Findings from In-Depth interviews with founders in New York
I conducted several interviews using the Theory U methodology with post-soviet founders in New York and Silicon Valley. This is a unique social technology that we work on in my startup. It helps to understand the deep and key challenges a person faces and to find effective coping strategies for them.
Once, I even met with three founders from the same startup at once. These were the guys from Whizz, a bike rental service for couriers that has already raised $12 million and is operating all over New York City.
Key Observations:
1. The U.S. market is challenging but feasible for those who have actively worked and developed over the last decade in the post-Soviet space. There are many successful cases, but they all involve solid project experience prior to coming to America.
2. Russian-speaking founders have a strong economic advantage with access to a market of remote employees who share a common cultural code and speak the same language, often at 2-3 times lower cost than American employees. However, while this is a great benefit at the start, it can decrease effectiveness over time.
3. Few founders are proficient in managing remote/hybrid work environments from a communication practices standpoint. There’s an assumption that new work formats will function by themselves. Many don’t want to spend resources on these nuanced areas, but teams end up suffering from disintegration and fragmented contact.
4. Growth in workplace sustainability is crucial and an obviously needed skill. While there is also workplace toxicity in America, the communication norms here tend to be more respectful. Due to the culture of “pushing everything that moves” in Russian companies in recent years, where employees are often treated poorly, founders with that background can come across as rough and even abusive. They become more aware of this issue in the U.S. and are forced to put extra effort into working on themselves.
5. Almost all founders exhibit a bias toward the external side of their projects. Attention to internal and subtle aspects—like personal well-being, communication with co-founders, and informal team connections—becomes a priority only after they or their company reach “survival mode,” which many struggle with for years in the U.S. market. This imbalance is understandable, but it often hinders the very survival they seek, as the journey is more of a marathon than a sprint.
6. Cultural integration is a major pressure point, and many people lack the skills, attention, and understanding to handle it. It’s hard to stop living in a Russian-speaking bubble, although founders need this more than other immigrants. This critical issue is often pushed to the periphery and procrastinated upon for a long time.
All of these founders are incredibly inspiring. They are navigating an unbelievably challenging journey and doing immense work. But right now, each one is literally pulling themselves and their teams into an entirely new reality. It always feels a bit like an intergalactic journey!
Originally published on LinkedIn
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