Success story: Oleksandr Bondariev

Written by Oleksandr Bondariev

I had the incredible opportunity to participate in SCET Berkeley UC’s Berkeley Method of Entrepreneurship Bootcamp in California in August 2023.

It was a refreshing and inspiring experience to interact with U.S. startups and mentors. I gained invaluable insights from them while also sharing my own experiences to support peers who were just beginning their startup journeys.

Here are a few key lessons I took away:

  1. Be mindful of your time. In Silicon Valley, 15-minute meetings are common, so it’s essential to focus on the key takeaways and avoid unnecessary distractions.
  2. Time is valued, and so is reciprocity.People here are highly conscious of their time, which fosters a culture of efficiency and mutual value exchange. You’ll receive excellent advice, but there’s also an expectation that you’ll contribute value in return when the opportunity arises.
  3. A fast-paced learning curve accelerates success. With such a strong emphasis on time and value, you gain experience and launch products much faster than in most other places. This again highlights the importance of being intentional with your time.

Silicon Valley thrives on a competitive yet supportive community, offering extraordinary rewards for those who achieve significant milestones. While there are many great entrepreneurial ecosystems worldwide, Silicon Valley remains unmatched in its competitiveness and resources. I highly recommend experiencing it.

That said, I don’t believe Silicon Valley can be replicated any more than Rome or Paris can be recreated. However, I am optimistic that Ukrainian startups—already making waves internationally—will further strengthen our national ecosystem. We have incredible talent and are navigating global competition; now, the focus must be on securing financial resources and fostering a robust Ukrainian-international community. I hope to contribute to this vision in the future.

I am deeply grateful to Gigi Wang and the amazing TAs for orchestrating this experience, to all the incredible individuals I met during the bootcamp, and to my former Sixth Form alma mater, Cherwell College Oxford, as well as the Oxbridge Foundation, for making this opportunity possible.

Book your tickets for the Innovation, Technology & Entrepreneurship Bootcamp here