Off to the Valley

Sasha Yablonovsky: Everything that you
assume, you know, you just don't know,

and everything you assume you don't know,
you end up knowing and figuring out.

So to me, it's like

if you're gonna start a company or
step into even a leadership role at a

company, just brace yourself for not ever
being the smartest person in the room.

Embrace relying on others for that
knowledge because otherwise you'll fail.

Prateek Panda: Hello and welcome back
to season two of Off to the Valley, the

podcast where we uncover the journeys
of entrepreneurs and change makers who

redefine success across industries.

I'm your host, Prateek Panda, and today

we are joined by

Sasha Yablonovsky, Co-founder and
Co-CEO of Loanspark and former

president at Career Builder.

Sasha's journey from corporate
leadership to FinTech entrepreneurship

is one of bold traditions,
transitions, innovation, and impact.

As an immigrant and a champion for
women in tech, she's reshaping how small

businesses access capital while paving
the way for more inclusive leadership.

Sasha, it's great to have you on the show.

There is so much I want to talk to
you about and thanks for taking time.

Sasha Yablonovsky: Thank you and
thank you so much for having me.

I'm looking forward to
our conversation today.

Prateek Panda: Great.

Tell us a little bit
about who Sasha is, right?

Tell us about your background.

What was your child childhood like?

a picture for everybody watching
and listening, so they know

you a little bit better.

Sasha Yablonovsky: All right.

Well, I was born and raised in
former Soviet Union in USSR.

My dad was in the military.

My mom was a nurse there and we
immigrated to the US in 91 and it was

actually just a few weeks before the
coup happened which was interesting.

So like we were able to get
out before USSR broke up.

My childhood was a happy one.

It was very challenging, all the
horror stories about communist

Russia back in a day or two.

But my parents, I think did
a great job shielding me from

most of it as I was growing up.

So that was good.

And then I came here and I was in
high school, I was an immigrant.

It was a horrible kind of period for me
because I think being a teenager is hard.

Being a teenager when you're
switching countries and languages

and cultures is even worse.

So that wasn't great.

And then I went to college
and things improved.

I was speaking English
fluently, I was adjusting more.

And I, you know, Americanized really well.

And then I got into IT 'cause
I thought it was interesting.

I was always drawn to math and sciences.

And NIT was interesting because in the
nineties there weren't a lot of women in

tech and not a lot of things were tech.

I think everything is tech now because
the sheer effect that we all use

computers makes us all working in tech.

But not a lot of people were in tech in
the nineties and definitely not a lot of

women and my superpower became speaking
human while understanding how software

and systems and infrastructure works.

So, kind of my journey began in sort of a
server room environment and then parlayed

into a strategy and customer facing
environment and that launched my career.

And I always tell people there isn't,
like I'm still figuring out what I wanna

be when I grow up, because my mantra
in life is whether or not you are ready

for something interesting, just say
yes and figure it out as you go, which

is how like no one is born a founder.

Like here I am a founder for the
last four years and I never thought I

would launch and run my own company.

And before that, like you mentioned,
you know, I was a President, Career

Builder and no one is born to be a
President of a huge global company either.

Like you kind of build
your way to get there.

So just, you know, say yes and move on.

But that ultimately launched like my
journey and my career, my many careers.

Prateek Panda: That's amazing Sasha
and thank you for sharing that mantra.

I think that's absolutely true.

And anybody who's done this at some
point, everybody has that share of doubt

and sort of second guessing yourself
and you have to, the only way is that

you go jump in and figure your way out.

So you learn to swim only when
you put yourself in the water.

So it's that kind of situation.

So let's talk a little bit about you.

You mentioned your early career in an
environment where you were passionate

about tech, it got you into a server room
sort of environment, not a lot of women.

I feel like even today there aren't
enough women in tech, at least,

more so in leadership positions.

But what was that situation for you?

Did it make it a lot more challenging?

What was the environment like?

And when you compare it with today,
what do you think has changed?

Sasha Yablonovsky: I think that well,
so one thing to know about me, I never

looked at the world as women versus men.

So like my dad was a colonel in the
Russian military and I was raised

very like if you want it, you
can get it and it doesn't matter.

And if you're not getting it you're
not working hard enough for it.

Like that's just the mentality.

So when I was in IT here, yeah,
it was obvious that I was the

only female in the room, but I
never even paid attention to it.

The things that were obvious is
the undermining when you, back then

and sometimes now work with men in
a certain industry or environment,

the men assume that you don't know
as much and you're not as good.

I think that's the biggest thing
that I had to overcome which

is fine for my personality.

I am very ambitious and
also my sign is a Leo.

I think some people will be able
to relate in the sense that like

I'm not an astrologist, but I'll
tell you why I bring this up.

My sign is a Leo and it's like, challenge
me, I dare you, is how I'm built.

So I love to put people in their place
when they undermine me or what I do,

or my family or my kids or whatever.

So my personality is very different.

Like I'm not a wallflower.

So for me it was a fun challenge in the
nineties to be in a server room building

databases, managing like UNIX servers
and for people around me or men around

me to assume that I don't know much.

Like it was great to just show
off and put them in their place.

So I enjoyed it.

I mean it, it sucks to be undermined,
but I enjoyed proving people wrong.

So and also because I don't think
in terms of, oh, I'm a woman.

I have to prove myself.

I just think of we're human
and we're all working here.

I mean, I undermine a lot of men I've
worked with too, just from conversations.

You know, you sometimes assume that
people are not as smart or as capable

and then they have to force the hand
and show if that's not the truth.

So for me, I guess what I'm trying
to say is I never look at it in

a lens of a woman versus a man.

I look at it as I'm
working with all of you.

You may undermine what I'm doing
and assume I know less, great.

I'm gonna put you in your place.

We're gonna solve that very quickly.

I'm gonna nip that in the bud.

I'm gonna get the respect
that I deserve from you, and

then we're gonna move forward.

So that's kind of how I've
always tackled things.

Prateek Panda: That's amazing.

For people who may not have that
as a natural personality, have you

figured over time, like what are
some things that you could do if you

feel like you are in that position?

What can you do when you are
sort of backed into a corner?

Sasha Yablonovsky: I think
there's a couple of things.

So it's good to have
a good support system.

So back then I was single and
like my parents would always

like, rah rah, go Sasha.

You're incredible, like you got this.

I had great friends that were
like, we're so proud of you.

Over time when I got older and
I got married, I happened to

marry the right person for me.

He is very supportive of,
go do what you need to do.

I'll support it.

And he's very good at being
like, screw those people.

They don't know what
they're talking about.

So you need someone like
that in your corner.

If you don't have that and you're
kind of just on your own, I always

talk about the Journal of Awesomeness.

So it's really important to write down
and keep track of your accomplishments.

Naturally whether you're a woman or a man,
it's easy to question your capabilities

and day to day with bigger little
steps in achievements, we forget them.

Like it's a busy week.

I'm not gonna remember what I had
for breakfast today or yesterday.

Do you know what I mean?

So writing down at the end of
every day, almost like journaling.

What did I do well?

What can I do better going forward?

When you look back at your week, you
realize you've actually accomplished a

lot, and that gives you a sense of joy and
pride that others will not remind you of.

So it's good to do that and it's
good to re review it every week,

every month, every quarter.

It helps in a lot of ways, it boosts your
self-esteem and confidence because you're

like, oh, I'm not that big of a loser,
or, oh, I'm, do you know what I mean?

Like, 'cause we all question ourselves
being like, oh, I make so many mistakes.

Am I really that good?

It reminds you that you
are really that good.

It also teaches you what
you need to improve on.

So it also feels more tangible
and, and like achievable.

And then it also parlays like you
don't have to be a founder to do

this because it also parlays into
your monthly or quarterly or annual

reviews with your leadership.

Like you can review everything
and put together your talk track

to be like, here's why it should
be rated five out of five.

Look at the things I contributed and
accomplished where I took initiative.

Or if you're asking for a
raise or a bigger bonus, same

thing you come prepared with.

Look at the things I
was able to accomplish.

And throughout all of these little things,
you are, you're building your confidence,

your backbone, your talk track.

So to me that really helped.

And I've given a lot
of people this advice.

Keep your book, your
journal of awesomeness.

Like, it, makes a difference.

A lot of times, like you said, we
forget of all the awesome stuff we've

done and because while you do it,
you think like, okay, this is just

another thing I have to do at work.

But when you look back and see all
the things that you've done over

a six month period, a year or two
years, it adds up really quickly and

that itself can give you so much more
confidence to have this conversation.

So amazing, great actionable advice.

Let's switch gears a little bit.

Let's talk about your
current startup Loanspark.

What sparked the idea for Loanspark?

Okay.

I'd love to take the credit
for the idea, but I can't.

My co-founder came up with this
idea because his background is in

commercial lending, and lending to
SMBs, and he's worked for all these

companies and commercial lending.

So first of all, we're in
business lending, right?

Commercial lending and consumer lending
is very different than business lending.

Consumer lending has a lot of
regulation, compliance, rules and laws.

Business lending is still
a bit of a wild wild west.

So my founders, my co-founder's idea,
Mike's idea was, let's make the process

super easy, super honorable and ethical.

Like it could be legal, but it doesn't
mean it's ethical, which is how a

lot of lenders operate in the space.

Let's make it easy.

Let's handhold, let's educate
the borrowers, good versus bad

debt and what that looks like
so they don't get in trouble.

So let's help these SMBs grow and
thrive because it really strengthens

the communities throughout the country.

We didn't want to do this just
direct to SMB or direct to borrowers.

We launched this partnership model
where we work through accounting

firms who can offer a dedicated
lending channel, Loanspark for their

customers for to fund their businesses.

We work with payments companies who
integrate and embed our technology.

We work with mortgage brokerages,
right, that want to offer, additional

services for their loan officers
so they can generate additional

revenue and help their customer base.

So that's kind of where
the idea came from.

It came from let's help,
let's make it easy.

What it ended up evolving to is
actually a lot more interesting because

in embedded lending space, for those
of you and if you follow it, there's

a lot of embedded lending that only
does what's called an MCA, Merchant

Cash Advance or working capital loans.

It's kind of, it's great.

It's a great product.

It's very easy for approval, but
it's limited because it's usually

shorter term capital and the
cost of capital is a bit higher.

So we actually diversified the embedded
lending like we do fix and flips.

We embed residential investments
enabling regular people who want to build

generational wealth to start investing
in getting their A or Bs or single

family homes that they rent out, right?

So to give them that kind
of revenue opportunity.

For restaurants and

gyms that want to build out or move
into a different location, we help

them purchase that real estate.

So we do a lot of real estate,
embedded real estate, and we

also do embedded equipment loans.

So think about a restaurant
again, if that's a good example.

They want to update all of
their kitchen equipment.

For an example, a working capital
loan is too expensive and not

the right fit for that desire.

An equipment loan will be
cheaper, much more flexible and

pinpoints to the actual needs.

So like we're meeting them
where they need to go.

So that's the true differentiator.

Not only are we faster, our
approval rates are amazing.

Our success rate with borrowers being
happy with our loans is amazing,

but it's also not just a one trick
pony, like we're really meeting the

borrowers where what they need for
their business, whether it's real estate

equipment or working capital loans.

Prateek Panda: That's amazing.

So let's go back to
that restaurant example.

If today, if somebody's watching and
they have a restaurant, if they needed

capital or money to buy more equipment,
would they come straight to you, and

apply or would they go to like a third
party that has your tech embedded in it?

Sasha Yablonovsky: Ideally they work
with a vendor or provider that is

already partnered with us and that's
how they would get our services.

'cause again, we're through
a partnership model.

We have had, we don't market or advertise
to borrowers directly, but we have had

people recommend us and come to us.

And of course we help them.

We're not gonna kick
them out to the street.

But again, just to be clear, I hope that
you're working with the vendor, whether

it's a payments company or an accountant,
that you encourage to partner with us.

So we're able to work
with you in that way.

Prateek Panda: Okay.

That's awesome.

And have you done or thought
of any SaaS based lending?

Like, if somebody is in a software
business, I've been in the situation

where we've had to borrow money and the
capital terms are not necessarily good,

but it gets the job done in the moment.

Have you thought of that as well?

Sasha Yablonovsky: Yeah, we
finance SaaS companies, so

it's not just brick and mortar.

We're able to finance e-commerce
companies, SaaS companies.

The only industries that we really can't
do, which is pretty common for lending,

business lending, is financial companies.

If you are a financial company,
there it's prohibitive.

Like you can't get a loan, which
I don't agree with, but it's

just how it is, with creditors.

And then, the only other
ones are not-for-profits.

We're not able to help non-for-profits,
and we're not able to help true startups.

So it's debt-based lending,
which means you already have

to show that you're generating
revenue for at least six months.

Otherwise, we help all
types of industries.

Prateek Panda: Awesome.

That's great.

So let's talk a little bit more about
Loanspark itself, your journey so far.

You said all these amazing things
of problems you are solving but if

you were to think about a problem
you are facing, what would be like

one challenge, one challenge that's
sort of keeping you up at night?

Sasha Yablonovsky: Let me tell you, as a
founder, I had no idea my first journey

like this, but every founder I talk to,
even if they've like run many companies,

sold, exited, started all over again.

Every day is a different day and it
poses a different, new, new challenge.

Prateek Panda: Yeah.

Sasha Yablonovsky: If I had to pinpoint
one today, it's hiring good people.

So our whole mantra is automate
and use AI as much as possible.

Like we're not trying to grow with
butts in seats We're trying to grow

in efficiency and speed, utilizing the
technology that seems to be evolving

every single minute of every single day.

But of course, we're still a
human first company, right?

So we have people on our team, we're a
small team, we're about 20 people, but

it's like hiring the right people with
the right drive, with the right culture

that we're building in our small company.

Hiring is always hard.

I know it's, it's not unique to startups.

I think it's a challenge that a lot
of companies face, no matter the size.

So I would say that's a big one.

For a smaller company like ours and
we're bootstrapped like we did a

small friends and family around and
we're able to raise money that way.

But for the most part, like Mike and I
invested all of our money to do this.

We don't have the luxury of
hiring and making mistakes 'cause

we don't have a lot of cushion.

Right?

Like we're generating revenue.

We're revenue positive, but we're
re infusing everything back into

the company to continue to scale.

So that's challenging.

I think the, the hiring
piece is challenging.

The other thing I would say that really
surprised me, I know a lot about a lot

but I had no idea how little I knew
when I was launching a company and

I recognized my shortcomings right away.

And it was interesting because

everything that you assume, you know,
you just don't know, and everything

you assume you don't know, you
end up knowing and figuring out.

So to me, it's like if you're gonna
start a company or step into even a

leadership role at a company, just
brace yourself for not ever being

the smartest person in the room.

Embrace relying on others for that
knowledge because otherwise you'll fail.

Prateek Panda: That's interesting.

And if you were to do something different,
is there something you've learned right

now that, Hey, in the last few years.

If I had known this better or whatever, I
would've avoided these certain mistakes.

Sasha Yablonovsky: Yes.

I would've created a different
hiring profile for our sales team

Hmm.

and our ops team.

It's interesting 'cause coming,
we launched the company, it

was like at the end of 2020.

So coming off of COVID.

And ever since over the last five years,
the economy has been kind of up and down.

So lending has gone through the
ringer, and it was a fun time to

launch a company, let me tell you.

So I would've just created different
profile for those hiring folks.

Like what I know now is not
what I knew four years ago.

And I think the other thing
is I would've prioritized.

We always prioritize quick
win revenue 'cause you have

to prioritize revenue, right?

Revenue is number one all the time.

I would've prioritized different
parts of the revenue than we did,

so like I would've gone harder on
the real estate piece sooner if I

had to be totally honest with you.

Prateek Panda: Do you think any of these
mistakes have sort of costed you more than

it should or a lot of times founders ask
in retrospect Yeah, that oh, maybe, you

know, this is what we should have done.

Do you think it's a good way to evaluate
that okay, this could have been better

or do you think that sort of makes you
feel like you missed an opportunity?

I think hindsight is always 2020 as they
say, and they're right, whoever they are.

I would say, that's a good question.

Yeah.

I mean, could we have shaved off
maybe six to nine extra months

getting to be revenue positive?

Probably.

But we ended up being revenue positive
after within two years of generating

revenue, which is pretty amazing results.

And could we have gotten somewhere faster
as far as our scaling by about six months?

Sure.

But I gotta tell you, if early on
we didn't make, I guess the mistakes

that we made, we would've made
them later down the road and those

would've been way more costlier.

So I think if you really wanna
put yourself down and forget the

success you've accomplished, it's
a good way to look back and figure

out, hey, like you know, should
or could, would've like you said.

But ultimately I, I think we were able
to sidestep the bigger mistakes nicely.

So the mistakes we made
were like not crucial or

detrimental, if I'm being honest.

So could have been worse, could have
been better, and that's just how it is.

That's amazing.

We talked a little bit about AI
and of course in today's date, you

cannot not talk, talk about AI.

What's happening in the
lending space with AI?

I remember in my last gig, I used to
work for a company called Phyllo and

we provided a data API with basically
creator data and we helped a lot of

lenders who designed lending around
the creator economy to get access

to real first party verified data.

So what would take, like if
you're a creator, traditional

banks will not lend you money.

And there were very few options
to go raise money, like you

said, you might need equipment.

A drone with a camera
costs a lot of money.

A good camera that can take different
kinds of shots, costs a lot of

money, so, and you don't usually
have access to that capital quickly.

So we used to partner with a lot of
these lenders, give them access to data

with through an API that helped verify a
creator's growth and their credentials,

follow account engagement, all of that
in a very verified first party fashion.

And that the, the realistic change was
something that a lender would take a week

or two to verify and look at physical
documents, and then approve now became

a five, 10 minute exercise with the API.

But then they implemented other
AI technologies to sort of

process that application quickly.

So within five minutes, you could know
that you are approved for some amount

of money and that money might expand
in the next few weeks as they do a

little more human verification, right.

So I was particularly very amazed that you
know, it brought in a significant change.

What are you seeing in
the landing space with AI?

How is it reshaping this landscape?

Sasha Yablonovsky: Yeah,
in a lot of different ways.

So what we're seeing is, approvals are
faster because the tools that are used to

scan, and I would, it's called processing.

When you review all the data that's
needed to issue an approval or assume

credit worthiness of the business

Prateek Panda: Your
application is in processing.

Sasha Yablonovsky: Yes, all of that.

I think that's faster 'cause you're
able to parse through the data faster.

You're able to automatically do
soft pools on credit on the, you

know, the owner of the business.

You're able to analyze the bank
statements or tax returns a lot faster.

So that part is definitely speed.

The other thing is I think that's
helpful is internal training and

internal, internal training and
internal processes, it speeds it up.

You need less people to touch buttons
and do things like AI and chat bots

and all of that just does it for you.

So that's easier.

On the customer side, if there's
questions you don't need, like, I mean,

we offer it because part of our SaaS
solution is a services built in for

companies that want it, but you don't
need a call center anymore to answer

the phone, to answer questions about
a borrower's loan or things like that.

You have pretty sophisticated now chatbots
that can answer just about anything you

teach them to answer as far as like, you
know, why is this approval like this?

Hey, how much money am I
gonna get approved for?

What can I pre-qualify for?

So like all of those kind of things
can be addressed with AI and chatbots.

There's a lot more that can be done,
but I think essentially what we're doing

is cutting out a lot of time and lag.

Our equipment loans, we usually
fund three to four days and that's

after like underwriting and like
actually looking at the unit.

You want to buy like your
expensive cameras, like we've

already connected with a vendor.

We validated it is like it's fast
on working capital loans, what?

24 hours?

Real estate two weeks,
which is like unheard of.

So, yeah, I mean, it just, speed and
efficiency is what you're getting and

it's kind of amazing because every day,
I mean, the technology is moving so fast.

If you and I have this conversation three
months from now, it will be different

because, do you know what I mean?

Be just because AI is just progressing
faster than our brains can pick it

up and understand what's happening.

So I mean, yeah, there's a lot.

There's a lot that can be done there.

Prateek Panda: And, what you
mentioned previously that you have a

different vision of growing Loanspark.

It's not like the scale is not just
through hiring more people to fill

seats, but want to be more you know,
technologically adaptive with that, right?

So what are some AI
tools that you are using?

What are you using them for?

How is it making life easy?

Sasha Yablonovsky: The tools we're
using, I'm not the right person to

answer that but, but what we're using
it for is, so our big superpower is real

estate and we do embedded real estate.

So like embedded commercial real estate
and embedded residential investment real

estate as well as embedded fix and flips.

What that does is, essentially a person
that wants to be an investor or a business

that needs commercial real estate, they're
able to have a really seamless experience

on their own without needing to go through
a broker or a broker that's helping them.

It makes it easier for them because
then they don't have to spend a week

collecting paperwork and reviewing
it and chasing down lenders and

commercial mortgages, if you will.

So it really helps self-serve a lot
better, and it gives you all the costs

and all the calculations up front so
you are aware of your affordability,

how it breaks down all of the fees that
are needed, similar to if you buy your

first home or, whatever home, and it's
your primary mortgage, a lot goes into

it, and if you ask anybody, it's a pain
in the butt to get from beginning to

end, like from beginning to closing.

Okay?

You don't know with certainty
what your payments are gonna be

until like well into underwriting.

And then the closing fees.

And it's always a big surprise.

Oh my God, I thought I needed $20,000.

Now you're telling me I need $27,000.

Wait, you need to do two more
walkthroughs and inspections.

Why?

Like, it's a mess.

I'm, I'm not gonna lie.

So we've taken all of that.

Now, commercial and residential investment
mortgages are different, but similar.

But we were able to take all
that and to put all of the

uncertainty and clarify it upfront.

So it's like a super smooth predictive
process, so like that's our superpower.

Prateek Panda: That's amazing.

Going back to the founder journeys, right.

Is there, a lot of times, and

/this is something that I struggle
with, I'm getting better with time, but

it's hard to say no, to certain things.

And you tend to say yeah, sure,
yeah, I can help you with that.

Or Yes, let's go do this.

Right?

Even as founders, that is this
whole shiny object syndrome.

So something hot and new comes out
and you're like, oh my God, yes,

we have to do this and sort of
other things go on the back burner.

Sasha Yablonovsky: Yep.

Prateek Panda: How do you have you,
in your experience, learned how

to handle, or at what point do you
decide to say no to certain things

Sasha Yablonovsky: Mm-hmm.

Prateek Panda: and create create
that sort of balance as you're

building your own company?

Sasha Yablonovsky: Okay.

That's a really good question.

I actually posted on LinkedIn,
I wanna say a month or two about

this very thing, like how to be
okay with saying no all the time.

Here's how I do it so early on in the
days of Loanspark, you wanna say yes

to every customer 'cause you just wanna
get somebody through the door, even

if they're the wrong kind of customer
for you, you wanna say to everything

your team is asking you to do because
as a leader, you feel like that's.

The best type of support you can provide.

But in reality, the more you say
no, the better focused everybody is.

And also it makes your employees
stronger 'cause they're able to

rely on themselves a bit more.

So here's how I do it every day.

Now listen, I'm not perfect at this.

So I fall into this once in a while
still, I still become the yes woman,

but I, I reign myself back very quickly.

The way I do it is this, Mike and
I, we created what we call action

oriented behaviors as part of our
culture and everybody on the team,

including us, we show up to work and
for each other every day based on

these behaviors that we expect from
the loan Spartan team, which is what we

call the Loanspark team Loan Spartans.

And one of the things is like,
you know, just as an example, it's

everything starts with a customer.

The second thing is innovate with purpose.

The third thing is just fix it.

So, and there's eight of
them all together, right?

And the last one is only make promises
that you can deliver and only like,

you know, never over promise and
under deliver is actually the thing.

So why, what that does is, and we repeat
this and review this often as a team.

And what it does is it really level sets

so it's like I'm saying yes to this,
but why is this the gadget, the toy,

the innovation, the tech, the product
that will meaningfully impact the

revenue of our partners and meaningfully
improve the work ability of our internal

teams and drive revenue for Loanspark?

If the answer is no.

No, we're only innovating with purpose.

It has to mean something.

I don't want a shiny, I've worked for
so many companies where product teams

are like, we have this new feature.

Who cares?

Like you get a press release out of it.

Good for you.

It's not usable.

No one wants it.

Then you spend years forcing your sales
team to force this feature down your

customer's throat just to justify the
R&D cost and time you put into it.

You are innovating without purpose.

So Mike and I were like,
we're not gonna do that ever.

So innovate with purpose.

So when I am in a situation where
someone's like, oh, can you guys do this?

Like, it actually happened
three times this week.

I had a couple of partners who
were like, oh, can you do this?

And I paused, we could do it by the
way, but I paused and I was like, why?

Why?

Why do you need this?

And then we kind of spoke about it and one
of the three things actually made sense.

So I was like, that's a good
idea, thank you for your feedback.

And now I'm working with my product
team to see if that's something that

we can do and if we should do it.

But the other two were like I don't
know, I just thought it would be

nice, but how does it help you?

It doesn't really just would be nice.

And it's like, well, if it's just nice
and it doesn't materially help you, us or

your customer base then, then great idea,
thank you but maybe not this time around.

So we try to, when we get the requests, as
we say yes, or maybe, or whatever, we try

to go by these action oriented behaviors.

Like what purpose does this serve?

And if it doesn't, let's move on.

Prateek Panda: I love the action
oriented behavior framework.

I think it's great and for everybody
who's watching and listening, I think

the learning here is build a framework
that works for you and that's aligned

with what your vision and mission is.

And then every time something like
this comes up, revisit the framework

and then take a decision rather than
immediately saying yes to everything.

Right.

That's awesome.

Let's, as we are coming towards the end
of the recording, I want to ask you a

few quick, rapid fire style questions.

Sasha Yablonovsky: Okay.

Prateek Panda: All right.

What's one word your team would use
to describe your leadership style?

Sasha Yablonovsky: Pushy.

Prateek Panda: Pushy.

Okay.

All right.

It's rapid fire.

We are not gonna discuss it, but great.

What's another startup that you
admire, obviously, besides your own?

Sasha Yablonovsky: Oh my

God.

There's so many, I don't know.

Pass.

Let's come back to that one.

Prateek Panda: Okay.

Any particular person
that you admire a lot?

Like their journey is inspiring or
you, you keep revisiting some of their

learnings and writings, more often.

Sasha Yablonovsky: There's a lot,
actually, I can't think of anyone in

particular, but there are definitely
some people I follow on LinkedIn.

They're startup founders many times and
what they do is they really talk about

all the bad stuff that no one wants to
talk about and the learnings from it.

And I really appreciate their
candor 'cause I'm pretty

honest and candid as well.

Prateek Panda: What's
something you do to unwind?

Right.

A lot of times as founders,
we don't take enough breaks.

We feel sort of guilty to take breaks
what's something you do to unwind?

Could be a book, movie, something else.

Sasha Yablonovsky: Yeah, I'm pretty
terrible at this too, but I, I have found

ways to walk away and clear the mind.

So I have a dog.

I walk her multiple times per day.

That helps me step away from
the desk and like reset.

And I typically walk her,
it's only 15 minutes.

Few, you know, three times a day, but
I don't bring my phone with me, so I

just, I walk and it's nature and outside
and it doesn't matter if it's winter

and it's cold, I just, I just do it.

So that really helps.

I love movies.

I don't read as much as I
should or as much as I used to.

I'm not, I'm not gonna lie, like I
want to get into that a lot more.

But I like movies.

I watch movies.

I don't like reality shows, but I
like shows like mini series, like

on Apple or Netflix 'cause it helps
me just disconnect and refocus on

something that's not company related.

Prateek Panda: The dog advice reminded
me of my, one of my previous managers

and she had told me once, like a lot
of times as founders or even as you

know, people working for anybody else,
we can constrain ourselves to a room

especially post COVID, this became very
common, like nobody went out or whatever.

It was hard to be in
public places and so on.

A lot of behaviors
changed with that, right?

And, you're always indoors and
that affects mental health.

And I remember she told me, Prateek,
if you ever feel that, get a dog, they

will force you to go out no matter rain
or shine or snow or whatever it is.

You have to take them out and you'll
realize immediately just being outside for

five minutes what fresh
air can do for you.

Sasha Yablonovsky: yes,

Prateek Panda: So it's pretty cool.

Sasha Yablonovsky: True.

Prateek Panda: All right, Sasha, that's
all the questions I have for you.

I had an amazing time talking to you
and so much learning in this episode.

Sasha Yablonovsky: Me too.

Thank you.

This was a lot of fun.

I appreciate it.

Prateek Panda: Great.

Awesome.

Thank you so much.

Have a great day.

Sasha Yablonovsky: Okay, bye.

Prateek Panda: Bye.

And that wraps up today's episode.

Before we sign off, I would like
to thank you for your support

and thanks for tuning in.

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Be kind, be happy, challenge the norm.

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