Now the online grid has over 100 million monthly active users.
I was born in the Soviet Union and it was shocking when everything collapsed at once.
Ive been a serial entrepreneur most of my career as well as an investor in other startups.
Over the years, Ive founded several companiesthe first was an enterprise software company founded in 1997and sold five.
PicsArt is my sixth company.
I started it after an episode of online bullying led my daughter to tears after she shared artwork online.
Take us through a recent workday.
I like to start my day with a 45 minute workout.
It gives me energy for the rest of the day.
I love working on product ideas with the product team.
For example, I was intimately involved in redesigning ourChallengesproduct, in Q4.
That has helped me and our product team deliver a much better overall in-app experience.
Also, I use PicsArt to make art every day and connect with other creatives on PicsArt.
That said, I also check that to keep a work life balance and spend time with my family.
What apps, gadgets, or tools cant you live without?
Smartphones (I have several iPhones and Android phones) because I am always testing our app.
I am a very active user of PicsArt.
I have 4,687 followers (at this particular moment) and attempt to post regularly.
I also use Google docs for writing, and our drawing tool Color for idea sketching.
Whats your workspace setup like?
I have a very open space office in San Franciscos financial district.
Being accessible, whether in the office or not, is a big part of how I operate.
I believe this will increase interactivity and creative thinking.
Whats your best shortcut or life hack?
It can be niche or specific.
What doesnt kill (your energy and desire to succeed) makes you stronger.
I am always looking at the positive aspect even in a hard time.
Being resilient and stress resistant is the most important hack for a startup entrepreneuruse your methods for stress relief.
I am a fan of meditation and working out.
I am very happy to have always have smart and passionate people around me.
Ive worked with some of my management team at my previous startups and brought them with me to PicsArt.
Others that were hired later have quickly become part of our PicsArt management family.
To build this trust, we work very transparently.
Our culture follows the adage, ask for forgiveness, not permission.
How do you keep track of what you have to do?
I use Google Drive, mostly Sheets and Docs, for my personal organization.
At the company level, we useJirato manage tasks and manage projects across teams.
Whats your least favorite thing to do, and how do you deal with it?
I see it more like friendship and formal reviews dont fit that model.
How do you recharge or take a break from work?
I like cooking, playing tennis, swimming, traveling and meeting friends.
Whats your favorite side project?
Daily workouts, diet, meditations, and overall more positive thinking.
What are you currently reading, or whats something youd recommend?
I am trying to read 23 books per month.
Ive recently read books about AI, machine learning and neural networks.
Now its a super hot topic and Im trying to stay on top of the trends.
Fill in the blank: Id love to see _________ answer these same questions.
Id love to see Mark Zuckerberg answer these same questions.
I dont know anyone else who has achieved such success in such a short period of time.
Whats the best advice youve ever received?
Failure is not the opposite of success.
Its part of success!
to quote Arianna Huffington.
I learned the same throughout my career too.
Is there anything else youd like to add that might be interesting to readers and fans?
It is a muscle you should keep training during your entire career and life.
That is why we created PicsArt in the first place.
Kids are creative because this is a part of their learning.
Have someone you want to see featured, or questions you think we should ask?
