Tech Founder: From 0 to 15 Million Users. Here's What We Learned

Beyond Coding

Maximiliano Neustadt, CTO and co-founder of Polarsteps, shares the incredible journey of building a travel app from 5 people to over 15 million users.

From surviving as a travel company during the worst possible timing to scaling without hustle culture, Maxi reveals the key decisions, hiring practices, and leadership lessons that drove their success.

Learn how they built strong company values, made tough product choices, and why they spend a full day with every hiring candidate as part of the interview.

Connect with Maximiliano Neustadt:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/maximiliano-neustadt-90137b2

Full episode on YouTube ▶️

https://youtu.be/3ZLmpggjcUY

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OUTLINE00:00:00 - Introducing Maximiliano Neustadt, CTO of Polarsteps00:00:46 - The founding story of Polarsteps00:03:21 - The early days and first key hires00:05:48 - The unique Polarsteps hiring process00:15:15 - Transitioning from CTO to CEO during COVID-1900:19:37 - Rejecting startup hustle culture00:22:51 - Balancing employee freedom and company direction00:29:05 - Polarsteps' five core company values00:33:04 - Balancing user data and intuition in decision making00:38:24 - The approach to adopting new tech like AI00:44:13 - How Polarsteps fosters innovation