Vlad Yatsenko says Revolut sells engineering roles on the chance to solve real problems for real customers, not on elegant code.
Revolut's hiring rejects the idea that every candidate must acquire users, with Yatsenko arguing that most growth came from word-of-mouth, so the product must solve the problem.
Yatsenko says communication is about 50% of an engineer's job, and the key hiring question is whether you want to work with the person.
Revolut's CTO on hiring for problems, fit and speed
Revolut builds its teams around the customer problem, not the technology. Every team is a product team, hiring screens for communication and fit as much as skill, and growth comes mostly from a product good enough to spread by word-of-mouth. Vlad argues that core principles stay fixed while process stays flexible, and that explaining the why keeps a fast-growing company aligned.
Takeaways
Revolut sells roles on solving real customer problems. Vlad says the tech is only tools and secondary to the problem. Engineering roles are pitched on impact for real customers, not elegant code, and every team is a product team led by a product owner with cross-functional members.
Growth is everyone's job, driven by product quality. Revolut has dedicated growth teams because acquiring customers is a top objective, but not every candidate is asked to acquire users. Vlad says retention matters as much, and most growth came from word-of-mouth, so the product must solve the problem.
Hire for fit and communication over narrow skills. The key hiring question is whether you want to work with the person. Some technical skills can be learned. Vlad says communication is about 50% of an engineer's work, since no one can think through every corner case alone.
Early hiring was slow and the team stayed tiny. Revolut was under 10 people for quite some time, and the first hire took at least a month. Vlad says early hiring is harder because many people joining startups lack experience. Now it seeks experienced heads and VPs who fit its culture.
Protect core principles while letting culture evolve. Vlad says some cultural elements will change as the company grows, but core principles must never be compromised. Slogans like Get it done, Stronger together and never settle express them, and explaining why keeps people engaged and aligned.
Fix people problems early and match structure to systems. Vlad says people problems take time to change, so he tries to fix them at hiring. He cites Conway's Law, that organisation structure should match system architecture, as how Revolut keeps its pace.
Process serves speed, not ritual. Vlad is against rituals and wants habits to become natural. The principle is delivering value as fast as possible, so teams adapt their process, some using Scrum elements. Every meeting needs a clear purpose, including his one-on-ones on personal goals.
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