Could you tell us about your professional background?
Ekaterina: My career path has been quite diverse. I worked in marketing and advertising agencies, where I learned how to understand customers and build communication strategies. Later, I joined a FinTech bank and from there, I moved to Sberbank, Russia’s largest bank, and the environment was completely different. With 200,000 employees, you constantly think about scale and impact. I was responsible for implementing customer-centric strategies and introducing digital products for younger clients.
Eight years ago, I relocated to Germany and joined Deloitte as a strategy consultant, focusing on customer experience and design projects for banks and insurance companies. Later, at Capgemini Invent, I led innovation programs in partnership with Google, working with AI and machine learning.
But throughout this journey, I always dreamed of doing something on my own. This year, together with Victoria, I finally turned that dream into reality with 12BRAVE.
Victoria: My background is in product management and IT strategy. Over the past 12+ years I’ve worked for major German corporations including SAP, Aldi, and Henkel. At some point I realized that the corporate job wasn’t enough for me. For the last five years I’ve been building portfolio career: I mentor and train product managers, I speak at international conferences, and I also run a travel community of over 1,200 people — it is more of a passion project, but still a real one.
What excites me most is seeing how people grow when you give them the right tools and guidance. I love technology and product management, but I’m equally passionate about marketing and community building.
How did the idea for 12BRAVE come about?
Ekaterina: It’s hard to name one exact moment. I always felt I wanted to build something of my own. A couple of years ago, Victoria and I even tried joining an incubator with a startup idea, but it quickly became clear that a classic startup model didn’t fit well with corporate careers.
Still, the curiosity stayed. At the beginning of this year, we decided to run a series of interviews with entrepreneurs and side-project founders to understand their struggles. The insight was striking: more and more professionals are drawn to portfolio careers — consulting, mentoring, small SaaS products — but they don’t know where to start. They lack structure, knowledge, and inspiration.
That’s when we realized we could design a program that helps people like us — mid- to senior-level professionals — make the shift. It wasn’t just about teaching business basics. It was about guiding people through the psychological transition from corporate employee to entrepreneur.
How would you describe 12BRAVE?
Ekaterina: It’s not just another training course. Knowledge is everywhere — you can Google frameworks or ask ChatGPT. What people need is structure, accountability, and real-life shortcuts.
We take one small step every week, so by the end of 12 weeks our participants can confidently reach their first paying clients. And they’re not alone: we provide a community of peers, mentors, and experts who support them along the way.
Victoria: Exactly. We combine expertise from ourselves and 10 mentors who’ve built their own portfolio careers. They share how they got their first customers, how they built personal brands, and how they approached go-to-market strategies.
It sounds very serious, but I’d also add — it’s fun! We have a group chat and every day something happens. Launching your own project, talking to customers, making your first sale — it’s exciting in a way corporate work rarely is. In big companies, you might spend months preparing presentations that change nothing. Here, every small step makes a visible impact. For me, building 12BRAVE feels like being in an amusement park: hard work, but thrilling.
What makes this program unique?
Victoria: I’ve taken countless trainings myself, but I’ve never seen something as impactful as this. Three months is enough time to act, not just learn. You have mentors by your side, people who’ve actually done it. We combine structure, personal support, and multiple perspectives.
If I hadn’t built 12BRAVE, I would gladly join it.
Ekaterina: There are many popular frameworks — Agile, Lean Startup, Design Thinking, and others. They’re useful, but each assumes a certain level of standardization. We draw on these frameworks as well as our own experience, and then tailor them to each participant. Sometimes what you really need is not a method, but personal advice or a specific recommendation. That level of customization is what makes our program unique.
Is the program for everyone?
Victoria: Anyone can imagine doing a side project, but we aim for experienced professionals. Before admitting participants, we conduct a personal interview to ensure the program fits their goals. Sometimes we recommend against joining, for example, if someone wants to open a physical shop, which we can’t support.
Ekaterina: What matters most is that participants are peers — senior professionals who learn from each other. There’s no teacher–student hierarchy, but a circle of like-minded people sharing expertise and feedback. That’s what makes the community so strong.
How did your first cohort respond?
Ekaterina: We were pleasantly surprised. Initially, we aimed to provide a practical, well-packaged set of tools. But participants kept telling us that the biggest value was in the confidence and mindset shift they gained. They felt more empowered, motivated, and structured in their approach.
One of the greatest compliments was when a participant offered to join as our CTO because he believed so much in what we’re building!
Victoria: We’re very engaged with participants through group chats, personal mentoring, and ongoing feedback. It’s not just about running a program; we truly care about their success. That energy flows both ways. Seeing them grow motivates us even more.
What role do mentors play in the program?
Victoria: We have 10 great mentors, who have successfully built portfolio careers while holding senior roles in companies like Zalando, Deloitte, and Henkel. Some became entrepreneurs, others supported hundreds of founders as marketing or legal advisors.
We map the program so that each mentor contributes where their expertise is most relevant, whether it’s branding, sales, or legal matters. Beyond sessions, they stay available in our community chat. Importantly, we know them personally and chose them not only for their skills but for their generosity. They genuinely want to help, not just promote themselves.
Why did you both leave your corporate jobs instead of combining them with 12BRAVE?
Ekaterina: Because the consulting industry itself is changing. AI is reshaping how work is done, and macroeconomic conditions make expensive projects harder to sell. Even without entrepreneurship, I would have needed to rethink my career. So I chose to do what truly excites me.
Victoria: I wanted to create a real impact. In large organizations, it’s often frustratingly hard to make a difference. With your own project, every decision counts. For me, it wasn’t about becoming my own boss, but about building something meaningful.
What have been the biggest personal challenges you’ve faced recently?
Victoria: The hardest part is the mindset shift. In corporate life, you have teams, structure, and a steady salary.
As an entrepreneur, you create value every single day or you’re out. You work harder, earn less at first, and have no safety net, but the potential is much greater.
Ekaterina: For me, it was about identity. I loved my consulting career and identified strongly with it. Suddenly I had to reintroduce myself: not as a consultant, but as a co-founder. That takes courage.
Another challenge is the constant context switching. In corporate jobs you focus on a few topics; as an entrepreneur, you jump from legal to design to sales in a single day. It’s overwhelming, but it trains your brain to think faster.
What misconceptions do people have about starting side projects?
Victoria: That there will be a “right time.” There won’t. You never feel fully ready — you should just start.
Ekaterina: Another myth is that you need lots of money. We built 12BRAVE entirely bootstrapped, without spending a single euro of our own money at first.
What would you say to people hesitating to start?
Victoria: Everyone has fears. But the bigger fear should be ending up irrelevant years later with no skills and no independence. Starting now is safer than waiting.
Ekaterina: Talented people often underestimate themselves, thinking they’re not ready. In reality, they already have valuable skills. What they need is support and a push, and that’s exactly what we offer.
When does your next cohort begin?
Ekaterina: October 1st. It will run until Christmas, so participants can start the new year with concrete business ideas already launched.
Victoria: A perfect way to turn a New Year’s resolution into reality!
Stop waiting for the “right moment.” It’s here. 12BRAVE program is your chance to launch your side project before the year ends. 12 weeks. Real clients. Real impact.
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