MacPaw buys AI tokens instead of headcount — 500 people, 15 products
rschmelzer · x · 2026-08-21
MacPaw (maker of CleanMyMac and Setapp) co-founder Vira Tkachenko: from 5 people in a Kyiv dorm in 2008 to 500 people, 15 products, zero VC, selling in 100+ countries.
Key points:
- Investing in AI tokens over new hires — keeping headcount flat while scaling output.
- B2C founders struggle to raise vs B2B; MacPaw stayed profitable from day one.
- Her top advice: be a co-founder, not a solo founder — "diversity of thought beats AI agreement every time."
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