# Ukraine

- Show: [Oxide and Friends](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends)
- Published: 2022-03-15
- Length: 1h 25m
- Episode: 8
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2022-03-15-ukraine
- Listen: https://share.transistor.fm/s/e3b84802

## Summary

Andrey Akselrod, founder of People.ai and SmartLang, discusses his life in Ukraine, the cultural shift from Russian to Ukrainian identity following the 2014 Crimea annexation, and the current invasion by Russia. He details how his company evacuated its team prior to the war, continues to pay salaries to engineers defending their country, and supports Ukrainian businesses to maintain economic normalcy. Akselrod emphasizes the importance of donating to organizations like Nova Ukraine and supporting Ukrainian tech workers directly.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2022-03-15-ukraine#t=0) Introduction: Andrey Akselrod and People.ai
- [2:08](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2022-03-15-ukraine#t=128) Akselrod's Background: Growing up in Dnipro and entering tech
- [11:24](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2022-03-15-ukraine#t=684) Cultural Identity: Language, Dnipro, and the 2014 Crimea Crisis
- [26:07](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2022-03-15-ukraine#t=1567) The 2014 Conflict: Crimea, Donbas, and Ukrainian Identity Formation
- [43:29](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2022-03-15-ukraine#t=2609) Ukraine's Economy and Strategic Importance: Agriculture, Minerals, and Nuclear Power
- [49:12](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2022-03-15-ukraine#t=2952) The Invasion: Miscalculation, Strategy, and Civilian Targeting
- [1:02:24](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2022-03-15-ukraine#t=3744) Family in Dnipro: Evacuation Challenges and Communication
- [1:07:49](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2022-03-15-ukraine#t=4069) How to Help: Donating to Nova Ukraine and Supporting Ukrainian Engineers
- [1:16:45](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2022-03-15-ukraine#t=4605) Business Continuity: Supporting Ukrainian Teams and Companies During War

## Topics

- [Policy, trade & tariffs](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/policy-trade-and-tariffs)
- [Hiring & workforce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/hiring-and-workforce)
- [Direct-to-consumer & e-commerce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/direct-to-consumer)
- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- People.ai (company)
- SmartLang (company)
- Nova Ukraine (other)
- Brooklyn College (other)
- Dnipro (other)
- Crimea (other)
- Mariupol (other)
- Zelensky (other)
- Putin (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Electronica 24: Conflict to Creativity in Ukraine with IKT's Yevhen Horniuk](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ems-c-level/2025-01-06-electronica-24-conflict-to-creativity-in-ukraine-with-ikts-yevhen-horniuk) (EMS@C-LEVEL)
- [S6E41 James Davis | Living in Ukraine for $12/Day to Become An Engineer](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2025-10-10-s6e41-james-davis-living-in-ukraine-for-12-day-to-become-an-engineer) (Being an Engineer)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2022-03-15-ukraine. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to Oxide and Friends.