Founder Rollercoaster: Managing Downs and Enjoying Ups of Building a Company from Scratch

What does it take to lead a company through challenging times while fostering a culture of trust and resilience? In this episode, I sit down with Oleksandr Mykolaienko, CEO of Tallium, a company focused on crafting top-notch mobile and web applications for both startups and enterprises.
During the episode, Oleksandr shares his journey from founding his company in Ukraine to managing a distributed team across multiple countries. Despite challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, Oleksandr has continued to lead with a focus on team’s well-being, trust, and sustainable growth.
We explore how Oleksandr navigated the shift from working 24/7 to creating a balanced leadership style that supports both personal and professional well-being. He opens up about the key mindset shifts that helped him say no to more clients, projects, and tasks-ultimately leading to improved focus and productivity. Oleksandr also shares how he learned to delegate effectively and trust his team, even when managing remotely.
In this episode, you will learn about:
How Oleksandr built Tallium from the ground up and scaled it to a 100-person team
the biggest mindset shifts that helped him balance his leadership responsibilities
why saying ”no” can be a powerful tool for sustainable growth
the importance of trust and delegation in managing a remote team
how to lead effectively in a remote-first culture and maintain strong relationships
insights on maintaining motivation and energy as a founder through personal challenges