The document outlines the journey of Dmytro Voloshyn, co-founder of Preply, a global online language tutoring marketplace, detailing the lessons learned from multiple startup failures and successes. Key advice includes the importance of persistence, understanding unit economics, and valuing team dynamics as essential for building an international startup. Preply has experienced significant growth with 175,000 students from 185 countries, achieving milestones in funding and service offerings over the years.

1. Start&Fail, Start&Fail, Start
How to survive building an international startup.
Dmytro Voloshyn
Co-founder, Preply

2. Preply
Preply is a global
marketplace for online
language tutoring.

3. The brief history of failures…

4. СТАРТАПИ 10 РОКІВ ТОМ
How I
envisioned
my own
business…

5. How I
envisioned
my own
business #2

6. We have built
very high
expectations…

7. Reality

8. Advice: Do MVP

9. 2012
200k angel investment
without product
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
💸
2018

10. Moved to Boston
to launch the product
"
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

11. 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

12. Advice: Calculate your Unit
economics(CAC<LTV)

13. Back to Kyiv
after two months
#
2013 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

14. Continuos meetings
and brainstorms
20132012 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

15. 20132012 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

16. Advice: Be persistent

17. We have discovered
local demand
$
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

18. Pivoted to English
tutors in Kyiv
🔮
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

19. Launched
Concierge MVP
&
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

22. Advice: Do things that don’t scale

23. 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
Out of money with
$300 monthly revenue
🐣

24. 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
2014 Crisis and international push
⛏

25. Advice: Every crisis is an opportunity

26. 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
Reached
$10,000 milestone
⛳

27. 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
Accepted to
Techstars Berlin

28. 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

29. Advice: build an international culture

30. 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
1.3M
seed round
🌱

31. Advice: build lines not dots

33. 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
4M
round🌳
2018

34. Advice: never give up

35. Preply in numbers
27 language classes
and 13 other
subjects
175 000 students
from 185 countries
worldwide
3x YoY growth within
the past couple of
years
90 employees
,
🎓 📈
/

36. How do I start again after failure?

37. +
Team Secret sauce

38. Advice: people are the key

39. How to build ideal team?
• Be accessible
• Be visible
• Take care of your reputation
• Always be selling
• Do not work with people who are not excited with what you do
♂

40. How to stay motivated
• Burn your bridges
• Observe your metrics
• Have people around
• Have fun

41. We are always hiring!
/in/dmytrovoloshyn
dmytro@preply.com
Dmytro Voloshyn
Questions?