
Sonya Kotov
5.0
(11)
Grow your career as a startup generalist
1,050 min coached
47 followers
Studied at Stanford University
Worked at Microsoft
Successful clients at
Not currently taking new clients
Sonya’s Career Coaching Qualifications
Experience level: Associate
Sonya has helped clients get into these companies:
I've lived the generalist journey firsthand across three startups, wearing high-level hats in design, product management/Head of Product, and executive operations as Chief of Staff. These experiences give immense visibility into the structure of startups and how to navigate your career within one. Prior to this, I did my masters at Stanford's d.school where I did coursework in design, business, and entrepreneurship. The most impactful experience was taking Lean Launchpad with Steve Blank - I lean on these lessons to this day and I'm excited to share them with you! I can help you with the following: - Identifying the type of startup you'd like to work at - What signals to look for to identify top performing, high-growth startups - The mindset shift when moving from big tech to startups - How to position your contributions for success in a smaller scale environment - Using AI tools as a force-multiplier
Sonya can help with:
AI Automation
AI Fundamentals
AI Outreach
AI-Powered Job Search
Career Planning
Cover Letters
Freelancing
General Exploration
Interview Prep
Job Search Strategies
Leadership
Networking Strategy
Personal Branding
Professional Networking
Resume Review
Salary Negotiation
Skill Building
Sonya also coaches for Master’s Programs and AI for Product Development. View all.
About Sonya
I grew up in Michigan to Russian immigrant parents. In college, I discovered a deep passion for building great products. That's why I've worn so many hats: PM, software engineer, UX designer, Chief of Staff. Because of these diverse interests, I've been loving the opportunities that AI affords generalists to build better, faster, and better.
Why do I coach?
As a child of immigrant parents, I relied on teachers and mentors to help me navigate higher education and my career. Their guidance was instrumental to me landing a role at Microsoft, getting admitted to Stanford, and making the most of these incredible opportunities. Mentorship and coaching open doors that talent and hard work alone will not. Today, I get to pay it forward by working with clients to achieve their dreams!
Work Experience

Product Manager
Microsoft
March 2026 - Present

Software Engineer
Microsoft
October 2018 - June 2020

Product Manager
Microsoft
August 2017 - October 2018
Sonya was also given offers to work at

Meta (Facebook)
Education

Stanford University
Master’s Degree, Design Impact
2021 - 2023

London School of Economics and Political Science, University of London
Master’s Degree, Behavioural Science
2020 - 2021

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Bachelor’s Degree, Computer Science
2011 - 2017
11 Reviews
Overall Rating
5.0
Sonya has helped clients get into these companies:
