A Warrior Guide to Building Startups

About A Warrior Guide to Building Startups

One Venture, Ten MBAs is an unflinching look at what it really takes to build a tech startup from the ground up. Written by fintech entrepreneur and financial expert Ksenia Yudina, CFA, this book blends practical wisdom with personal narrative to guide first-time founders through every stage of the startup journey.

After immigrating to the US at eighteen, Yudina carved a path through finance, earning her CFA designation and launching a fintech company that would go on to raise over $30 million. But this wasn’t a linear success story. In One Venture, Ten MBAs, she opens up about the realities behind the headlines—navigating early product development, facing off against industry incumbents, securing venture capital, and surviving a hostile takeover.

This book is for entrepreneurs in fintech, ecommerce, and beyond who want more than theory. It’s for the founder who needs a candid blueprint for moving from big idea to product, from pitch deck to term sheet, and from market launch to M&A and beyond.

Each chapter serves as a milestone in the startup lifecycle, offering insight into critical decisions and unexpected setbacks. Along the way, Yudina explains the business language, structures, and strategies that founders must understand to succeed in today’s competitive landscape. Whether you’re preparing your first investor pitch, pivoting in a down market, or leading a team through global disruption, One Venture, Ten MBAs delivers real-world lessons that will help you anticipate obstacles, make smarter decisions, and build something meaningful—even when the outcome is uncertain.