Silicon Valley Girl: AI, Tech and Career Growth How to build a Unicorn outside the US with AI | Arsen Tomsky, Founder InDrive
Feb 10, 2026
Arsen Tomsky, founder and CEO of inDrive who turned a Yakutsk taxi protest into a global ride-hailing unicorn. He recounts launching with a negotiation-based model, scaling on a shoestring from Siberia to Latin America, and taking on monopolies by prioritizing fairness. He also explores AI-native product strategy, future job transitions, and mission-driven growth.
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From Taxi Protest To Global App
- In Yakutsk, taxi companies colluded and doubled fares, sparking social outrage that grew into a 50,000-person social movement.
- Arsen Tomsky turned that protest into a peer-to-peer bidding app that launched across nine cities with $90K and scaled from there.
Monopolies Create Underdog Openings
- Large monopolies create opportunities because they raise fares and commissions, which creates room for alternatives.
- Positioning against monopoly excess can fuel rapid organic adoption for underdog companies.
Launch Where You Understand Users
- Be people-focused and AI-native while choosing a distinctive business model that creates organic growth.
- Launch in developing markets you understand, expand fast, and stay above competitors' radar.