EWOR Manifesto (Operators Day)

Stop Advising. Start Building.

Consulting doesn’t build the future. Doing does.

If you're looking for safety, prestige, or a clear career path, keep it. But don’t pretend you’re here to build something that lasts. The future isn’t shaped by those who advise from the sidelines. It’s built by the few willing to bet their time, talent, and sanity on something unproven.

The One Hire That Changed Everything

In 2009, WhatsApp was a status-update app with barely any users.

Jan Koum, one of the two founders, had built the backend himself but needed someone who could actually get it working on iOS. Through a friend, he found Igor Solomennikov on a freelancer site. Igor wasn’t a Silicon Valley veteran. He was a contract developer in Russia.

He became WhatsApp’s first iOS engineer.

When Apple introduced push notifications, Igor rewrote the app so status changes would ping friends directly. Users started replying to those pings like messages. By September 2009, WhatsApp 2.0 had true messaging built in - and 250,000 active users almost overnight.

This didn’t come from a strategy slide. It came from a hire who built the right feature at the right moment.

When Facebook bought them for ~$19 billion in 2014, Igor reportedly walked away with $150 million.

That’s what Operators Day is about: A homage to Igor. We want to find the kind of people who change the entire trajectory of what’s being built - and we’re introducing them to the most promising startups we have found after sifting through over 50,000 pitch decks.

The Problem

Europe doesn’t lack talent. It lacks the courage & centralisation.

Whereas the smartest people in the US work for startups, many of the most clever Europeans choose to work for banks, consultancies, and law firms. Whereas almost all unicorns from the US are centered around San Francisco, where the most incredible talent moves, talent centers in Europe are scattered across multiple countries and cities.

This leads to a powerlaw effect: San Francisco grows stronger and stronger and European locations dilute more and more in relative comparison. If you’re the most ambitious engineer on the planet, where do you go? You go to the location offering the highest chance of you finding the most ambitious companies. As long as this feedback loop continues, one location will outshine all others.

San Francisco stands for quality and this mitigates risk. It’s easy to choose San Francisco, but it’s hard to choose London, Berlin, Zurich, Munich, or Paris. 

Our Belief

We believe that in 2025, places do not have to be virtual. EWOR and other organisations can become a “place” where the most impressive operators find the most impressive startups.

We believe Europe has everything it needs to create the next generation of industry-defining companies. But that only happens if the best operators decide to build them, instead of advising others on how they might.

Because in the end, it’s not a question of whether the operators, the Igors, exist here in Europe. It’s a question of quality dilution.

Enter EWOR Operators Day

Operators Day isn’t an event. It’s a filter. We, 6 founders who have built organisations valued between €200M and €8BN, have gone through 50,000 startups and picked the ones that have the biggest potential to build billion or even trillion dollar companies.

The EWOR Operators Day does not exist to make you feel good about yourself or add another prestigious bullet to your CV. It exists to ask the real questions:

• Do you actually believe in what this founder is building?
• Are you willing to bet years of your life on it?
• Can you live with the risk of this company failing completely?

If you’re willing to take the risk, Operators Day exists to help you make as much money and impact as Igor. We embrace the financial opportunity. And we filter rigorously to make sure our founders meet the strongest of all operators in Europe.

Our Approach

We don’t back dozens of teams hoping one works out. We back the top 0.1%.Quality over quantity.

Operators Day is no different. We’re going to filter rigorously. We’re here to find the few willing to start at the ground floor, knowing exactly what that commitment demands and having the skill set to allow for Igor-like impact.

If what you’re looking for is safety or another prestigious name on your CV, don’t bother. But if you want to build something real from day one, you get the idea.

Who We’re Looking For

We’re looking for exceptional talent in:

• Engineering (full-stack, AI, hardware)
• Product (design, product management)
• Sales (go-to-market, sales)
• Marketing (content, channel, go-to-market)

If you see yourself in this mindset — if you’re serious about building something meaningful from day one — Operator Day is your invitation.

Who We’re Offering

• A great equity package between 0.1-5%, depending on your level of awesomeness
• Rigorous filtering: We’ve invested our own money (typically €500k+) into the founders; many have raised millions more
• A fast process: Insanely capable founders, making fast decisions within weeks
• Immediate access to founders’ calendars after Operator Day: You choose, not them.