Building a global career in fintech, crypto, and entrepreneurship has never been more challenging—or more rewarding. In this interview, we explore the journey of Pavlo Pedenko, a product leader and entrepreneur who has worked on global fintech infrastructure, scaled products serving millions of users, and successfully launched an international education startup.
From startup growth and product management to crypto adoption, investing, and financial freedom, Pavlo shares practical lessons for anyone looking to build a successful career in today’s fast-changing digital economy.
From Billions in Volume to 600,000 Lessons: The Mathema Journey
Danylo: You recently transitioned from a corporate giant like Wise to your own startup, Mathema. How do you compare the scale of these two worlds?
Pavlo Pedenko: It’s a matter of perspective. At Wise, my team moved double-digit billions of dollars annually with incredible growth. When you’ve witnessed that volume of traction, it’s hard to readjust to something smaller. However, seeing Mathema deliver 600,000 lessons last year makes me realize we are making a tangible difference. We are now arguably the largest math school in Ukraine, growing rapidly in Poland, and we’ve just launched in the UK with very promising early signals.
Danylo: Building such an infrastructure requires significant resources. How did you finance Mathema in the early stages?
Pavlo Pedenko: We started in a very "cheap" way, generating cash flow almost immediately. We were fortunate to receive two major non-equity influxes: a 25k−50k grant from the Ukrainian Startup Fund — which was 100% legit and required no dilution — and a $100k grant from Google when the war broke out. Beyond that, our model relies on customer deposits, which helps us maintain slow, organic growth.
A "Random" Career: From Buddhist Monasteries to Global Fintech
Danylo: Your career path looks like a series of unexpected pivots — media, fintech, and now education. Was this a calculated plan?
Pavlo Pedenko: My career has always been random and opportunistic. I started in marketing because I didn't see a way to make money as an engineer in Kyiv at the time. I built digital assets for 1+1 Media, scaling their team from five to 50 people and reaching 20 million streams a month. When I felt I had hit a ceiling there, I randomly applied for a product management course while chilling in Thailand.
That led me to MacPaw, then to China to fulfill a childhood dream, and even to a Buddhist monastery in Nepal. In China, I co-founded a hip-hop app that failed to monetize but took off in the US, which eventually led me to Preply and, finally, a very "opportunistic" move to Wise after a friend I met in China emailed me.
Inside Wise: Slang, Open Banking, and the Ukrainian Crisis
Danylo: Wise is a fintech legend. What was it like on the inside, especially during the regional expansion?
Pavlo Pedenko: When I joined, I felt completely lost. The internal "fintech bro" vocabulary was hardcore. As a PM for Regional Expansion, you do whatever it takes to keep the lights on and grow. My first major projects included the Wise-PayPal integration for Euro payouts and building source-of-wealth verification through Open Banking.
When the war in Ukraine broke out, I was one of the few Ukrainian-speaking product managers on the team. I was emotionally exhausted, trying to maintain rails with PrivatBank while the market dealt with unstable exchange rates and crypto arbitrage. We had to experiment with everything from delivering physical cards to accepting refugee documents for identity verification.
Financial Strategies: High-Interest Accounts and Conviction Investing
Danylo: Living in London is expensive. How do you manage your personal finances and what does "freedom" mean to you?
Pavlo Pedenko: In London, my average monthly spend is around $7,000. I’ve shifted away from the old Ukrainian dream of owning multiple properties to rent out. Instead, I leverage the developed financial system. For instance, I use high-interest accounts that offer 3.5% on USD with instant availability — something almost impossible to find in Ukraine for a low-risk investment.
Danylo: What does your investment portfolio look like?
Pavlo Pedenko: I split my investments 70% into index funds and 30% into individual "conviction" stocks.
- Conviction Bets: I invest heavily in affordable food (Walmart, McDonald's, Costco) and defense tech (Red Cat, a US drone company).
- The Hype Train: I also follow trends in AI supply chains, hardware, and even a bet on GTA 6 via Take-Two Interactive.
- The "Rainy Day" Cache: I always keep 10k to 20k in physical cash. My French girlfriend thought I was robbing people, but given what’s happening globally, I believe it's better to be prepared.
Crypto: The Ultimate Utility Tool during the War
Danylo: You’ve mentioned that crypto played a unique role during the war. How?
Pavlo Pedenko: Beyond personal holdings in Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana, crypto has massive utility. During the war, our charity fund, Collo, used crypto as collateral. When we needed to procure radios from South Africa quickly, we sent crypto to reserve the batch instantly. This allowed us to secure hardware while the slower fiat paperwork was being processed; once the fiat payment landed, the vendor returned the crypto. It’s a perfect use case for competitive, high-speed transactions.
Final Tips: Embracing the Struggle for a Global Career
Danylo: What is your advice for young people wanting to build a global career today?
Pavlo Pedenko: Embrace the struggle immediately — it’s going to be harder for the next generation than it was for us.
A Roadmap for Global Success:
- Join Multicultural Teams: Look for companies that target global markets and operate in English. Even if you are in Ukraine, seek out diverse environments like Preply.
- Prioritize Learning: If your finances allow it, don't optimize for money straight away; optimize for learning and growth.
- Extend Your "Surface of Luck": Be in the right place at the right time. Larger ecosystems expose you to the talent, projects, and funding needed to thrive.
