We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Nadia Zueva a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Nadia, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
Honestly, finding my purpose wasn’t some big dramatic moment—it just kind of unfolded as I lived my life. A couple of years ago, I was traveling a lot—like, over 20 countries in two years—with just two suitcases and no permanent residence. One of them, hilariously, was full of clothes I never wore. I’d pack these beautiful pieces, but they just sat there because I didn’t know how to mix and match them.
At some point, I thought, “Why is this so hard? I can’t be the only one with a closet full of clothes and nothing to wear.” That’s when the idea for Aesty started to take shape. I wanted to create something that made wardrobe management easy and helped people actually enjoy their clothes—while also being more sustainable.
As I kept traveling, I discovered all these amazing local designers and emerging brands—pieces that were so much better quality and way more unique than what you’d find at big chain stores. And they weren’t even more expensive. It made me realize there’s this whole world of better choices out there that most of us just don’t know about.
So Aesty became about more than just organizing your wardrobe. It’s about giving people confidence in their style, helping them make the most of what they have, and even making shopping smarter. With Aesty, you can shop based on your existing items and your personal style, so every new piece you buy fits into your wardrobe. It started as a personal challenge, but it’s grown into something that’s way bigger than me—and I love that.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I’m Nadia Zueva, the founder of Aesty App, a fashion-tech platform that’s redefining how we approach shopping and wardrobe management. Aesty is not just a digital wardrobe or outfit planner—it’s a personalized tool that helps you make the most of your existing wardrobe and shop smarter. What makes us stand out is the ability to discover emerging brands and shop for pieces that perfectly align with your personal style and the clothes you already own. It’s about thoughtful shopping that complements your wardrobe, rather than random purchases that end up unused.
The idea for Aesty came from my own experience—traveling with limited luggage but still feeling like I had “nothing to wear.” I wanted a solution that not only organized wardrobes but also encouraged better, more sustainable fashion choices. Along the way, I discovered incredible emerging designers and local brands offering unique, high-quality pieces that often outperform mass-market options at similar prices. Aesty bridges that gap, connecting people to these hidden gems while helping them build cohesive, stylish wardrobes.
Before Aesty, I spent 8 years in voice technology, advancing from junior developer to team lead at big social network, and later working with startups in the U.S. and Singapore. My focus was on speech recognition, denoising, and even computer vision for e-scooters. But fashion has always been a passion, and creating Aesty allowed me to combine my tech expertise with my love for style and innovation.
Now based in Dubai, I’m excited to be polishing the app’s content and design while preparing for launch. For me Aesty is more than just an app—it’s a movement toward intentional, sustainable fashion choices that reflect who you are. When I’m not working on Aesty, you’ll find me mentoring students, designing clothes, drinking espresso tonic learning Japanese, or rock climbing.
Our mission with Aesty is to empower people to feel confident in their style, shop consciously, and celebrate unique brands that deserve the spotlight. I’m thrilled to bring this vision to life and invite everyone to join us on this exciting journey.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Looking back, the three most important qualities that shaped my journey are adaptability, curiosity, and resilience.
1) Adaptability: Life rarely goes as planned, and being open to change has been essential. Whether it was moving to new countries, navigating different industries, or pivoting ideas for Aesty, adaptability allowed me to see challenges as opportunities. Get comfortable with discomfort. Seek out situations that push you beyond your usual limits—it’s where the most growth happens.
2) Curiosity: From voice tech to fashion tech, curiosity has been my north star. I’ve always been eager to learn, whether it’s diving into speech recognition or understanding sustainable fashion. This curiosity has kept my work exciting and led me to unexpected opportunities. For those starting out, never stop asking “why?” or “what if?”—and don’t be afraid to explore areas outside your comfort zone.
3) Speak up: One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is the importance of not avoiding hard conversations. Whether it’s giving feedback, discussing difficult decisions, or advocating for what’s best for your company, speaking up can make all the difference. It’s not always comfortable, but honesty and clarity build trust and lead to better outcomes. Don’t shy away from these moments—embrace them. It’s through these tough conversations that you grow as a leader and create a stronger team and vision.
These three qualities have shaped both my professional and personal life, and I believe they’re invaluable for anyone starting out. Be open to change, stay curious, and never give up—it’s a combination that can take you further than you might imagine.
If you knew you only had a decade of life left, how would you spend that decade?
One of the biggest challenges of being an early stage founder is the misconception about what this life looks like. It’s not about luxury gatherings, flashy sports cars, or glamorous interviews. The reality is much more grounded—it’s about hard work, constant learning, and making sacrifices to achieve a bigger goal.
For me, being a founder means always finding ways to cut down on expenses, stretching resources, and focusing on what truly matters for the business. It’s an exciting and fulfilling journey, but it’s also a kinda “downshift” in many ways. You trade short-term comforts for long-term impact, and while that comes with its own set of challenges, it’s also what makes it so rewarding.
Every day brings new lessons, and that’s what keeps it fun for me. Building something meaningful requires resilience, creativity, and a lot of grit, but it’s all worth it when you see the vision starting to take shape.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://aesty.ai
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nestymee/?hl=en
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nadia-zueva/
- Twitter: https://x.com/nestymee
Image Credits
All images are my own.
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
