He started out with a commodity, assembled his first team from his family, sold his car when he didn’t have enough money even for basic needs, and still kept going. Today, Oleg Kupets, Owner of KuTeam, KuPartners, owner of a network of telegram channels, is one of those who speak of arbitration as a path of consistency and humanity.
How to survive in a constantly resetting market and why the real power is in the ability not to give up.
Was it hard to create a team?
Did you want to give up everything?
It was not easy to create a team, there are always difficulties, but we overcome them quickly and learn from our mistakes.
I never wanted to quit, I love what I do and I have a goal that I will definitely reach
What was the toughest period in your development and how did you pass it?
The beginning was really tough. We “burned all bridges” and decided to go all-in – without a backup plan, without a financial cushion. Very quickly, it turned into a crisis: we were desperately short of money, my sister was diagnosed with cancer (now, fortunately, she is doing well), and we had to pull resources from everywhere, take on debt, and even sell our car.
The contrast was palpable: not long ago, the product had a stable plus, but now it was not just a lack of profit, but a deep minus. The financial problems were compounded by family problems that required large expenditures and moral endurance.
How did you manage? I worked 18 to 20 hours a day and slept for 2 to 3 hours. These are not pretty words, but the reality of that period. It was then that I started having panic attacks, neurosis and GTR.
Communication with like-minded people saved me: we shared our experience, supported each other, and at the same time I kept trying to assemble the first real backbone of the team. In short, I didn’t stop even when it didn’t work out. And, perhaps, this stubbornness was the main reason why we eventually managed to survive.
How do you select people for your team? What is more important: skills or personality?
The key skills that I value in a team are soft skills and purpose, which I talked about in my speech.
For us, inclusion, dedication, seriousness and a sincere desire to develop in this niche are important. This is the basis without which no project can work.
Hardskills are secondary. They can be acquired with experience, and almost anyone can be taught. As I like to say: “Even bears in the circus were taught to ride a bicycle, but they didn’t become human beings.”
That’s why we are looking for not just performers, but People with a capital P: with empathy, thinking, and values. Everything else can be taught if you have the character and desire to grow.
What are the three principles that underpin your work with partners and team?
How do you see changes in the arbitrage market in 2026? What will be the key – AI, data, or community?
There is a kind of paradox here: nothing new is happening, because change is our new constancy. Everything is moving so fast that future transformations are no longer perceived as something unexpected, but simply a natural development of processes.
Artificial intelligence is gradually simplifying work in all areas, from creativity to analytics. And the first to implement AI in their processes will win the most valuable thing – time.
Along with this, values within companies, corporate culture, approaches to communication and teamwork will change. The business of the future is not only about technology but also about a new level of awareness and humanity.
What do you think is the strength of Ukrainian teams?
In the conditions of “germination”. The more difficult the start, the more stable the flight.
What would you say to those who only dream of building their own arbitration team but do not dare?
Try it, do it, but don’t expect everything to work out the first time.