Five Lessons from Vinted: How to Scale with Purpose

The sun, a generous Lithuanian gold, streamed through Milda Mitkute’s small apartment window in 2008, illuminating piles of clothes she no longer needed.

A young woman, just 21, she was preparing to move from her hometown to Vilnius, and her wardrobe, overflowing with shoes and dresses, felt like a delightful burden.

Rather than simply discarding them, a quiet guilt about overconsumption stirred within her.

This feeling, a faint echo of a larger global concern, sparked an idea: an online platform where people could buy and sell fashion, giving clothes a new lease on life.

What started as a personal solution would eventually blossom into Vinted, Lithuania’s first billion-dollar startup (Five lessons from Vinted: how to scale with purpose), a journey that taught Milda invaluable lessons not just about entrepreneurship, but about the profound power of purpose.

Milda Mitkute, Vinted co-founder, shares five lessons on scaling a startup with purpose, emphasizing adaptability, open culture, speed, confidence, and impact-driven motivation.

Why This Matters Now: The Purpose-Driven Imperative

In today’s dynamic business landscape, startups and established enterprises alike are navigating a complex world where profit alone is no longer the sole measure of success.

Consumers, employees, and investors increasingly demand that businesses stand for something more meaningful.

Milda Mitkute’s journey with Vinted, which grew from a simple idea to a powerhouse valued at over $1 billion with more than 2,000 employees operating in over 20 international markets (Five lessons from Vinted: how to scale with purpose), offers a compelling blueprint for purpose-driven growth.

Her experience underscores that scaling with purpose is not just an ethical choice, but a strategic imperative that resonates deeply with a global consciousness, particularly concerning issues like textile waste, where 92 million tonnes are discarded annually and less than 13% of clothing is recycled in Europe (Five lessons from Vinted: how to scale with purpose).

The Accidental Unicorn: Vinted’s Origin and Milda Mitkute’s Journey

Many founders begin with a brilliant business plan, but Milda’s story reveals a more organic path.

The core problem she initially addressed was her own wardrobe overflow.

This personal problem soon reflected a broader societal concern.

As Vinted’s user numbers ballooned, Milda’s awareness grew regarding the underlying problem of overconsumption and textile waste (Five lessons from Vinted: how to scale with purpose).

A Startup Born from a Wardrobe

In 2008, Milda Mitkute partnered with Justas Janauskas, who handled the technical side of building the online platform.

The idea quickly gained popularity in Lithuania.

By 2009, Vinted expanded to Germany, eventually growing into an international company operating in over 20 markets with more than 2,000 employees (Five lessons from Vinted: how to scale with purpose).

This incredible growth demonstrates that a simple, relatable problem, when addressed creatively, can unlock immense market potential and resonate with a community.

It was on this journey, transitioning from clearing out her own shoes to building a unicorn, that Milda gleaned five fundamental lessons for scaling with purpose.

She left Vinted in 2016 and now applies these lessons to a new startup focused on making mathematics education more engaging and accessible for children (Five lessons from Vinted: how to scale with purpose).

Lesson 1: Purpose Follows the Problem

For many companies, purpose feels like an add-on, a marketing veneer applied post-facto.

Milda’s first lesson challenges this conventional wisdom.

She advises, First, let purpose emerge.

At Vinted, sustainability was not our original guiding star.

The green credentials came later, and from our early users who wanted to give their clothes a new lease of life (Milda Mitkute, Five lessons from Vinted: how to scale with purpose).

So-what: Authentic purpose is often discovered, not invented.

Implication: Leaders should prioritize solving genuine user problems.

Allowing purpose to emerge organically from the core mission, and then strategically integrating it into the operational framework, can prevent future conflicts between profitability and ethical values.

When purpose is part of how the business works, not just what it says, there will be less pressure to choose between doing well and doing good later (Milda Mitkute, Five lessons from Vinted: how to scale with purpose).

Lesson 2: Keep Culture Open as You Grow

Scaling a startup inevitably means moving beyond casual lunch decisions with a small team.

The challenge then becomes how to maintain the spirit of collaboration and trust.

Milda emphasizes staying open.

As Vinted grew, the company tried to maintain the habit of sharing as much information as possible with employees.

The goal was to ensure everyone understood the company’s direction, fostering a sense of co-ownership.

So-what: Trust is a powerful foundation for growth.

Implication: Leaders should proactively share information with employees and trust them with it.

This approach, while introducing risk, builds a resilient culture where occasional setbacks are treated as learning opportunities, strengthening trust rather than resorting to rigid control.

But being open does introduce risk.

There were moments when trust was mistreated, and we had open discussions about whether to add more control.

In the end, we decided not to.

Even if something went wrong once, we felt it was better to take it as a lesson and keep building our culture on trust rather than on control (Milda Mitkute, Five lessons from Vinted: how to scale with purpose).

Lesson 3: Speed Beats Perfection

In the fast-paced world of startups, the pursuit of perfection can be a fatal trap.

Milda’s third lesson, carried from Vinted to her new education technology startup, is to keep testing.

She asserts, I have two key rules now: done is better than perfect, and speed beats perfection.

That’s because you need real-time feedback on a product or service as soon as possible.

If you wait too long to test an idea, you risk missing whether it actually works (Milda Mitkute, Five lessons from Vinted: how to scale with purpose).

So-what: Rapid iteration and real-time feedback are more valuable than a flawless launch.

Implication: Founders should cultivate a mindset of continuous experimentation.

Even when successful, a company must resist the natural caution that comes with growth and continually test ideas to ensure market fit and adaptability.

Keep experimenting, especially when things are going well (Milda Mitkute, Five lessons from Vinted: how to scale with purpose).

Lesson 4: Confidence is Built, Not Granted

Milda offers powerful insights for leaders, especially female founders, regarding self-perception and confidence.

She observes that women often judge themselves harshly and hold back due to doubts about their readiness for leadership.

My advice is simple, though not easy: Be brave.

Build confidence through small wins and preparation.

Don’t enter the room trying to prove you belong; assume you do.

Self-doubt is natural, but leadership begins the moment you decide to treat yourself as an equal (Milda Mitkute, Five lessons from Vinted: how to scale with purpose).

So-what: Self-belief is a cultivated strength, not an innate trait.

Implication: Individuals, particularly women in leadership roles or aspiring founders, should actively build confidence through tangible achievements and thorough preparation.

By assuming their rightful place and choosing bravery over self-doubt, they can unlock their full leadership potential.

Lesson 5: Impact is the Motivation, Not the Outcome

Milda’s motivation, whether in the dynamic fashion world of Vinted or the often-resistant field of education, remains constant: fixing problems she can see.

She reflects on the slower pace of change in education, where teachers, often overworked, can be resistant to new technologies.

Despite these challenges, her drive persists.

Even if the project fails, I would rather have tried to change something than watch it stay the same (Milda Mitkute, Five lessons from Vinted: how to scale with purpose).

So-what: A deep-seated desire for positive change fuels lasting leadership.

Implication: Leaders should focus on a profound commitment to improving existing norms and making a tangible impact.

This intrinsic motivation sustains efforts through slow or challenging change processes, recognizing that their actions, regardless of immediate outcomes, initiate transformation.

The lesson for leaders is to keep trying to fix what others accept as normal.

Change may be slow, but it only starts when someone decides to act (Milda Mitkute, Five lessons from Vinted: how to scale with purpose).

Your Playbook for Purpose-Driven Scaling

These lessons from Milda Mitkute’s journey with Vinted offer a practical roadmap for any entrepreneur or leader aiming for sustainable, impactful growth.

• Cultivate Organic Purpose: Do not force purpose.

  Instead, identify and address a genuine problem, allowing a meaningful purpose to emerge naturally.

  Then, embed this purpose into your core business model from the start.

• Build an Open, Trust-Based Culture: Foster an environment where information is shared transparently and trust is prioritized over control.

  View mistakes as learning opportunities that strengthen your company’s resilience.

• Embrace Speed and Iteration: Adopt the mantra of done is better than perfect, and speed beats perfection.

  Continuously test, gather feedback, and iterate rapidly to ensure your product or service remains relevant and effective.

• Nurture Personal Confidence: Actively build confidence through small, consistent wins and thorough preparation.

  Challenge self-doubt, particularly if you are a female founder, and assume your rightful place in leadership conversations.

• Lead with Impact as Motivation: Focus on the desire to fix systemic problems and leave things better than you found them.

  Let this drive your efforts, understanding that initiating change, even if slow, is an act of leadership.

Avoiding Pitfalls: Risks, Trade-offs, and Ethics

Scaling with purpose, while rewarding, is not without its challenges.

An open culture, for instance, inherently introduces risk.

There will be moments when trust is mistreated (Milda Mitkute, Five lessons from Vinted: how to scale with purpose).

The trade-off is often between maintaining strict control for perceived safety and fostering an environment of trust that fuels innovation and co-ownership.

Similarly, the emphasis on speed over perfection carries the risk of launching ideas that might not be fully polished, potentially impacting brand perception.

The trade-off here is between the desire for a flawless product and the necessity of real-time market feedback.

Ethically, embedding purpose from the start helps mitigate conflicts between profit and social good, but leaders must remain vigilant to ensure that purpose does not become mere window dressing as the company grows.

Mitigation Guidance:

• Clear Communication in Open Cultures: Establish clear guidelines for information sharing and reinforce the values of trust and accountability regularly.
• Structured Feedback Loops for Speed: While moving fast, implement structured methods for collecting and acting on user feedback to quickly refine products, preventing significant missteps.
• Mentorship and Support Systems: For leaders, particularly women who may struggle with self-doubt, creating strong mentorship and support networks can help build confidence and address internal biases.
• Authenticity in Purpose: Continuously re-evaluate how purpose is integrated into the business model, ensuring it remains a genuine driver of decisions, not just a marketing claim.

Building a Robust Ecosystem: Tools, Metrics, and Cadence

Key Tools for Purpose-Driven Scaling:

• Collaboration Platforms: Tools that facilitate open communication and information sharing across the organization, supporting a culture of trust.
• A/B Testing and Analytics Suites: Platforms for rapid experimentation and real-time feedback collection, crucial for embracing speed over perfection.
• Employee Engagement Surveys: Tools to regularly gauge employee sentiment, understanding, and sense of co-ownership within the open culture.
• Leadership Development Programs: Resources focused on building confidence and empowering diverse leaders, particularly female founders.
• Impact Measurement Frameworks: Systems to track and quantify the social or environmental impact of purpose-driven initiatives, linking back to the core motivation.

Review Cadence:

Conduct quarterly leadership reviews to assess the health of your open culture, the effectiveness of rapid iteration cycles, and the tangible impact of purpose-driven initiatives.

Regularly check in on employee sentiment and leadership confidence through surveys or one-on-one discussions.

Annually, conduct a strategic review to ensure your core purpose remains embedded in your business model, adapting as market dynamics and user needs evolve.

Glossary for the Modern AI Leader:

Purpose-Driven Growth: involves expanding a business while staying true to a core mission or societal impact beyond profit.

Open Company Culture: refers to an organizational environment characterized by transparency, trust, and shared information among employees.

Speed Beats Perfection: is an entrepreneurial philosophy prioritizing rapid iteration and real-time feedback over extensive, delayed development.

Female Founder Confidence: refers to the self-assurance and belief in one’s abilities, particularly among women leading startup ventures.

Textile Waste Statistics: refer to data on the volume of discarded clothing and fabric, highlighting the environmental impact of the fashion industry.

Second-hand Economy: describes the market for pre-owned goods, emphasizing reuse and circularity.

FAQ: Driving Sustainable Startup Growth

• Q: Who is Milda Mitkute, and what is Vinted?
• A: Milda Mitkute is the co-founder of Vinted, an online platform for buying, selling, and exchanging secondhand clothes, which she started in 2008.

  She left the business in 2016 and now works on a math education startup (Five lessons from Vinted: how to scale with purpose).

• Q: What was Vinted’s original purpose, and how did it evolve?
• A: Vinted’s original purpose was not sustainability; it began as a way for Milda to clear her wardrobe.

  The green credentials and sustainability purpose emerged later from early users and growing awareness of textile waste (Five lessons from Vinted: how to scale with purpose).

• Q: What is Milda Mitkute’s advice on company culture as a startup scales?
• A: She advises leaders to keep culture open as they grow, sharing as much information as possible with employees, and building culture on trust rather than control, learning from mistakes (Five lessons from Vinted: how to scale with purpose).
• Q: Why does Milda Mitkute advocate for “speed beats perfection” in product development?
• A: She believes speed beats perfection because real-time feedback on a product or service is crucial.

  Waiting too long to test an idea risks missing whether it actually works, and encourages continuous experimentation (Five lessons from Vinted: how to scale with purpose).

• Q: What is the core message of the lesson “Impact is the motivation, not the outcome”?
• A: This lesson emphasizes that motivation should come from trying to fix problems and leaving things better than you found them, rather than solely focusing on the end outcome, especially when driving slow change (Five lessons from Vinted: how to scale with purpose).

Conclusion: Leading with Intent and Action

The sunlight streaming into Milda Mitkute’s office in Vilnius today might illuminate a math education startup, but the fundamental lessons learned from scaling Vinted—Lithuania’s first unicorn—still resonate.

Her journey from solving a personal wardrobe dilemma to addressing global textile waste and then to tackling educational challenges underscores a timeless truth: entrepreneurship, at its heart, is about seeing problems and daring to fix them.

Milda’s wisdom reminds us that sustainable, purpose-driven growth is built on adaptable purpose, an open culture of trust, a relentless pursuit of speed over perfection, cultivated confidence, and an unwavering focus on impact.

These principles are not just guidelines for startups; they are pillars for any organization seeking to navigate complexity and achieve meaningful success.

The future belongs to those who, like Milda, keep trying to fix what others accept as normal.

Call to Action: Reflect on these five lessons and integrate purpose, trust, and speed into your own scaling journey today!

References

Five lessons from Vinted: how to scale with purpose.