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Key Takeaways Hire for problem-solving and values alignment, not logos, titles or perfect past experience.
Design a culture that removes ceilings so talent compounds faster than competitors can copy.
Most founders focus too much on technology or marketing ads, while 23% of startups fail because they have built the wrong team. Realizing it’s important not only what you do but also with whom, I made my team my competitive advantage.
Over the past five years, my co-founder Anatolii Kasianov and I have been building HOLYWATER, an AI-first entertainment network reaching 60 million users globally. Each of our products is a breakthrough. My Drama dominates vertical video streaming with 40 million users. My Passion is the world’s #1 independent publishing platform outside China with 1,000+ titles. My Muse pioneered AI-generated vertical series.
Our technology stack, IP portfolio and distribution channels are extensive. But when I was asked in an interview what our startup’s moat was, I said the team. We have 285 talented people committed to building something that no competitor can replicate.
Here are my main principles for hiring and managing a team.
Related: Why You Need to Prioritize Second-Chance Hiring to Compete for Top-Tier Talent
Look beyond the CV
When reviewing candidates, most hiring managers see CVs as a set of rare data, such as years of experience, degrees and previous employers, searching for big names. However, the last one is definitely not worth chasing. Typically, people who have worked in a hot tub at a large corporation cannot get into the startup pace. This is even confirmed by research — former startup employees have more preferences for challenge, independence and responsibility. Therefore, it is certainly not worth hiring someone just because they worked for a large, well-known company. Instead, look beyond that — at their ability to solve challenges. That’s what’s significant in a startup.
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