Ukrainian Startup Verba Launches Options for Its Team. What’s the Motivation?
Co-founder of the Ukrainian startup Verba, Viktoria Kravchenko, has announced the launch of an options system for the project’s team. According to her, this move is designed to motivate the team to work more efficiently and feel true ownership of what they build.
What Does Verba Do?
Verba is a service that helps creators add subtitles to videos — something increasingly essential for today’s TikTok, Reels, and Stories generation. Many viewers watch videos without sound, so subtitles are now strongly recommended to keep audiences engaged. Verba makes this process easy.
As Viktoria told Scroll.media, the idea for the startup came from her own frustrating experience:
«Once, I spent two hours adding subtitles, and when I exported the video, everything broke. I was so desperate that at that moment I decided to create my own product,» she recalls.
Verba runs on a subscription model: videos up to 30 seconds long can be subtitled for free. A full monthly subscription costs just $3.99 for longer videos and more features.
Why Options?
According to Kravchenko, every team member will be able to receive options. This, she says, is not just fair — it’s necessary:
«Everyone at Verba will receive a share of what we create. Not only because it is fair, but because it is necessary. Because if you act like an owner, you have to be one. Ownership stimulates skill, and skill is not negotiable.»
The startup is currently in talks with Western investors. However, the team emphasizes that raising money is not the ultimate goal — Verba is already able to grow on its own. Any funds raised will be used to accelerate development and boost marketing efforts.
Employee options are standard in Silicon Valley, but in Ukraine they’re still rare — and even more rarely talked about. Typically, only the first few hires might get shares, and companies seldom share these details publicly. The ride-hailing service Uklon, where around thirty people received options, is one notable exception. Verba’s decision to offer options to the entire team shows how local startups are embracing global best practices and building companies that reward everyone involved.
Ukrainian Startup Verba Launches Options for Its Team. What’s the Motivation?
Co-founder of the Ukrainian startup Verba, Viktoria Kravchenko, has announced the launch of an options system for the project’s team. According to her, this move is designed to motivate the team to work more efficiently and feel true ownership of what they build.
What Does Verba Do?
Verba is a service that helps creators add subtitles to videos — something increasingly essential for today’s TikTok, Reels, and Stories generation. Many viewers watch videos without sound, so subtitles are now strongly recommended to keep audiences engaged. Verba makes this process easy.
As Viktoria told Scroll.media, the idea for the startup came from her own frustrating experience:
«Once, I spent two hours adding subtitles, and when I exported the video, everything broke. I was so desperate that at that moment I decided to create my own product,» she recalls.
Verba runs on a subscription model: videos up to 30 seconds long can be subtitled for free. A full monthly subscription costs just $3.99 for longer videos and more features.
Why Options?
According to Kravchenko, every team member will be able to receive options. This, she says, is not just fair — it’s necessary:
«Everyone at Verba will receive a share of what we create. Not only because it is fair, but because it is necessary. Because if you act like an owner, you have to be one. Ownership stimulates skill, and skill is not negotiable.»
The startup is currently in talks with Western investors. However, the team emphasizes that raising money is not the ultimate goal — Verba is already able to grow on its own. Any funds raised will be used to accelerate development and boost marketing efforts.
Employee options are standard in Silicon Valley, but in Ukraine they’re still rare — and even more rarely talked about. Typically, only the first few hires might get shares, and companies seldom share these details publicly. The ride-hailing service Uklon, where around thirty people received options, is one notable exception. Verba’s decision to offer options to the entire team shows how local startups are embracing global best practices and building companies that reward everyone involved.
