What Vinted’s Co-Founder Wants Every Founder to Know
When you’ve built a unicorn, people assume you always had a plan. That you knew where it was going.
But when Milda Mitkutė co-founded Vinted, it wasn’t a startup. It was a side project, built with no money, no monetisation model, and no master plan.
What she had instead? Curiosity, clarity, and the courage to start small.
Milda joined the Businettes community for a live AMA, and what followed was one of the most real, generous, and insightful conversations we’ve hosted!
This piece distils the best of what she shared for anyone building something of their own.
Milda Mitkute shares her journey and tips in Businettes “Ask Me Anything Session” on the 19th May, 2025
❤️ Start With What Makes Your Heart Sing
“I always ask myself: which idea makes my heart sing? That’s the one I pursue.”
Forget the perfect pitch. Forget the market size.
Start with the problem you can’t stop thinking about. The one you’d explore for free. That’s what keeps you going when things get hard.
Because they will.
⏳ Don’t Monetise Too Early
For the first 3 years, Vinted made zero money.
“That gave us freedom to experiment without pressure. We just focused on building something people loved.”
Let that sink in.
While others rushed to monetise, they built a product people couldn’t stop using and talking about.
🧑🤝🧑 Your First Users Are Closer Than You Think
Milda emailed her friends. Asked them to upload clothes but they didn’t. They shared the email instead.
“We went from friends to the press in 48 hours — not because we asked, but because they forwarded it.”
She didn’t use paid ads or influencer startegy, but focussed on the immediate influence - her friends, acquaintances and asked them to spread the message.
📈 Product-Market Fit Before Paid Marketing
“Paid marketing only makes sense once your product is so good, people already talk about it.”
When Vinted launched in Germany, they hit 2 million users before spending a cent on ads!
Let your users do the marketing - if they’re not, go back to the product.
🚀 Done Is Better Than Perfect
“If you’re not embarrassed by your first version, you launched too late.”
At Vinted, they launched ugly. They launched fast. And they improved from real user feedback
Keep it lean. Keep it live. Keep it moving fast.
🧠 Know When to Ask for Help
Milda remembers that at one point, Vinted had 7 months of runway left.
They had 30M users… and no business model.
“We brought in someone new — and he saw the fix in 5 minutes. It changed everything.”
The lesson? You don’t have to do it all. But you do have to know when to bring in someone who can. It’s not a weakness to do so, expertise makes you stronger.
👑 In Marketplaces, Winner Takes All
“Unless you’re in a niche, marketplaces are brutal. You need scale, trust, and operational excellence.”
Users don’t want five mediocre options. They want one reliable place. If you’re not building a niche, you need to be building to dominate.
💸 How Vinted Raised Money (Without Pitching)
“Our first three investors came to us. We didn’t pitch, they found us.”
Why? Organic traction. Relentless word-of-mouth. Real engagement.
That’s what gets investors curious. Not a deck, but a momentum.
🧑💼 What She Looks For As an Investor Now
Milda doesn’t care about shiny ideas. She cares about gritty teams.
“Red flag? Founders in love with their product.
Green flag? Founders obsessed with solving the problem.”
She also watches for:
Ego (too much = no)
Team chemistry
Coachability
Vision with flexibility
🧹 Don’t Fight Every Fight
“Pick 3 priorities. Delete the rest.”
Milda runs regular priority audits. When things get chaotic, she stops, lists what’s on her plate, and slashes anything not mission-critical.
✨ Final Thought
We learnt that building a unicorn isn’t about luck or connections.
It’s about consistency, clarity, and curiosity.
It’s about being obsessed with a problem.
And willing to keep showing up for it.
“Start small. Start messy. Just start.”
And if you want more tangible, actionable and honest conversations like this, subscribe to Businettes a community where female founders come to build, connect, and grow.