Hi, I'm Katya. I work on positioning, zero-to-one launches, and growth at early-stage startups. I'm the first person figuring out what a company's story is and who it's for, and then the one who goes and builds the brand, the product and the launch.
On the side I take photos, paint, read a lot, and sometimes write for fun.
Most people can't name their representatives, let alone what they're voting on. We built an app that tracks every bill, summarizes it in plain language, and shows how your reps vote compared to what you believe. Our early founder-led content did fine, but it reached people who already followed me, not people meeting Overlap for the first time.
The approach
I stopped posting updates and focused on storytelling, positioning the product as the hero. That strategy built us a massive support base. I ran user feedback sessions and we added a "What now" section that turns your opinion on a bill into something you can actually do. We also cold-emailed congressional campaigns and I ran every demo to sell our polling software.
What happened
750K+ likes in two weeks
15K followers
3K+ people on the waitlist
20+ congressional campaigns interested
$0 spent
“Don't be a stranger in your city.”
Hula, social media intern, then marketing director, 2021–22
GrowthCommunity
Some context
Hula helped young people find friends to go to events with. When I joined as an intern, it had a dated website, no brand voice, and almost no social presence. The usual playbook for an app like that is paid ads and steady posting.
The approach
The branding had to speak to the audience, so I remade the website, app store listings, onboarding & more. Then, I cold-DMed 700+ New York micro-influencers and asked them to host events for their own followers. We covered the venue, and every RSVP went through the app. Influencers got content, their audiences got a reason to download, and attendees kept using Hula to meet more people. Our socials engagement shot up. Then I pitched and produced Hula Fest to bring the whole community together.
What happened
Intern to marketing director in two months
310% increase in average in-app engagement
238% lift in profile engagement rate
“No more multitasking on sales calls.”
BeBetween, head of product, 2026–now
PositioningZero to one
Some context
The founders saw BeBetween as a CRM integration for real estate agents. They didn't have a launch strategy, a beta testing pool and needed a pitch deck positioned for their seed raise. The product had to stand out in a market flooded with AI-assistants.
The approach
Agents spend up to 40% of their week doing data entry. I repositioned BeBetween as a personal assistant for every sales call, with the CRM made optional. I widened the customer to salespeople broadly, kept real estate as the first market, and pushed for a standalone version so any salesperson can use it.
Where it stands
I lead product, design, and go-to-market alongside one engineer
Brand, interface, and seed deck
Beta live, raise in progress
“Think better.”
Redstone, positioning, contract
PositioningBrand
Built the site for AI harness, early brand, and seed deck around it. Led to several investor meetings.
Tine
Tine, brand and product design, contract
BrandProduct design
Full rebrand and product redesign for a social dining discovery app, shipped to production.
Universe
Universe, product manager, 2022–23
BrandProduct
Led the rebrand of a web3 membership marketplace with its founder, prototyped the platform, and shaped the pitch. Signed 5+ partnerships with local businesses.
Photographs
Reading
Books I've liked lately:
Edith HollerEdward CareyKingmakerSonia PurnellThe SafekeepYael van der WoudenThe EmpusiumOlga TokarczukArtificial Intelligence: A Guide for Thinking HumansMelanie MitchellKatabasisR.F. KuangPossible Minds: 25 Ways of Looking at AIedited by John BrockmanI Who Have Never Known MenJacqueline HarpmanCloud Cuckoo LandAnthony DoerrCareless PeopleSarah Wynn-WilliamsThe NixNathan HillHocus PocusKurt VonnegutAbundanceEzra Klein and Derek ThompsonThe Genius MythHelen LewisRewiring DemocracyBruce Schneier and Nathan E. SandersEast of EdenJohn SteinbeckThe Arrogant ApeChristine WebbStatus AnxietyAlain de BottonThe InterestingsMeg Wolitzer
