From Start-Up to Grown-Up #108 Semyon Dukach— MIT Blackjack Team Former Leader, Current VC, Invests Only in Immigrants
Dec 30, 2025
Semyon Dukach, a former leader of the MIT Blackjack team and current founding partner at One Way Ventures, shares his fascinating journey from Soviet refugee to venture capitalist. He discusses his unique insights on backing immigrant founders, emphasizing their resilience and pattern recognition. Semyon also relates lessons from blackjack to entrepreneurship, highlights the importance of customer focus, and openly addresses imposter syndrome. With practical advice for founders, he makes a compelling case for the extraordinary potential of immigrant entrepreneurs.
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Blackjack Team As First Company
- Semyon describes the MIT Blackjack team as his first company and fund, teaching precision, record-keeping, and simulation-driven learning.
- He recounts training, trust, and modeling human error as central practices that made the team consistently profitable.
Why Immigrants Make Strong Founders
- One Way Ventures backs only immigrant founders because the act of migrating selects for commitment and resilience.
- Semyon argues that immigrants who bought a "one-way ticket" possess unusual perseverance and vision essential for startups.
Brand Amplifies Deal Flow
- Brand matters in venture because it fuels a network that amplifies deal flow and credibility.
- Semyon notes immigrant founders often underinvest in PR, so the fund fills that gap to boost recognition.