it at initial level for all the current subscribers.
Instead, we decided to keep the subscription at $89 (€75) per month, because we still want to remain as a Freemium and the most affordable platform, while our early users were simply more fortunate to be better, faster and successful than our latter adopters. And, YES, this includes all our features, including emailing and email processing, freight-search, fleet data, port-data, chartering tools, calculators, CRM, news and market indexes, transport management and much more.

[Alexander Varvarenko @Alex_Varvarenko]

Just as everyone thought there consolidation finally coming to the transportation industry, and shipping sector will be less fragmented, when suddenly there are some 100+ more shipping companies in Middle East and Asia alone. #shipnext

[Alexander Varvarenko @Alex_Varvarenko]

Shadow fleet

When I hear about “shadow fleet”, I always recall my 18-moths old daughter closing her eyes with her hands when trying to hide from parents.
It only shows, shipping sector in particular, and transportation industry in general, is still in its early stage of digitalization.
The shift to platforms like Shipnext shows you all the fleet, its activity, ports of call, and sanctioned status. And while we still continue to continuously add various data-sources to improve, we see that the trend towards full transparency is evident.
The next 1-2 years will mark a huge growth in the importance of platforms marking a greater shift in how business is done.
#shipnext #sanctions #trade #usa #russia #iran #venezuela #china #eu #shipping

[Alexander Varvarenko @Alex_Varvarenko]

China is coming…

It was my pleasure giving an open lecture at the Shanghai Maritime University! Everyone knows that SHIPNEXT has a strong cooperation with Universities and Institutes, that started of from a partnership with Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers, allowing their graduate students to start their careers ahead of their piers.
This one was about important fundamentals and basics, and by the end of the lecture everyone in the room understood how many things work in shipping in particular, and transportation in general.
Importantly, Shanghai Maritime University will be one more university, to have a strong cooperation with Shipnext.
While we will connect their brightest and most advanced graduates to the industry. #university #education #transport #freight

[Alexander Varvarenko @Alex_Varvarenko]

Nice! @SHIPNEXT surpassed all the sponsors of the ICS event! And this is just the beginning…
#shipnext #trade #shipping

[Alexander Varvarenko @Alex_Varvarenko]

After a few weeks studying the progress of other digital platforms, it is clear, that:

- A growing number of contracts in containers, dry-bulk and we-bulk are fixed on basis of indeces. Indexes generated by Freight/shipping exchanges are playing a more important role. However the way they get their data is old-fashioned, and some of them are not ready for the technological change that is taking place.

- “Spot” Deals in shipping/transportation will be mostly done through Exchanges/Marketplaces (just like travel is done via https://t.co/ZUSZKc0kHT. It’s about accurate data, electronic and secure exchange of documents and money. But I am sure even long term contracts will also evolve.

- Platforms/Marketplaces will outpace email software just like email outpaced telex and fax. Yes, email will still be used, but signinficantly less. When I started my career, we were already on BlackBerry. my first boss, however, still checked his fax and telex every day…

This is why, once again, I see how two generations get split. Those that invest in the “old tech” - emails, and those that understand the the change that is coming with AI.

It’s all about speed, access to data and opportunities.

#shipnext #freight #trade #commodity #markets #platform #ai #transport #shipping

[Alexander Varvarenko @Alex_Varvarenko]

Men in shipping

Following my previous post on women in shipping, some of you asked me to write one about men. So I outlined those characteristics found in men, in shipping in particular, and business in general, while not in women.

1) Men are generally more willing to take larger financial and operational risks — such as freight speculation, asset plays, or aggressive chartering. Women, by contrast, tend to be more cautious and risk-managed.

2) Men are more likely to display toughness, argue assertively in disputes, and view confrontation as a natural part of doing business.

3) Men are more inclined to stick to traditional structures, hierarchy, and the mindset of “this is how it’s always been done.” Women in shipping, however, are often quicker to embrace new systems, compliance, and digitalization. For instance, men may sometimes over-identify with the size of the fleet they handle — behaving as if the ships and money were their own — and see it as a marker of personal importance.

4) Men often build business relationships through exclusive, male-dominated circles — golf outings, private clubs, or late-night dinners. Women, on the other hand, are more likely to expand networks through inclusive, professional, or mixed forums. The heavy drinking, late-night networking, and “boys’ club” culture remain far more associated with men than women in shipping.

#shipping #transport #men #social #business #trade

[Alexander Varvarenko @Alex_Varvarenko]

Women in shipping

In my observation, while both men and women have unique strengths and cannot be fully generalized, I believe women bring particularly valuable qualities to business in general, and to shipping in particular. Their growing presence in senior positions, especially over the past decade, has highlighted this.
1.Women tend to be more straightforward and less easily compromised. At the same time, I would note that the younger generation as a whole shows greater integrity and openness compared to the past.
2.Women often demonstrate a greater sense of commitment and stability, preferring dialogue and discussion before making life-changing decisions. This ability to seek consensus and avoid impulsiveness is an asset in leadership and long-term business relations.
3.Historically, women focused on caring for the household and family, while men were expected to provide through strength and physical work. This division of roles helped women cultivate empathy, communication, and emotional resilience. In modern societies, where physical protection is largely secured by the state and legal systems, these soft skills have become even more critical for sustainable leadership and effective teamwork.

Tmrw will give my input on Men in shipping. :)

#shipping #trade #society #psychology #business #leadership #varamar #shipnext

[Alexander Varvarenko @Alex_Varvarenko]

@Rothmus American humor is becoming ever more ridiculous and pathetic

[Alexander Varvarenko @Alex_Varvarenko]

While visiting Korea, I asked all the people of their main observations about shipping, transportation industry and the changes they observed in the last years:

1) still no one from the older generation wanted their children to work in shipping. Why? Too Amy emails and work 24/7…. Personally, I know. Working wi th emails is a thing of the past…
2) More women in shipping! … this was a great surprise and I was happy to see this. I am a great supporter of women in business in general, and shipping in particular (see my next post on this)
3) 50% of their bookings/fixtures are now done on digital platforms. Just 5 years ago this was unimaginable. This only means that all those companies that invest in a more fancy email software are making a big mistake.

#shipping #trade #shipnext #sedna #outlook #digital #transport

[Alexander Varvarenko @Alex_Varvarenko]

Just recently I was approached for a podcast on “shipping”. I later noticed, that the podcast was in the US, and related to “truck drivers”.
What can I say…. Crazy but true! This reminds me, again, of all those who continue to be confused between “shipping”, “maritime”, and “transportation”.
Once again, there is no such thing as “shipping industry”, or “maritime industry”.
“Trucking” is not “shipping”. It can, at least, be called “transportation”. I could, however, give a podcast on how important it is to be aligned on these, and how much confusion and losses this brings to those who try to position their companies globally. #shipping #transport #trucking

[Alexander Varvarenko @Alex_Varvarenko]

Transportation will never be free, nor can it ever become zero-cost—but it ultimate trajectory is towards the unreachable “zero”. In other words - the cheaper the better, which has its limitation.
Even though theoretically transportation fees do get “free of charge” these days, which comes as a result of trying to maintain customer for a longer-term goal.
The only way to achieve this continuous reduction is through relentless innovation.
Without innovation, transportation costs stagnate or rise; with it, they stabilize or even decline. The future of global trade depends on this ongoing cycle of innovation to keep the carriage of goods efficient and affordable. #Ecommerce #trade #shipping #transprort