From scaling startups to shaping what's next

We sat down with Stanislav Bondarenko to discuss his journey from the high-stakes world of early-stage startups to his current role at Revolut.

After his AI travel startup, Swifty, was acquired by us in October 2025, Stas joined Revolut as an Entrepreneur in Residence (EiR) to lead the Lifestyle Concierge within our most ambitious AI project yet, our 24/7 in-app personal assistant AIR, or AI by Revolut.

Stas shares why, for a founder, Revolut is where the real scaling begins.

Hi, I'm Stas

When I founded Swifty in 2023, the vision was simple but challenging: build an AI travel agent that could handle the entire cycle (planning, booking, and payments) from a single voice message. We were moving fast, but as any founder knows, you spend half your time building the dream, and the other half hunting for the resources to create and grow.

In October 2025, Revolut acquired Swifty. Transitioning from the CEO of a lean startup to an Entrepreneur in Residence (EiR) here has been an exercise in what I call 'fueling the fire' — taking a proven idea and giving it the immediate scale it needs to explode.

People often ask why a founder would trade total independence for a seat at a larger table. But the truth is that you’re joining a high-performance laboratory. It’s a $75 billion machine that still operates with the intensity of a seed-stage startup, just with significantly more gas to pour on the fire.

Being an Entrepreneur in Residence at Revolut

As an EiR, I’m here to build. We're integrating Swifty’s idea into Revolut to create an AI lifestyle concierge that simplifies everyday needs, like travel.

The beauty of the EiR role is that it preserves the zero-to-one spirit. I can still define the scope, hire the team, and pitch for funding. The difference is that I don’t have to worry about customer acquisition from scratch. This gives me the opportunity to immediately focus on building the best solution for a global customer base.

If you're a founder who hasn't yet hit that unicorn milestone, there's no better training ground than this. I came here to learn the secret behind one of the most successful fintechs in history. What I found was a culture built on:

• Total transparency: our structure is incredibly flat. As an EiR, I report project updates directly to the CEO. This level of transparency where everyone’s metrics are visible enforces a sense of ownership you rarely see at this scale.
• Extreme accountability: we use the terms "Entrepreneur in Residence" (EiR) and "Product Owner" (PO) internally, but they could easily be synonyms for a mini-CEO. EiRs manage end-to-end production and are totally responsible for the commercial viability of a venture. Just like in a startup, your success is dependent on your users’ feedback and the financial results of your product.
• Analytical depth: at Revolut, you’re expected to prioritise data when taking critical decisions and solving problems. Plus, have the sales skills to convince the organisation that your vision is worth the investment.

Building a company is about solving problems. Here at Revolut the friction is removed, allowing you to focus entirely on the solution. You witness the rare intersection of startup agility and institutional excellence, where 13,000+ people maintain individual ownership through radical transparency. You learn the rigorous systems required to build a giant.

Learn the methodology, learn to win

Whether you’re a former founder or a top-tier product mind, Revolut is the premier springboard. I came here to sharpen my tools, leverage resources, and build something that touches millions of lives.

And when you’re ready to build your next big thing, you’ll be doing it with the DNA of a winner.

We’re looking for high-impact individuals to join us as Entrepreneurs in Residence and Product Owners. If you have the drive to lead a venture from zero to scale, we want to hear from you.