Meet Nadia Zueva

We were lucky to catch up with Nadia Zueva recently and have shared our conversation below.

Nadia, so great to have you with us today. There are so many topics we want to ask you about, but perhaps the one we can start with is burnout. How have you overcome or avoided burnout?

For me, avoiding burnout wasn’t about finding a magic hack, it was about building small rituals and boundaries that actually fit into my chaotic founder life. I learned to treat rest the same way I treat work: scheduled and non-negotiable. That means going to a climbing gym a few times a week, journaling in the mornings, and sometimes just letting myself do nothing without guilt.

another big shift was changing how I look at “failure”, I stopped seeing experiments that didn’t work as wasted effort, and instead framed them as part of the process. That reduced a lot of pressure and made the journey more sustainable.

I still work long hours, but the difference is I don’t feel like I’m running on empty anymore. I’ve built habits that recharge me along the way. On weekends I try to switch off completely: sometimes I’ll drive to nearby towns just to have breakfast, and every Sunday I stick to my Japanese lessons. Learning languages feels like its own kind of meditation — my brain resets and recharges.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I’m the co-founder & CEO of Aesty, a fashion-tech startup that I’m building together with my husband and co-founder, Andrei Rychkov. We like to call it a “cookbook for outfits” The idea is simple but powerful: you upload or find outfits you love, and our AI shows you how those looks would work on you personally, while also suggesting pieces from your own wardrobe or shoppable links.

What excites me most is that we’re not just building another shopping app, we’re creating a tool that makes fashion more personal, playful, and accessible. People often spend hours scrolling for inspiration, but still struggle to connect it to their real life. With Aesty, it becomes instant and interactive.

For us, the most exciting part is seeing how users respond – the spark when someone tries on a Pinterest look they’ve saved for years, and suddenly it feels real. That’s why Andrei and I started Aesty, and why we’re so energized about where it’s going next.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

1. Boredom. I left my full-time job 2y ago simply because I was bored – and that boredom pushed me to create something of my own!

2. Consistency. Saying no to giving up. I kept posting reels every single day for half a year, even when they barely got views at the beginning. That discipline paid off later.

3. People who believe in you. Having my husband as both co-founder and like-minded partner made the hard parts less scary and the wins even sweeter for both of us. My parents and friends also supported my venture.

so don’t ignore boredom, it’s a signal. Stay consistent even when no one’s watching. And if you can, build with someone who shares your vision — it changes everything.

Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?

Three books that had a huge impact on me as a founder are The Lean Startup, The Mom Test, and Zero to One.

“The Lean Startup” taught me to see every step as an experiment, launch fast, measure, learn, repeat!
“The Mom Test” showed me how to ask questions that get real insights instead of polite yeses
“Zero to One” pushed me to think bigger, not just iterate, but ask how what I’m building could be truly different and valuable and show me a ton of examples

Together, they shaped the way I work: test fast, listen carefully, and always keep an ambitious vision in mind.

Contact Info:

Suggest a Story: BoldJourney is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems,
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
Highlighter Series
Are you walking a path—or wandering?

The answer to whether you are walking or wandering often changes from season to season

Highlighter Series
What makes you lose track of time—and find yourself again?

With so many high-achievers in our community it was super interesting to learn about the

Highlighter Series
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?

We asked some of the wisest people we know what they would tell their younger