🧬 Inside the Google vs. Apple War: Launching YouTube iOS | Andrey Doronichev (Part 3/4)
September 22, 2025
"If you as a leader of a startup—no matter how small—or you as an employee of a big organization, you could be the agent of change."
In this episode of The Biotech Startups Podcast, Andrey Doronichev traces his path from launching mobile content in Russia to transforming YouTube for mobile, overcoming fierce Google-Apple rivalry to deliver the iOS app, and pioneering VR at Google. He candidly shares lessons in resilience, startup highs and lows, and the critical role of personal influence behind major milestones, culminating in his pivot to AI-powered biotech with OPTIC.
Listeners get practical insights into team-building, dealmaking psychology, and the dynamic realities of entrepreneurship in fast-changing industries.
🧬 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 as a leader of a startup—no matter how small—or you as an employee of a big organization, you could be the agent of change."
In this episode of The Biotech Startups Podcast, Andrey Doronichev traces his path from launching mobile content in Russia to transforming YouTube for mobile, overcoming fierce Google-Apple rivalry to deliver the iOS app, and pioneering VR at Google. He candidly shares lessons in resilience, startup highs and lows, and the critical role of personal influence behind major milestones, culminating in his pivot to AI-powered biotech with OPTIC.
Listeners get practical insights into team-building, dealmaking psychology, and the dynamic realities of entrepreneurship in fast-changing industries.
Key topics covered:
- The Power of Personal Agency: Individuals spark big change
- Navigating Corporate Rivalry: Launching YouTube iOS amid fierce competition
- Transitioning to VR at Google: Scrappy teams driving breakthrough ideas
- Embracing Entrepreneurial Hardship: Surviving the startup ups and downs
- Finding the Next Frontier: Pivoting from blockchain to AI biotech innovation
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:
Google Cardboard (VR and AR project): https://vr.google.com/cardboard/
Oculus VR (now Meta Quest): https://www.meta.com/quest/
Google Earth VR: https://www.meta.com/experiences/pcvr/google-earth-vr/1513995308673845/?srsltid=AfmBOoowOgA142QolPTP6W8-r4HUczHdvqIEoSi_s3VtWBDsWRXyO0tm
Google Expeditions: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Expeditions
Stadia (Google’s cloud gaming platform): https://stadia.google.com/
Companies, Universities, & People mentioned:
OPTIC: https://bioptic.io/
Google: https://www.google.com/
Apple: https://www.apple.com/
Kleiner Perkins: https://www.kleinerperkins.com/
Greylock: https://greylock.com/
Eric Schmidt: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-e-schmidt/
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
01:43 The Power of Personal Experience and Early Insights
03:42 Hypergrowth at YouTube and the Mobile Internet Explosion
05:15 Leading YouTube Mobile: Challenges and Triumphs
07:11 The Google-Apple Rift and Negotiating the YouTube iOS App
08:39 Focusing On User Experience to Resolve Corporate Rivalry
10:44 Lessons in Change-Making and Deal Psychology
12:38 Post-YouTube: Entrepreneurial Yearning and VR Vision at Google
18:02 The Reality of Starting Over (Again and Again)
21:06 Entrepreneurial Mindset: Why You Should Join a Startup
22:37 Leaving Google: Seeking the Next Big Thing and Exploring AI
27:31 The OPTIC Journey: Blockchain Bet, Pivot, and Investor Lessons
31:36 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.