What Step by Step does

Step by Step is a privately-held educational consulting firm founded in 2022 that designs individualized educational strategies for Russian-speaking families with children and teenagers aged 6-17, plus a secondary cohort of young adults pursuing career transitions. The firm operates from a Russian sole-proprietorship (IP Zarubina Olga Sergeevna) with a parallel UAE corporate entity (SKY Consulting Group L.L.C-FZ, Dubai), enabling it to serve cross-border clients in 17+ countries spanning Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Oceania, and the Americas. The offering is structured as five modular service lines — Talent Diagnostics (a 20+ tool battery including a proprietary 'Career Map,' RIASEC, Eysenck temperament, 8 Stimuli of Motivation, SkillsToRoles, Multiple Intelligence, and board-game competency diagnostics), Individual Academic Preparation, Career Navigation and Portfolio Preparation, School/University Selection and Admissions (using 20+ selection criteria), and Tutor Support with weekly Highlights reports — wrapped around four age-tiered strategy products. A 'Pedagogical Council' model pairs tutors, methodologists, and admission strategists to deliver each strategy, with 40+ credentialed tutors drawn from elite Russian private schools (Letovo, Mir, Novaya School, Sirius).

The business model is quote-based professional services sold direct-to-consumer through website consultation requests and a Telegram/LinkedIn/Facebook presence, supplemented by referrals from international schools and educational partners. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; revenue is generated via service fees for diagnostic work, ongoing tutoring, and end-to-end admissions support. The firm has 51-100 employees, no disclosed funding, no AI/ML infrastructure, and no app — its differentiation rests on human capital (credentialed tutors from elite Russian schools), proprietary diagnostic methodologies, and an international school/university contact network anchored by advisory ties to Letovo School and the School of Education.

Name

Step by Step

Legal name

IP Zarubina Olga Sergeevna (ИП Зарубина Ольга Сергеевна)

Website

https://studysbs.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Step by Step is a 2022-founded educational consulting firm that designs individualized K-12 and university-admissions strategies for Russian-speaking families with children aged 6-17, using a 20+ diagnostic tool battery and 40+ tutors across 17+ countries, with corporate presence in Russia and the UAE.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Consulting Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth-to-Adult Transition & Life Skills (Independent Living, Soft Skills) (EDAAAFAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Integrated Tutoring + Learning Content Platforms (Curriculum + Tutors) (EDANAGAL), Under-18 / High School-to-University Foundation Pathways (EDAIAJAI)

Keywords

• Educational consulting services
• Talent diagnostics assessment
• Academic tutoring programs
• School admissions advisory
• Career navigation guidance

Headquarters

HQ city

Dubai

HQ country

United Arab Emirates

HQ region

Middle East

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Educational Strategy Consulting: Full-service educational consulting including talent diagnostics, tutor matching, academic preparation, career navigation, and university admission assistance. Revenue generated through service fees for comprehensive strategy development and ongoing tutoring/academic support.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Step by Step designs and delivers individualized educational strategies for children and teenagers aged 6-17, combining talent diagnostics, personalized academic tutoring, career navigation through practical industry exposure, and school/university selection and admission assistance. The service integrates 20+ proprietary diagnostic technologies with a Pedagogical Council model (tutor, methodologist, admission strategist) to support Russian-speaking families seeking international education pathways.

Product overview

Step by Step is an educational consulting company offering a modular service portfolio centered on individualized educational strategies for children and teenagers aged 6-17 years. The core offering consists of age-differentiated educational strategy programs (strategy0-3) addressing specific developmental stages. These strategies are built from five complementary service elements: Child's Talent Exploration (diagnostics using 6 methods), Individual Academic Preparation (tutoring with 40+ teachers), Career Navigation (practical industry exposure), School/University Selection and Admission Assistance, and Tutor Support. The company operates on a holistic pedagogical approach, using a Pedagogical Council model that includes tutors, methodologists, and admission strategists.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Improved math grade from 3.9 to 4.4 in 2 months
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Letovo SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvisory partnership with one of Russia's leading private schools. Polina Maltseva, creator of Letovo School, participates as advisor to Step by Step educational strategies.
• School of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSonia Smyslova, co-founder and program curator, contributes expertise to Step by Step curriculum development and pedagogical approaches.
• Interregional Tutor AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStep by Step tutors are members of this professional association, providing credibility and professional development opportunities.

Scale indicators3 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• IvyWise: US-based admissions counseling and tutoring firm offering individualized college admission strategy, test prep, and academic tutoring. Closely comparable service model to Step by Step's academic preparation and admissions assistance pillars.
• Максимум (Maximum): Russian online school and exam preparation platform focused on ЕГЭ/ОГЭ preparation. Comparable as a Russian-market academic preparation provider targeting similar student demographics (school-age through university entry).
• Skysmart: Russian-market online tutoring and education platform (part of Skyeng) offering academic preparation across multiple subjects. Comparable as a Russian-speaking private tutoring provider, though operating at significantly larger scale and as a technology platform rather than boutique consulting.
• PrepScholar: Personalized online test prep and admissions platform combining adaptive learning with admissions strategy content. Comparable to Step by Step's exam preparation (GCSE, A-Level, IB) and admission consulting offerings, though delivered more via technology than in-person tutoring.
• Admissionado: Boutique admissions consulting firm offering personalized strategy, interview prep, and application support for top universities. Comparable to Step by Step's high-touch admissions assistance and portfolio preparation services.
• TutorOnline: Russian online tutoring marketplace/platform connecting students with tutors across subjects and exam prep (including ЕГЭ/ОГЭ). Comparable as a Russian-speaking academic tutoring service addressing similar customer pain points (academic performance, exam preparation).
• Crimson Education: Global holistic admissions and education-strategy firm combining diagnostics, tutoring, mentorship, and university application support. Closest direct peer to Step by Step's bundled, high-touch model, though operating at much larger scale and global footprint.

Broad incumbents

• Preply: Global online tutoring marketplace with strong presence in language learning. Overlaps with Step by Step on tutoring delivery but operates as a marketplace platform rather than a holistic education-strategy firm.
• Foxford: Russian online school offering prep courses for ЕГЭ/ОГЭ and school subjects. Comparable as a Russian-market academic preparation provider, but operating as a broader online school rather than individualized strategy consulting.

Others

• Letovo School: Elite Russian private school and strategic advisory partner to Step by Step. Included as a key ecosystem partner rather than a direct competitor; provides credibility and advisor talent (Polina Maltseva) that supports Step by Step's offering.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/studysbs
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/studysbs

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Step by Step