97. How to spot hidden talent and build teams that scale fast - with Dmytro Tymoshchuk

In this episode of Leadership That Sells, I sit down with Dmytro Tymoshchuk, serial entrepreneur, co-founder of DST Group and CEO of ToolsOn, a platform that’s set to transform how digital businesses manage operations. But what starts as a chat about building software quickly reveals a deeper superpower: Dmytro is a master at finding hidden talent and unlocking people’s potential.

We talk about his journey from engineer to entrepreneur, the challenges of managing complex businesses with duct-tape tools like Excel, and the real reason so many startups fail. Dmytro explains how he built not one but two successful companies by spotting greatness in people others overlook—whether it’s a prompt engineer hiding in a basement or a future CTO working their way up from the ground floor.

We get into practical ways to identify raw talent, the questions that matter in an interview, and how to turn people’s passion into performance. If you're tired of hiring the obvious candidates and want to start finding the difference-makers, this one’s for you.

How to spot hidden talent and build teams that scale fast

- Look for people already creating things, even if it's not in your field.

- Prioritise hands-on experience over academic abstraction.

- Pay attention to how they speak—clear, precise language often signals deep thinking.

- Give them a real challenge with purpose and autonomy, then see how they run with it.

- Offer remote flexibility as a serious advantage to attract motivated self-starters.

- Nurture internal talent—developing leaders from within often beats hiring externally.

Timeline summary

[02:01] – “I'm a geek who doesn't code” – how Dmytro helps engineers make better decisions [04:22] – The pain of patchwork tools: why ToolsOn is built for digital-first operations [10:10] – “We're not building a Swiss army knife” – how a framework beats a feature list [14:45] – 100 customer interviews in 2 months: solving problems people actually care about [22:34] – Behind the build: the 13-year journey of trust and team chemistry [29:03] – Finding a prompt engineer in a music producer’s basement [36:34] – The roadmap mindset: how to turn talent into scalable execution [43:40] – Why you should train people to be great at what they’re already good at [46:57] – “Be responsible and live by your conscience” – wisdom from Dmytro’s grandmother

Links & resources

• Connect with Dmytro on LinkedIn

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