Despite everything, a pleasant summer is underway in Ukraine and we all obviously need at least some rest from the news and stress. That's why we asked Ukrainian top managers from the IT industry to recommend podcasts and books for development and summer reboot. We also asked what interesting things to read from our faithful "Sancho Panza" — ChatGPT.
What to read and listen to? Advice from Ukrainian IT leaders
Viktoriya Tihipko is a Ukrainian entrepreneur, Chair of the Supervisory Board of the Ukrainian Startup Fund, Founder and Managing Partner of TA Ventures. It is a global venture capital firm with 17 years of experience in implementing projects, engaged in early-stage investments. The TA Ventures team includes eight investment professionals from the US, Europe, MENA (Middle East and North Africa) and Southeast Asia, as well as a network of more than 20,000 operators, business angels and co-investors. The fund has made 261 investments, has 83 exits, 16 unicorns, 20+ companies approaching unicorn status, 6 IPOs.
According to Cambridge Associates, TA Ventures is among the 25 largest global venture capital funds with a net return above 25%. Victoria shared with us interesting podcasts that will definitely broaden your worldview.
1) Fitt Insider — a podcast with founders and investors shaping the wellness tech market (from WHOOP to Equinox and Levels); for a deep understanding of health, biomonitoring, and longevity trends.
2) All-In Podcast — four well-known investors (Chamath, Friedberg, Sacks, Calacanis) discuss everything from macroeconomics to the internal strife of Silicon Valley; informative, provocative, sometimes chaotic.
3) Acquired — in-depth business stories of the most successful companies; episodes are like mini-books: Spotify, LVMH, Visa, Berkshire Hathaway; ideal for those building or evaluating long-term value.
4) The Drive (by Peter Attia) — focus: longevity, medicine, nutrition, performance; Peter Attia explores the latest approaches to a long, healthy life — from insulin resistance to VO2 max training and mental longevity.
5) 20VC (The Twenty Minute VC) — Harry Stebbings talks to top VCs and founders — how they think, what they invest in, how they evaluate markets; the format is fast-paced, dynamic, and very practical.
6) Huberman Lab — focus: neuroscience, physiology, brain and body optimization; Dr. Andrew Huberman (Stanford professor) explains how our brain works — and how to control it: sleep, dopamine, focus, anxiety, nutrition; scientifically and practically.
Stepan Mitish is Vice President, Head of EPAM Ukraine, the largest IT service company in the country, which employs over 9,500 specialists. A graduate of the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute. He has been working at the company since 2006. He started as a project manager and gradually rose to the position of Programming Director. In 2019, he headed EPAM offices in Kyiv and Vinnytsia. Since April 2021, he has been Vice President and Head of the entire Ukrainian branch. Stepan shared the books he advises managers and leaders to read.
1) The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers, Ben Horowitz — Stepan recommends this book to every manager and leader who seeks to develop a business or create a new one, strengthen leadership qualities, and successfully lead a company in crisis conditions, regardless of the circumstances.
"The main conclusion I made after reading it: there are no universal formulas or quick paths to success in leadership. Every difficult situation requires difficult decisions, resilience, and adaptability. Horowitz describes reality honestly and without embellishment: sometimes a leader has to make a choice not between good and bad, but between painful and even more painful. It is at such moments that a true leader is formed," the head of ERAM Ukraine told us.
In the book, the author emphasizes the importance of focusing on what we can control, the ability to learn from mistakes, and maintaining a strong corporate culture. "In the chaos of business realities, these are the principles that help companies survive and move forward," Stepan Mitish noted.
2) The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, Patrick Lencioni — this book is a must-read for those who manage or work in teams and want to understand why a team of stars will not always produce the results of a team of stars. The author describes five typical traps that destroy the effectiveness of teams: from lack of trust and fear of healthy conflicts to avoiding responsibility and focusing on personal ambitions instead of shared goals.
This is a practical book that helps you look at team dynamics differently and understand that a strong team is not about the absence of conflicts, but about trust and the ability to live them constructively and move forward stronger.
3) Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less, Greg McKeown — this book is about a skill that many managers lack: saying "no" in time and focusing only on the main thing.
McKeon reminds us that trying to do everything at once usually leads to burnout and mediocre results. So his idea is simple, but not easy to execute: do less, but better. It's about the discipline to give up the unnecessary: unnecessary tasks, endless meetings, projects "just in case" in order to leave time and energy for what has real value. The main thing is not to try to do everything, but to regularly audit your efforts and consciously invest time only where it gives the maximum result: in strategic decisions, development of key competencies, important goals or building trusting relationships in the team.
"This book taught me to say "no" to unimportant things and once again confirms that leadership is not about controlling all processes, but about the ability to clearly choose a direction, correctly set priorities, and give the team the space to work for results," explained the vice president and head of EPAM Ukraine.
4) Never Split the Difference: Negotiating as if Your Life Depended on It, Chris Voss — Stepan would recommend this book to those who often negotiate — with clients, partners, or even their own team. It is based on the author's experience as an FBI negotiator in critical hostage situations. Chris Voss applies these principles to a business context and shows why compromise is often not the best solution.
Its main idea: successful negotiations are based not on hard pressure or concessions, but on a deep understanding of the other side. The book provides specific tools - from "mirroring" and asking the right questions to building a sense of security and trust. This allows you to reach agreements in which both parties come away with a real result, not a "half-hearted" compromise.
5) The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari, Robin Sharma is a fictional story about a successful lawyer who seems to have achieved everything one desires in the material world: status, money, a glamorous life. But after serious physical and psychological exhaustion, he decides to radically change his life and find new directions.
"For me, the value of the book is that it helps you look at your own rhythm of life from the side: are you not wasting your energy only on the race for results, forgetting about yourself, your health and things that are truly important. This is not just a philosophical story - it is a set of practical tools that help you remain effective for a long time. The key conclusion: true happiness and success come not from material wealth, but from inner harmony, self-discipline and focusing on values that are meaningful to you," concluded Stepan Mytish, head of ERAM Ukraine.
Anatolii Kasianov — Co-CEO & Co-Founder of HOLYWATER, which is part of the Genesis ecosystem and a technology media company engaged in the creation and publication of books, audiobooks, interactive stories and video series. The company was founded in 2020 and is focused on creating personalized virtual worlds for an audience of over 20 million users. The company's mission is to combine the capabilities of artificial intelligence with the creativity of authors to create content.
"For me, a break or a reboot is reading the story of the founder of a very successful company. Such books, in which founders talk about their path, work on mistakes, and give advice, often charge me with motivation, confirm or refute my hypotheses, and make me understand that HOLYWATER is on the right track," Anatolii Kasianov told us.
This is what bookish advice from an entrepreneur looks like:
1) The book Amp It Up: Leading for Hypergrowth by Raising Expectations, Increasing Urgency, and Elevating Intensity — Frank Slootman — about how to create a culture that can scale and win in tough competition;
2) The book Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration — Ed Catmull, Amy Wallace — the story of the co-founder of Pixar about creating a creative environment in the entertainment industry;
3) The book No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention — Reed Hastings, Erin Meyer — about the culture of freedom and responsibility at Netflix and the principles of constant business reinvention;
4) The book How Google Works — Eric Schmidt, Jonathan Rosenberg, Alan Eagle — a practical look at management, culture, and innovation from Google leaders;
5) The book Inspired: How to Create Tech Products Customers Love — by Marty Cagan — is for those who work with a product and want to create truly valuable things;
6) The book Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us — by Daniel H. Pink — about intrinsic motivation, autonomy, and a sense of integrity in work and life;
7) The book The Inner Game of Work: Focus, Learning, Pleasure, and Mobility in the Workplace — W. Timothy Gallwey — how to unleash your potential and work without internal barriers;
8) The book Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity — Kim Scott — about honest feedback and building trusting relationships in teams;
9) The book Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway by Susan Jeffers is about learning how to act despite fear and uncertainty;
10) The book Reinventing Your Life: The Breakthrough Program to End Negative Behavior and Feel Great Again — Jeffrey E. Young, Janet S. Klosko — is a practical guide to understanding personal attitudes and changes in life, very relevant in our present.
Here are some podcasts for inspiration:
▪️ 20VC (The Twenty Minute VC) — podcast by Harry Stebbings — conversations with venture capitalists and founders about challenges, solutions, and scaling;
▪️ First Round Review is a platform with in-depth articles from startup founders and team leaders.
Olena Samborska has been the head and HR director of Luxoft in Ukraine since 2019. She graduated from Chernivtsi State University ("biology" and "psychology"). She worked for 10 years as HR director of the online retailer Rozetka, and before that - in managerial positions in companies such as Meest Express and Foxtrot. In 2023-2024, she held the position of president of the IT Ukraine Association.
This is what book recommendations from the head of Luxoft Ukraine look like:
1) Autumn in Beijing — Boris Vian — "an absurdist novel, sometimes reminiscent of our reality. The unsurpassed play on words sometimes made me laugh out loud when I read it; Why autumn? Why in Beijing?; wonderful questions that remained after reading the book; I don't even try to look for an answer, these questions themselves are very entertaining"😊;
2) The Nightingale — Christine Genna — "France, World War II, women who become part of the resistance; I read it this summer in one breath, I think I felt not only the atmosphere of those years, but also the aromas of wartime France, I highly recommend it";
3) Your humble servant cat — Natsume Soseki — "the book is written on behalf of a cat that watches people; a very slow, meditative book, the author is very unflattering to people, but maybe he is right, looking at everything that is happening around us";
4) Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki — Haruki Murakami — "I decided to read it in English; the book is very engaging for many reasons; it requires extra effort because you're not reading in your native language; but the English is simple and understandable enough; I just love Murakami";
5) Prayer for Owen Meany — John Irving — "I read in Ukrainian, listen in English; an interesting experience of perceiving the same book in different languages; also very switchable; Irving is generally a good storyteller, so you easily immerse yourself in the world he describes and disconnect from reality for a while."
Artem Borodatiuk is a Ukrainian serial entrepreneur, founder of the Netpeak Group IT group: 23 companies, 4 startup studios and groups, 1,100+ specialists, 5,000 clients from all over the world. Graduated from the Institute of Computer Systems of Odesa Polytechnic University. Since June 27, 2025, member of the Council for Support of Entrepreneurship in Martial Law - an advisory and consultative body under the President.
"I tried to collect as few books as possible that are required reading. The emphasis is still on books for managers, that is, people who manage something or someone: a project, an employee, a division, a department, a company. I made a note for my partners and clients, our managers and employees about which books I consider must-read," said the CEO of Netpeak Group.
This is what the list of Must Read books by Artem Borodatyuk looks like:
1) Eliyahu Goldratt, Jeff Cox: Goal. The Process of Continuous Improvement — Eliyahu Goldratt is the man who created the "theory of constraints"; it is a management methodology through finding and managing "key points". This is banal common sense, but to simplify the understanding of readers, Eliyahu Goldratt wrote a series of business novels, and instead of familiar words, he introduced "supposedly" new terms.
"I share his approach, because sometimes, in order to change the already familiar algorithm of thinking, it is necessary to specifically speak a "different language". It is heard and understood, so it is much easier to change the understanding of what is already known," explained Artem.
According to him, the book itself is about how the main character Alex had to solve problems at the factory in a short period of time, and Goldratt's theory of constraints helps in any difficult case to find what needs to be done first to improve the business or any other system.
2) Jeff Smart and Randy Street: Who. How to Hire the Best — "the methodology given in the book is attractive; it definitely gives a shift in the mind — it forces you to focus on finding the best candidates and to emphasize in this search not on pseudo-psychology in assessing the personal qualities of candidates, but on assessing the candidate's work, which is based on the analysis of objective signals from the past; in the book, the best employees are called A-players, and it gives quite detailed algorithms on how to select them."
3) Dan Ariely: Presumed Irrationalism — "the book allows you to understand and accept the fact that people are not perfect, and that's okay; after reading this book, I became less annoyed with others and myself; we all have a lot of cognitive distortions, and that's okay."
4) Yitzhak Adizes: The Ideal Manager. Why You Can't Become One — "behind the loud name stands a simplified and seemingly unattainable model of the ideal manager; the model divides people into four components: entrepreneur, producer, administrator, and integrator; according to Adizes, for an organization to successfully exist, four management functions must be performed in it, but it is impossible to find a person who would constantly perfectly cope with all four at the same time, so teams of managers with different management styles are needed."
5) Lee Kuan Yew: From Third World to First. History of Singapore 1965-2000 - From 1959 to 1990, during the reign of Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore, deprived of resources, was able to solve many internal problems and made the leap from a Third World country to a highly developed country with a high standard of living.
"I am sure that effective management of the country is much more difficult than managing a business, which is why I recommend reading the book to all managers," Artem Borodatiuk concluded. He also recommended watching Matt Wolfe on YouTube, who reviews what is happening in the world of artificial intelligence every week. Artem and his partner Serhii Sauta have also created their own podcast about AI - Where is everything going?
Valeria Tolochyna — Chief Marketing Officer at MEGOGO since September 2020. She has 20 years of experience in marketing, advertising and PR. She began her career in the banking sector, from where in 2006 she moved to the household appliances and electronics chain "Eldorado". She worked as the head of the PR department, and later became the director of advertising and PR. She headed marketing in the footwear and clothing division of MTI. Currently, she is responsible for marketing of the Ukrainian media service MEGOGO in 14 countries.
A selection of podcasts from Valeria Tolochyna:
1) Morning Dopio — "this podcast attracts with its brevity, meaningful format, special tone of voice, and curated selection of important topics worth knowing and talking about; now, when there is a lot of information noise around, "Morning Dopio" allows you to focus";
2) Not on the record — "I like listening to colleagues in the market to check their watches on important topics and meanings; we all work together with the Ukrainian audience, but we approach users from different sides and compete for their attention; developing business, nurturing lovemark brands and working to create products that remain in the daily routine of Ukrainians today is worth attention";
3) What's next? — "this podcast is not for relaxing after a busy workday, but on the contrary — when you are in the mood to get excited and immerse yourself in long, meaningful conversations with Ukrainian intellectuals from various fields; I like how the host builds conversations with the characters and how deeply they delve into various topics during the dialogue. What is an almost three-hour conversation with literary critic Vira Ageeva or dissident Myroslav Marynovych worth";
4) The Smell of the Word — "reading is one of my favorite ways to spend my free time; so when I'm looking for a new book, need inspiration for reading, or want to discuss what I've read, I turn to my colleagues from MEGOGO BOOKS or this podcast; I like its format and the presenters' presentation — they subtly sense their audience and know how to engage";
5) Tseivo Podcast — "Vasyl Baydak is not afraid to ask, not afraid to listen, not afraid to be himself — this is what makes his conversations so lively; there is humor, unexpected guests, honest answers, and also the feeling that each episode is created with interest in the person; I love how Vasya collects seemingly incompatible things — and a coherent conversation comes out that keeps the attention; and I admit: I admire not only the podcast, but also the author — his subtle understanding of the audience, sincerity, and talent for gathering people around his projects."
And this is what book recommendations from the CMO at MEGOGO look like:
1) Dress-up Game, Artem Chekh — "Artem Chekh's new book is a small but very personal story about a Ukrainian soldier and his experience of this war that is currently ongoing; an important book about a difficult experience and about the difficult experiences of people who are and will always be by our side";
2) Supercommunicators, Charles Duhigg — "a cool nonfiction about the art of communication, with lots of stories and examples, as well as tips on how to find a common language with anyone; just don't take it as a magic pill, the art of communication comes only through experience; real success is not when communication ends with your "victory", but when you begin to enjoy the process itself; I love these subtleties of interaction";
3) Anthem of Democratic Youth, Serhiy Zhadan — "in August at MEGOGO BOOKS — author of the month Serhiy Zhadan; that's why I want to return to his already classic stories; for example, a book that won't take up much space in a suitcase that you pack on vacation; with irony, and sometimes with satire, about the early Ukrainian nineties; no nostalgia, just witty, apt prose from a classic of the Ukrainian 1990s";
4) Chronicle of Ukrainian Design. No. 4 — "a book-magazine that you leaf through slowly, peer into, and reread the details; everything here is about design with Ukrainian roots: scenographies, identities, fonts, colors, and stories that connect artists, theater, museum, television product, and even MEGOGO; if you want inspiration and cultural context, this publication is the perfect fit";
5) My Inner Child Wants to Kill Mindfully, Carsten Duss — "a continuation of an ironic thriller that clearly explains what will happen to you if you don't learn to relax; thrillers are generally an interesting thing, they reset your head and allow you to be distracted by a fascinating story that you often can't tear yourself away from; then you can compare whether the film adaptation will manage to impress me more than the book."
Serhii Hryshkov is the CEO of the Ukrainian IT company Uklon. A graduate of the Kyiv State University of Trade and Economics and a financier by education. He has worked at the fintech service NovaPay, which is part of the NOVA group of companies ("Nova Poshta"). At Uklon, he initially held the position of Head of Product and CPO, and now heads the entire company.
A selection of books and podcasts by Serhii Hryshkov:
1) Jack and Susie Welch The Winner — "this is not just one of my favorite books, it is a ticket to the thinking of one of the most famous CEOs in history, Jack Welch, who turned General Electric into a global giant; I really like the style in which the book is written, because the apt jokes, lively language, and real stories of victories create the impression that you are really communicating with a person";
2) Tim Ferriss Tools of Titans — "is essentially a concentrate of insights, advice, and habits from the world's most famous people, which Tim Ferriss collected during numerous interviews on his podcast The Tim Ferriss Show; Ferriss doesn't just retell the interviews, he also adds his own comments, reflections, and even the results of his experiments with implementing some of these tips into his life; therefore, this book, which has collected the best practices, is definitely worth the attention of everyone who seeks personal and professional growth";
3) Marti Perarnau Pep Confidential — "is not just a chronicle of Josep Guardiola's debut season at the helm of Bayern Munich, but a deep portrait of one of the greatest coaches of our time, offering invaluable insights into his methodology, strategy and psychology; even if you are not a football fan, the book offers valuable lessons on how to manage a team of stars, motivate people, implement change and cope with pressure; you will see how Guardiola builds relationships with players, resolves conflicts and maintains a high level of discipline";
4) Frances Ashcroft Life at the Extremes: The Science of Survival — "this book shows how incredibly adaptable our bodies are; it explains how we can survive in conditions that seem completely impossible — from boiling deserts to icy mountain peaks, from lack of oxygen to the enormous pressure of the ocean depths; it is a kind of survival manual that explains how scientific principles work in real situations, and can be useful for those who, like me, are fond of extreme sports, or simply want to understand how the body functions under stressful conditions";
5) Podcast How I Built This — "host and journalist Guy Raz interviews entrepreneurs who have built iconic companies and brands to find out what challenges and mistakes they went through; this is a podcast about people who took a risk, believed in their idea, and through hard work and the ability to overcome obstacles, built something big and meaningful; from the episodes you can learn about how companies are created today, which niches are the vanguard of the tech world, and where it is worth investing";
6) Masters of Scale Podcast — "Leader and LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman explores how companies grow from startup to global scale; the podcast will be useful for all managers, as it delves into the psychology of leadership, decision-making processes under pressure, creating an innovative culture, and attracting the best talent; shows how these elements are key to company growth";
7) The podcast Closed the Round — "this is a podcast from the editor-in-chief of Scroll Media, Ilya Kabachinsky, and the ex-editor-in-chief of Vector, Anton Poleskov; the guys discuss the latest news from the world of technology, startups, and innovative business, and also communicate with leading entrepreneurs; this allows me to stay abreast of the latest trends and understand where the industry is heading."
PS And our faithful assistant ChatGPT helped us learn about several interesting new books from the IT sphere that were recently published in Ukraine:
▪️ CEO Diary. 33 laws of business and life;
▪️ Formulation of design solutions;
▪️ Lean UX. Building great products with teams;
▪️ OSINT in Cybersecurity. Training Manual;
▪️ Hackers and States. Cyberwars as new realities of modern geopolitics;
▪️ Innovation in Isolation: The Story of Ukrainian IT from the 1940's to Present.