🧬 How I Turned Economic Chaos Into My Biggest Advantage | Andrey Doronichev (Part 2/4)
September 18, 2025
"If you're genuinely passionate and curious about things, people will feed that curiosity. Do not underestimate that."
In this episode of The Biotech Startups Podcast, Andrey Doronichev takes us from his formative years hustling in post-Soviet Russia to launching a mobile startup amid economic chaos, emigrating as political tides shifted, and boldly landing a role at Google—all powered by grit, curiosity, and risk-taking.
Andrey reveals how bootstrapping in Russia’s early Internet boom, betting on mobile YouTube before smartphones were mainstream, and championing innovation at Google transformed both his life and the way billions interact with online video.
🧬 The Biotech Startups Podcast is powered by Excedr—helping life science startups accelerate R&D and commercialization with founder-friendly equipment leasing. Skip the upfront costs, stay lean, and focus on breakthrough science.
As a TBSP listener, you can get exclusive perks through Excedr’s partner network—special savings, promotions, and more. Explore these offers today: https://www.excedr.com/partners.
"If you're genuinely passionate and curious about things, people will feed that curiosity. Do not underestimate that."
In this episode of The Biotech Startups Podcast, Andrey Doronichev takes us from his formative years hustling in post-Soviet Russia to launching a mobile startup amid economic chaos, emigrating as political tides shifted, and boldly landing a role at Google—all powered by grit, curiosity, and risk-taking.
Andrey reveals how bootstrapping in Russia’s early Internet boom, betting on mobile YouTube before smartphones were mainstream, and championing innovation at Google transformed both his life and the way billions interact with online video.
- Grit and Adaptation: Turning setbacks into fuel for ambition
- Early Internet Entrepreneurship: Bootstrapping and thriving in Russia’s nascent digital market
- The Power of Curiosity: Letting eagerness and adaptability spark growth and opportunity
- Betting on Mobile: Doubling down on YouTube’s mobile potential before it was obvious
- Emigration and Perspective: Escaping Russia’s constraints to embrace global possibilities
If you enjoy The Biotech Startups Podcast, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, or sharing it with your friends. Thanks for listening.
Subscribe to the Podcast:
Find our guest, Andrey Doronichev, at these links:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/doronichev/
Website: https://bioptic.io/
Find our host, Jon Chee, at these links:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonchee
Learn more about Excedr:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/excedr/
Website: https://www.excedr.com
Intro & Outro Songs Created by OkKyojin, Owned by Excedr:
Website: https://flow.page/kyojin
Resources & Articles:
The Art of Computer Programming: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Art_of_Computer_Programming
JAVA Programming for Mobile Devices: https://www.java.com/en/download/help/java_mobile.html
Companies, Universities, & People mentioned:
Google: https://www.google.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/
Picasa (archived): https://picasa.google.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/
Redfin: https://www.redfin.com/
Nokia: https://www.nokia.com/
BlackBerry: https://www.blackberry.com/
Hugo Barra: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hbarra/
Eric Schmidt: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-e-schmidt/
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
01:42 Early Career Hustle and Academic Setbacks
05:34 Entering Russia’s Early Internet Industry
08:15 Breaking Into Tech Through Curiosity
12:40 Balancing Work and Study
14:28 The Shift Toward Entrepreneurship
16:40 Betting Big on Mobile Apps
20:47 Bootstrapping a Startup and Finding Success
23:43 Emigrating from Russia for a Better Future
26:25 Getting Hired by Google with a Cold Email
29:48 Taking the Risk on YouTube Mobile
33:55 The Transformation to Mobile-First Platforms
34:57 Outro
The Biotech Startups Podcast gives you a front-row seat to the business and science of building a biotech. Hosted by Jon Chee, CEO of Excedr, the show features honest conversations with founders, execs, and investors about their work, their companies, and how they got there. From scientific breakthroughs to startup lessons, each episode explores what it really takes to grow a life science company—from pre-seed to IPO.