Kyrylo Khilko, 39 years

Scenario-Based Thinking, 50+ Interviews, and the Move from Banking to LG and My Own Business

Today, I am an entrepreneur with a strong corporate background. I act through scenario-based thinking: I quickly assess risks, identify the worst-case scenario, and, if it is acceptable to me, move forward without unnecessary hesitation. My journey is a succession of practical situations in which I learned not to discuss problems, but to solve them through action.

I started with odd jobs while still at school and haphazard ways of earning money as a student. I then gained experience working at a bank and a state-owned company, before consciously moving into international corporations and later into electronics and building my own business.

Financial constraints shaped me during my student years. After moving to Kyiv with a minimal budget from my parents, I had to adapt quickly, earn money on my own, and take responsibility for my decisions. This gave me a fundamental sense of control over my life.

My experience at the bank proved to be unexpectedly important. Because of a software malfunction, I was effectively making decisions manually while analyzing dozens of different customer profiles every day—from strong to problematic ones. This helped me develop the ability to read people quickly and act confidently in ambiguous situations.

The next step was a decisive change of direction. I rejected the “wait it out” approach I had seen at a state-owned company, where people spent years waiting for some hypothetical financial reward without any real development. I set myself a clear goal: to work only in an environment of strong, intelligent, and results-driven people.

I systematically went through more than fifty interviews, recorded my takeaways, and refined my approach. As a result, I joined JLL, where I encountered high standards for the first time and understood what a strong environment looks like.

Later, at LG Electronics, I combined corporate rigor—processes, discipline, and attention to detail—with an entrepreneurial mindset. Even within strict rules, I found opportunities to move faster, achieve better results, and expand my influence.

A strong network and deep expertise in the niche—the fastest way to enter the market

How did you come up with the business idea?

I chose the electronics niche because I had the strongest network and expertise in it. This enabled the fastest market entry and the opportunity to secure contracts.

My reasoning was pragmatic: work where I understand the rules of the game, have a strong network, and can quickly build effective processes.

At the same time, in retrospect, I realize that when choosing a business model, I should have assessed global geopolitical trends more deeply, as well as how governments can push private players out of categories they consider strategic.

Rigor, scenario-based thinking, and monetizing expertise through relationships

What key skills helped you launch your business?

The foundations of my growth were:

• rigor and discipline, which I gained in a corporate environment—the ability to work through details, build processes, and create effective mechanisms;

• an entrepreneurial mindset—the ability to see opportunities in unconventional situations and act within the rules;

• scenario-based thinking and rapid risk assessment guided by the question “what is the worst that could happen?” rather than living on expectations;

• networking and the ability to monetize expertise through relationships;

• the ability to accumulate experience, knowledge, and connections as “building blocks of thought” and turn a request into a concrete action plan.

You can’t change the event itself—I can only control what I do next

What crises has your business faced, and how did you overcome them?

I have experienced crises of various magnitudes, but I approached them using a similar logic.

In every situation, I followed one principle: it is impossible to change the event itself, but you can control your subsequent actions. I consciously avoid spending energy analyzing past decisions, because energy goes where your focus is. Instead, I accept reality and move forward, because when it comes to the things that matter most, I have no backup plan.

The quality of the environment and monetizing expertise—two key drivers of growth

Which decisions proved most effective in growing the company?

The decisions that had the greatest impact were those that improved the quality of the environment and made it possible to monetize expertise.

I overlooked geopolitics and the role of governments in strategic industries

Which mistake do you now consider your most valuable learning experience?

My most valuable mistake was choosing a niche without adequately assessing geopolitical factors and the role of governments in strategic industries. I chose a field in which I had a strong position, but failed to account for the fact that governments can set priorities and create an uneven playing field for private businesses.

In retrospect, I realize that with my level of expertise, I could have built businesses on a different scale. But at the time, I chose a more familiar model, effectively looking for confirmation of my own hypothesis instead of thoroughly exploring alternative scenarios.

From the tennis court in 6th grade to a million through category management for major brands

How did you earn your first $100?

I earned my first hundred dollars back in sixth or seventh grade, during the summer. I worked at tennis courts, leveling and rolling the gravel with a special brush. It was simple physical labor, but it gave me my first sense of earning money independently and having control over my own finances.

How did you earn your first $1 000?

I earned my first thousand dollars while studying at university and living in a dormitory. I organized the distribution of digital content: games, lectures, and more.

I had a server with paid access, as well as additional ways to monetize it: I copied files onto flash drives for some people and printed materials for others. This was my first experience building a microbusiness, understanding demand, and monetizing quickly.

How did you earn your first $10 000?

I earned my first ten thousand dollars while working at JLL. Most of the amount came from a large annual performance bonus.

It was my first experience of systematic work in a corporate environment translating into a tangible financial result.

How did you earn your first $100 000?

I earned my first approximately hundred thousand dollars while working in electronics distribution. This was connected to an unconventional wholesale deal involving televisions for a client. 

How did you earn your first $1 000 000?

I earned my first million dollars from paid consulting services. I developed professional category management tailored to clients’ needs, as well as frameworks for securing contracts with major European and Asian brands on behalf of major players in the Ukrainian market.

Expertise as a marketable product and networking as an asset in critical moments

My practical experience is most useful to those building a business at the intersection of structure and commerce. I know how to:

• turn expertise into a marketable product—standardize, package, and sell it where others find the field complex and hard to understand;
• develop a network as a full-fledged asset and build trust through shared values, so relationships become a resource in critical moments;
• make decisions amid uncertainty through scenario thinking—quickly identify the worst-case scenario and act if it is acceptable;
• develop my own thinking as a system—accumulate experience, knowledge, and a supportive environment, turn them into a well-defined request, and break it down into concrete actions.

A mechanism built on consistency, not heroics—and focusing energy on what you can control

Your experience: how do you systematize a business?

I learned to work systematically in a corporate environment: it means processes, instructions, discipline, attention to detail, and clear rules about what needs to be done, when, and how. In practice, this means creating a mechanism that works through consistency, not heroics. I standardize work stages, document steps, assign responsibilities, and tie every action to a result.

The second component is managing focus and energy. I don't waste resources constantly discussing a problem, because energy follows attention. I accept reality as it is and focus on what I can control.

A highly focused niche, smart optimism, and a strong network as growth levers

Your experience: how do you double your growth in a year?

To double in a year, I focus not on abstract advice but on specific growth levers:

• choose a niche where I have the greatest expertise and strongest connections, so I can enter the market quickly and start closing contracts;

• invest time in developing my network and gaining a deep understanding of the market—to sense which niches are growing and which are shrinking;

• develop “smart optimism,” which comes from getting through difficult stages of business, including challenges with cash flow, people, scaling, and mistakes;

• learn to sell effectively—choose a strong environment that raises the bar through its standards, people, and opportunities.