In this episode, our CEO Andrey Doronichev shares his journey from the collapse of the Soviet Union to building OPTIC, an AI-powered drug discovery platform
How to Build a Startup When Everything Is Against You is the first part of a four-episode podcast series with Andrey Doronichev, Founder & CEO of OPTIC.
Growing up amid scarcity, censorship, and uncertainty shaped Andrey’s resilience, mindset, and approach to entrepreneurship. He reflects on how a passion for coding became his path into technology, leading to leadership roles at Google and YouTube—and how those experiences now guide him in biotech.
Key themes covered
- Surviving and adapting to chaos during the collapse of the Soviet Union
- How censorship shaped a lifelong belief in free access to information
- Developing resilience and an entrepreneurial mindset through uncertainty
- Turning a passion for coding into opportunities
- Making the leap from consumer tech to AI-powered drug discovery
Listen on your favorite platform
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube
About the Guest
Andrey Doronichev is the Founder & CEO of OPTIC, an AI-powered drug discovery platform creating the first complete agentic AI system for biopharma. Previously, he served as Head of Mobile at YouTube and Director of Product at Stadia and Google AR/VR.