Oleksii Sidorov

Oleksii Sidorov's Substack navigates the intricacies of the startup and venture capital world from the perspective of a Y Combinator alum, offering insights into startup culture, fundraising, product development, and the Web3 advertising landscape. It blends practical advice with deep dives into startup strategy, failures, and the dynamics of angel investing.

Startup Culture Venture Capital Product Development Web3 and Crypto Advertising Fundraising Strategies Entrepreneurial Insights Company Updates Investor Relations Angel Investing Advertisements and Promotions

The hottest Substack posts of Oleksii Sidorov

And their main takeaways

Is Y Combinator worth the money (equity)? Brutally honest review of W22 batch experience

815 HN points • 29 Mar 23
💼 Business Startups Networking Funding Entrepreneurship Investment
  1. The Y Combinator program tends to treat all companies similarly, despite differences in stage and industry.
  2. The networking opportunities within the program may be limited due to the large number of companies and lack of common ground.
  3. The main value of participating in Y Combinator often revolves around fundraising, but the benefits may vary depending on the specific situation of the company.

Slise.xyz Q4 2023 Investor Updates — Year Wrapped

72 implied HN points • 10 Jan 24
💼 Business Startups Advertising Cryptocurrency Market Trends Revenue growth
  1. 2023 was a challenging but successful year for Slise.xyz, establishing a strong brand.
  2. In 2024, Slise.xyz aims to introduce a single mediation protocol for Web3 advertising, maximizing revenue and minimizing risks for all participants.
  3. Anticipate market moves in 2024, with a surge in Solana volume and new budgets driving growth opportunities.

The Map of Web3 Distribution. 5 ways you can reach wallet owners and what to lookout for in each of them

144 implied HN points • 14 Mar 23
🕹 Technology Advertising Metaverse
  1. Utilize public channels like airdrops to reach wallet owners, but be wary of spam and lack of user impressions.
  2. Consider creating your own traffic platform to manage ad placements and limit spam, but be aware of the challenges in building a large user base.
  3. Explore placing ads in the Metaverse, dApps, or targeting Web3 users in Web2 platforms for potential higher volume and audience reach.
Get a weekly roundup of the best Substack posts, by hacker news affinity:

In melancholy for craftsmanship

72 implied HN points • 05 Jul 23
💼 Business Entrepreneurship Craftsmanship Skill development
  1. Finding fulfillment in entrepreneurship can be challenging due to the continuous stream of problems and challenges.
  2. Traditional skill-based crafts offer a feedback loop that can bring satisfaction and fulfillment in gradual improvement.
  3. Entrepreneurship focuses on breadth of skills, while craftsmanship emphasizes depth and mastery in a single task.

Slise.xyz mid-Q2 2023 Investor Updates: Binance Accelerator + Product Live + First Revenue!

36 implied HN points • 05 Jun 23
💼 Business Startups Marketing Investing Networking Technology
  1. Slise.xyz had a successful launch of their ad platform with significant user growth and revenue
  2. The company was accepted into the prestigious Binance Labs MVB program and is receiving interest from investors
  3. Key highlights include hiring new team members, attending important events, and focusing on product and analytics improvements

I left AI Research to build an AI Startup. Here is what I learned.

10 HN points • 14 Feb 23
🕹 Technology AI Startups Engineering Algorithms Models
  1. In real life, business cares more about whether your AI solution solves a problem than about complex models or theories.
  2. Simplicity often wins in AI solutions - using what you understand well and can deploy quickly can be more effective than complex algorithms.
  3. Understanding the problem domain deeply and focusing on impact rather than endless research is crucial for successful AI projects.