Meet Evgeny Kot: VP of Engineering at Rarible
He’s a man of many talents, and he brings it all to bear as the leader of our engineering team
Evgeny Kot is our VP of Engineering at Rarible, leading the charge as we become the multichain marketplace, and continue to build branded marketplaces for the biggest names in the space. He’s a Google Developer Expert, a master of frontend and backend, a top-notch public speaker and key player at Rarible.
Kot is a multi-faceted man: an engineer, a musician, a speaker and a podcast host (for all Russian speakers, check out this podcast on beer and music, and this one on IT). All of this makes him a dynamic individual: perfect to lead the myriad of different projects that come our way.
Becoming an Engineer
Kot has spent nearly two decades working in engineering, with a career that has spanned backend, front-end, SAAS, public speaking, and leadership. His first piece of engineering work came when he was just 12 years old.
"When I was in sixth grade, in the early 1990s, I made my first $100 with programming. A friend’s father owned a company that sold wallpapers. They had a website made in Macromedia Flash, but nobody knew how to update it. I did it and earned $100 for the work — a pretty big deal for a 12-year-old! That was my first programming income."
His career really took off when he joined Dell, where he worked on enterprise-grade software. It was here that he somewhat accidentally discovered a new passion for front-end development.
"One day, our PM asked if we should hire front-end developers, and we said, 'Nah, anyone can do front-end!' Of course we were very wrong, and we created the worst product ever because none of us knew what we were doing. But I really enjoyed it and decided to switch to front-end."
After Dell, Kot moved to the SaaS company Wrike. Here, he transitioned from coding to senior management roles, steadily working his way up and learning to balance technical expertise with leadership responsibilities.
Public speaking has been a key part of Kot's career. His passionate 5 minute talk at Google's AngularDart conference earned him the affectionate nickname of "shoe-guy"
Diving into NFTs at Rarible
Working in tech, Kot was quick to discover blockchain technology when it first started making waves, and could see that this was the cutting edge of technology. Joining Rarible was an easy decision - he had a few conversations with the leadership team, and they just clicked. He could see what Rarible was building, and was impressed by the opportunities for growth.
"This is my first web3 startup. It’s very different from working in big corporations or in SaaS. At Wrike, I joined when it was small and saw it grow to over 2,000 employees, so I understand rapid growth, but web3 is on a whole other level."
As a creator himself, Kot innately understands how NFTs are a powerful tool for connecting artists directly with their audiences, bypassing traditional gatekeepers like agents and corporations. The almost endless use-cases for NFTs mean that the only real limit is your imagination.
"This is a builder’s generation. With API tools and AI, anyone can create really cool things from their bedroom. I still code pet projects in my spare time, and it’s incredible what you can achieve with minimal resources."
Evgeny’s Leadership philosophy
As a leader, Kot prioritizes empathy, clear communication, and the ability to make tough decisions. He acknowledges that senior leadership is a challenging role, requiring a balance of personal skills and business acumen.
"When I started in management, I thought senior leaders were like gods who knew everything. Over time, I realized they’re just people: some are good, some are not, and it’s a challenging job."
Good leadership requires personal skills like listening, communicating, inspiring, and empathy. But as a senior leader, you also need to make tough decisions.
Just be yourself
Kot's advice for others is to embrace their passions, even if they are varied. He believes that adaptability and a willingness to explore multiple interests are strengths in today’s rapidly changing world.
"One piece of advice: if you have multiple passions, embrace them. The world is changing rapidly, and being adaptable is a strength. For me, Rarible is the perfect mix of art, management, and psychology. If you love many things, keep loving them. You’re not wrong—just be yourself."
Kot has been at Rarible for 2 years now, and what we’ve accomplished in those 2 years is a testament to his leadership (check out our 2023 recap, and stay tuned for this year’s). With a multichain future unfolding ahead of us, and more branded marketplaces coming online, we’re confident we can build a new onchain world.