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Growing up in a harsh industrial city in eastern Ukraine, I watched talented people slowly give up on their dreams. From an early age, I was taught that if you come from a small town, your options are limited — that ambition belongs to others. We often don’t even notice the limits we, or society, place on us. I decided to find out what happens when I ignore them.
I studied political science, interned at the UN, worked at international corporations and launched startups before finding my calling.
Now, our tech company HOLYWATER is reshaping entertainment. We are one of the fastest-growing startups in Europe. With series reaching up to 20 million views, My Drama has been recognized with top industry honors — including the Webby, Muse and W3 Awards. My Passion, an independent digital book publishing platform, has over 1,000 titles, many of which are becoming bestsellers.
You don’t need a business degree, technical background or “perfect” credentials to build something extraordinary. Instead, here are some important lessons I learned through my career switch.
Related: Lead with Insight Using These 5 Success Strategies
Instead of choosing between existing options, create your own
58% of entrepreneurs worked in corporate jobs before founding their businesses. So yeah, they were also the ones who worked from 9 to 5, expecting their salary at the end of the month and thinking about how to ask for a promotion politely.
I graduated from a mathematics lyceum, completed an internship at the UN, and worked at a corporation for two years. It was an interesting and crucial experience for me, but deep down, I knew I wanted more — not just to contribute to existing systems, but to create new ones that could change how people live and think.
When I left my corporate job in 2016 to launch my first startup, colleagues warned that most startups fail and that I was throwing away a promising career. I’d heard similar warnings all my life — but I’ve learned that your background doesn’t disqualify you; it gives you a unique perspective that others lack.
Challenge every assumption about what’s possible for someone with your background. Even if you’ve spent your entire career as an employee with no technical skills, you can still build a successful startup. Today’s no-code solutions, such as Cursor, Lovable or Rork, enable the creation of products without traditional programming knowledge.
To identify unconscious behavior patterns that limit your potential, start with daily reflection practices — whether through journaling, meditation or philosophical reading. My must-read list for founders includes books like Carol Dweck’s Mindset, Steven Pinker’s How the Mind Works and Jeffrey Young’s Reinventing Your Life. If you haven’t read any of them yet, start now. It’s a boost for your future self-improvement.
Reframe failures as growth accelerators
The technology industry has a 63% failure rate within five years — the highest of any industry. However, this should not stop you from building your product. If all entrepreneurs were afraid of statistics, we would not have any cool tech solutions today (including HOLYWATER).
My first startup in 2016 failed. Instead of seeing this as proof that entrepreneurship wasn’t for me, I treated it as an education. That failure taught me more about business fundamentals than any formal program could, and ultimately led me to co-found my company.
Look at the pivots that created today’s giants: Netflix transitioned from DVD rentals to streaming, then became a content production powerhouse. Instagram started as a mobile microblogging app before pivoting to photo sharing. Every “failure” is data about what doesn’t work, bringing you closer to what does.
Build with a team from day one
Team support is one of those things that will keep you moving forward, preventing from stopping at failure.
In 2019, my team tested various business models. We did everything from launching an entertainment website to working with Facebook games, and even engaging in reactive marketing of mosquito repellent lamps (successfully, by the way!). I’m sure I wouldn’t have done so many experiments on my own, but this community of passionate, like-minded people really pushed me!
Together, with Anatolii Kasianov, we launched a live wallpaper app for iPhone, which brought in $100,000 in revenue in the first two months. We continued to launch and test various apps, looking for ” that one”.
The key insight: complementary skills create exponential value, not additive value.
I brought business development and strategic thinking; Anatolii brought technical execution. Neither of us could have achieved the same results alone. When building your team, look for people whose strengths compensate for your weaknesses, not people who think exactly like you.
Think long-term, not quick wins
After scaling our app portfolio, I realized I didn’t want to build random apps without retention or meaningful impact. I wanted to create something lasting.
This shift in thinking led to HOLYWATER’s focus on the content ecosystem. Instead of chasing quick revenue wins, we invested in understanding storytelling, entertainment and how AI could enhance human creativity. That long-term vision became My Drama, My Passion and My Muse
— platforms that now serve millions of users globally, reaching 100M+ of watched & read content.
If I could give only one piece of advice to early-stage founders, it would be: don’t try to win a single round of funding or hit a specific revenue target. Aim to build systems and capabilities that can evolve and compound over decades.
The “right time” will never come
Tried all the traditional paths suggested by your bubble, and they don’t work for you? Start building your own! Stepping into the uncertainty is scary. But every step of the way will help you discover your leadership style.
Keep moving forward, and reflect on your path. Ask yourself, “What energizes me, and what drains me?” and “How do my experiences uniquely position me for this opportunity?”. Turn your failures into a jumping-off point for growth.
You have permission to write your own story. And many niches need the solutions that only your unique combination of experiences can create.
Growing up in a harsh industrial city in eastern Ukraine, I watched talented people slowly give up on their dreams. From an early age, I was taught that if you come from a small town, your options are limited — that ambition belongs to others. We often don’t even notice the limits we, or society, place on us. I decided to find out what happens when I ignore them.
I studied political science, interned at the UN, worked at international corporations and launched startups before finding my calling.
Now, our tech company HOLYWATER is reshaping entertainment. We are one of the fastest-growing startups in Europe. With series reaching up to 20 million views, My Drama has been recognized with top industry honors — including the Webby, Muse and W3 Awards. My Passion, an independent digital book publishing platform, has over 1,000 titles, many of which are becoming bestsellers.
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