$360 / month
Start free, decide later
Mikhail is a CTO and co-founder of a generative AI startup. He spent eight years at Google building YouTube systems and four years at Waymo working on machine learning and generative AI. He helps engineers prepare for technical interviews, frame their experience in resumes, and design generative AI products.
Based on 5 verified mentee reviews
I spent 12 years getting into big tech and climbing it, then left to build. Wherever you are on that path, I've already run it.
🦄 If you use dark mode on YouTube, I built that.
Eight years at Google building the modern YouTube.com frontend and backend, on the core web committee, shipping features to two billion users. Then four years at Waymo as an L6 working on ML and generative AI systems, including the San Francisco autonomous vehicle rollout. I went L3 → L4 → L5 → L6 and ran 150+ technical interviews along the way. Today I'm technical co-founder of an a16z Speedrun-backed generative AI startup, and I built Pony Diffusion — 1M+ downloads and 1B+ generations.
→ I want to get hired at a top company
- Interview prep against the actual bar - system design, coding, behavioral - not what blog posts claim the bar is
- Resume and story framing so your impact reads at the level you're targeting, not one below it
- Referrals and direct intros to FAANG and Gen AI/robotics teams when you're genuinely ready
- Immigration and relocation: I was hired directly from Russia into Google, and I track the H-1B changes closely
Why me: I've run 150+ interviews and sat on the hiring side for L3 through L6. I know which answers pass and which ones only sound like they do.
→ I want to level up where I am
- What actually drives promotion versus what everyone assumes does
- Scope, visibility, and choosing work that compounds instead of work that just fills quarters
- Org dynamics - YouTube, Cloud, and Ads are effectively different companies, and identical behavior gets rewarded differently in each
- When to stay and push versus when the ceiling is real and you should move
Why me: I climbed L3 → L4 → L5 → L6 inside two of the most competitive orgs in tech.
→ I want to build something
- Architecture for generative AI products that holds up when usage grows
- Choosing models, APIs, and hosting without burning six figures on a decision you reverse in three months
- Training and deploying large models
- First technical hires, co-founder split, and getting your technical story investor-ready
Why me: I'm doing it right now, funded by a16z Speedrun, after 12 years of building systems at Google scale. Recent enough to remember what actually hurts.
How I work
Bring the artifact, not the abstract question. The resume, the architecture diagram, the deck, the interview you just bombed. We'll work on the real thing.
I'll tell you when something isn't good enough, because vague encouragement is a waste of your money. I'll also tell you when you're closer than you think - most people underestimate where they stand and over-prepare for the wrong things.
🎥 See me explain the YouTube.com rebuild https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4l86SKBtMs -
or read about how I helped to save YouTube by leading the world's largest WebP rollout in Ars Technica https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2015/04/cheaper-bandwidth-or-bust-how-google-saved-youtube/
5 out of 5 stars
Mikhail might be the single best possible mentor for anyone out there! As a software engineer fairly new to the industry, I had many concerns about the direction I should take my career, what my goals should be, how I should approach the technical and political aspect of the job, where my primary struggles should be, and an overall lack of direction on what my engineering path should like. Mikhail, at multiple points throughout the mentorship, empathetically understood my painpoints and helped me reason through what the best possible decisions I could make were. Mikhail also brings an unbelievable wealth of experience and perspective. From probably one of the most impressive trajectories an engineer can have in the industry, Mike provided countless knowledge drops on technical concepts related to Machine Learning, System designs and architecture, Founding and VC's, on top of an introduction into his network of fellow a16Z and Waymo peers. For the cherry on top, Mikhail is also just a super fun person to chat and connect with as he participates in some of the most unique hobbies (acting, improv, martial arts, wrestling) and he is always asking and wanting to learn more and connect with his mentee. I couldn't recconmend Mikhail more and no matter what step you are in your career, I am sure Mikhail can provide immense help and direction on top of being a great friend and person to connect with!
Standard Plan • 6 months
5 out of 5 stars
Mike is an excellent mentor and an equally wonderful person. He possesses a vast amount of knowledge and is always willing to share it with others. I have truly enjoyed our technical and non-technical discussions, mock interviews, and job search conversations, all of which have been incredibly valuable and insightful.
Standard Plan • 3 months
5 out of 5 stars
I sought mentorship because I had several important interviews coming up and wanted guidance from someone experienced to help me prepare effectively. Working with Mike has been an outstanding experience. He takes the time to truly understand the challenges you’re facing and provides thoughtful, practical guidance on how to approach them. He helped me focus on the right technical areas to prepare for my interviews and spent time helping me refine and frame my experiences so they communicate impact clearly. What truly stands out about Mike is how genuinely invested he is in helping his mentees succeed. I always felt that he approached my challenges as if they were his own, not just a task he was helping with. Even though I’m still in the early stages of my interview process, his guidance has already been incredibly valuable and helped me think about aspects of interview preparation that I hadn’t considered before. I highly recommend Mike to anyone preparing for technical leadership interviews or looking for thoughtful and supportive mentorship.
Standard Plan • 1 month
You tell Mikhail your goals. They see exactly what you want to work on before session one.
You meet within days. Mikhail reviews your application and books your first session, usually within a day or two.
You leave with a plan. Concrete next steps and a weekly rhythm from your very first week.
Mikhail Sychev
CTO & Co-founder | Ex-Google/Waymo Staff SWE and TL at None
Enter your email and we'll let you know when Mikhail has open spots. You'll also get a link to manage your wishlist – no account needed.
Book a free intro call with Mikhail
Connect with Mikhail in a quick call (usually 15-20 minutes)
One-off sessions with Mikhail
One-off sessions are a great option if you're looking for specific advice on a certain topic.
Your resume often decides whether you get the interview or get overlooked. This MentorCruise session is designed to help you strengthen your resume so it …
What's included in the trial?
Every trial is a little different–here's what Mikhail says about their trial:
We'll meet for a quick call (usually under 30 minutes) where we:
- Break the ice and introduce ourselves
- Discuss your goals and how I can support you
- Coordinate logistics like time zones, meeting frequency, and communication methods
