You don’t have to choose between options: you can create your own

Growing up in a harsh industrial city in eastern Ukraine, I saw talented people slowly giving up on their dreams. From an early age, I was taught that when you come from a small town, your options are limited; that ambition belongs to others. Often we do not even realize what limitations we, or society, impose on us. I decided to find out what happens when I ignore them.

I studied political science, interned at the UN, worked at international companies and launched startups before I found my calling.

Now, our technology company HEALING WATER reshapes entertainment. We are one of the fastest growing startups in Europe. With series that are viewed up to 20 million times, My Drama has been recognized with the industry’s highest honors, including the Webby, Muse and W3 Awards. My Passionan independent digital book publishing platform, has more than 1,000 titles, many of which become bestsellers.

You don’t need a business degree, technical background or ‘perfect’ qualifications to build something extraordinary. Instead, here are some important lessons I learned during my career change.

Related: Lead with insight using these 5 success strategies

Instead of choosing between existing options, you can create your own

58% of entrepreneurs worked in corporate functions before starting their company. So yes, they were also the ones working 9 to 5, expecting their paycheck at the end of the month, and thinking about how to politely ask for a promotion.

I graduated from a mathematics high school, did an internship at the UN and worked at a company for two years. It was an interesting and pivotal experience for me, but deep down I knew I wanted more – not just to contribute to existing systems, but to create new systems that can change the way people live and think.

When I left my corporate job to launch my first startup in 2016, colleagues warned that most startups fail and that I was wasting a promising career. I’ve 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 miss.

Challenge any assumptions about what is 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, make it possible to create products without traditional programming knowledge.

To identify unconscious behavior patterns that limit your potential, begin with daily reflection exercises – either through journaling, meditation, or philosophical reading. My must-read list for founders includes books like Carol Dweck’s The mentalitySteven Pinkers How the mind works and Jeffrey Young’s Reinvent your life. If you haven’t read one yet, start now. It is 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 sector. However, this shouldn’t stop you from building your product. If all entrepreneurs were afraid of statistics, we wouldn’t have cool tech solutions today (HOLYWATER included).

My first startup in 2016 failed. Instead of seeing this as proof that entrepreneurship wasn’t for me, I looked at it as an education. That failure taught me more about the fundamentals of business than any formal program and ultimately led me to co-found my company.

Take a look at the pivot points that today’s giants have created: Netflix moved from DVD rentals to streaming and then became a content production powerhouse. Instagram started as a mobile microblogging app before moving into photo sharing. Each “failure” is data about what doesn’t work, bringing you closer to what does work.

Build with a team from day one

Team support is one of those things that keeps you moving forward and prevents you from quitting at failure.

In 2019, my team tested different business models. We’ve done everything from launching an entertainment website to working with Facebook games and even reactively marketing mosquito repellent lamps (with success, 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 generated $100,000 in revenue in the first two months. We kept launching and testing different apps, looking for ‘the one’.

The key insight: Complementary skills create exponential value, not added value.

I brought business development and strategic thinking; Anatolii took care of the technical implementation. Neither of us could have achieved the same results alone. When building your team, look for people whose strengths offset your weaknesses, not people who think exactly the same as you.

Think about the long term, not about quick wins

After scaling our app portfolio, I realized I didn’t want to build random apps with no 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 gains, we’ve invested in understanding storytelling, entertainment and how AI can enhance human creativity. That long-term vision became My Drama, My Passion and My Muse

— platforms that now serve millions of users worldwide, reaching more than 100 million content viewed and read.

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 expand over decades.

The “right time” will never come

Have you tried all the traditional paths suggested by your bubble, and they don’t work for you? Start building your own! It’s scary to step into uncertainty. But each step will help you discover your leadership style.

Keep moving forward and think about your path. Ask yourself:What gives me energy and what exhausts me?” And “How do my experiences uniquely position me for this opportunity??”. Turn your failures into a starting 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 saw talented people slowly giving up on their dreams. From an early age, I was taught that when you come from a small town, your options are limited; that ambition belongs to others. Often we do not even realize what limitations we, or society, impose on us. I decided to find out what happens when I ignore them.

I studied political science, interned at the UN, worked at international companies and launched startups before I found my calling.

Now, our technology company HEALING WATER reshapes entertainment. We are one of the fastest growing startups in Europe. With series that are viewed up to 20 million times, My Drama has been recognized with the industry’s highest honors, including the Webby, Muse and W3 Awards. My Passionan independent digital book publishing platform, has more than 1,000 titles, many of which become bestsellers.