Under the Current Podcast: #10 - Dmitry Koltunov

building communities in startups and hiphop, and the freedom of getting things wrong

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A lot’s happened since 9 year old Dmitry Koltunov and his family packed a few suitcases, left the Soviet Union, and headed west into the unknown

Today, he’s known by many as the co-founder of a hugely successful tech company serving the hospitality industry. To many hundreds more, he’s the indefatigable linchpin of a popular startup fellowship program. And to others, he’s the creator of a new Broadway-bound musical.

Before all these ventures, Dmitry had to learn a new language and culture, and found himself in the gladiatorial environments of corporate America. It was only after two very different visits to New York’s Lower East Side that his current path began to emerge.

In this wide-ranging conversation we get into the surprises that come when following the American dream, why confidence can create fragility, the commonalities between hiphop and startups, and lessons learned from freestyling with one Lin Manuel Miranda.

Show notes

6:00 Lower East Side free styling with Lin Manuel Miranda

17:00 Detecting the difference between startups and hobbies

25:00 The gladiator game of business – and going the other way

30:00 Following the American dream, and observing culture

43:00 Hiphop and startup communities

48:00 Being fragile from the confidence

58:00 Structures and segments of creative work

66:00 Handling success

73:00 Writing Broadway musicals