I was Known as the Intense Guy - ft. Yuriy Timen (Grammarly, Canva, Airtable)
In this episode, Yuriy Timen, SaaS advisor and solopreneur, discusses career mistakes and growth, his experiences at Grammarly, including intense work ethic and empathetic leadership, and the importance of radical candor and strategic thinking in professional relationships. In this episode, you’ll hear about: 1. How Yuriy's upbringing during the collapse of the Soviet Union shaped his values and work ethic 2. Career mistakes and feeling self-conscious about switching jobs every year 3. Being told he lacked empathy and didn’t put enough emphasis on building interpersonal relationships 4. His experience suddenly becoming unemployed during the 2008 financial crisis Things to listen for: [02:12] Yuriy reflects on career mistakes and the struggle with self-consciousness during job changes [11:24] How Yuriy's upbringing during the collapse of the Soviet Union shaped his values and work ethic [16:13] Discussing the experience of starting to work at a young age and the lessons learned from his entrepreneur parents [22:50] Yuriy's journey from finance to digital marketing, including his transition to Grammarly [28:37] The pivotal moment of receiving tough feedback about his lack of empathy from direct reports [33:21] Plans for a career break that turned into advising roles and discovering fulfillment in solopreneurship [51:09] The importance of networking intentionally and his regrets about not prioritizing it sooner [57:34] Reflection on work-life balance, aiming to be "empathetically intense" in future roles