MakoLab at
SoDA Conference 2022

I really like what goes on behind the scenes. Above all, it’s an opportunity to explore what people are doing and talk about it. Last year, I went to quite a number of similar events and I was surprised more than once by the niches and business models that other people were operating within. It’s a chance to discuss how we’re coping with challenges like remote working and rising pay in the sector. The talks at those events were first class and they addressed topics that are vital to us. And finally, there was the small talk that went on during the integrative get-togethers in the evenings. That’s a fine way of spending time in the company of interesting people.

Well, I’ve already touched on the representatives of the SoDA membership, in other words, software houses. What I can add is that we talk to each other honestly. For instance, if the topic under discussion is entering a particular market, then the people who are already on that market will talk openly about what went well for them and what needs to be avoided… even though they’re passing on their knowledge and experience to potential competitors.

SoDA has also developed a formal field for collaboration, the ‘SoDA Bench’. It’s a platform for sharing information and hiring experts who are currently only available from one member and not from any of the others. Conferences are also a place for networking with first-class experts in various non-IT fields, like sales and HR, for instance. At one conference last year, we got to know a speaker who was a representative of a consultancy company. As a result of that encounter, we started collaborating with the company.

To answer, also somewhat perversely, I’d say that the evaluation of the panel members, including me, will be done by the audience. Financing is currently a hot topic in our sector, which is growing and needs money for investment. There are numerous sources of financing available at the moment and the stock exchanges are one of them. Myself and two of the other panellists are representatives of companies listed on NewConnect* . We’ve already exchanged thoughts and it’s clear that our companies floated their shares at different times, and for different purposes. Our experiences vary, we represent a range of views and so none of us has the same answer to the titular question.

Our panel boasts a major asset in the presence of Marek Dietl, the CEO of the Warsaw Stock Exchange. I’m sure he’ll verify our thoughts on being listed on the public market and have valuable information to offer everyone who is considering obtaining financing from the stock exchange.

Going by the titles, they all look very interesting. As the CEO of MakoLab, the biggest challenge I’m facing at the moment is finding and keeping high-quality staff. I don’t think I’m alone in that, either, given that there are going to be several talks and discussions on the subject. So I’ll certainly be happy to hear about keeping staff members on board, about their future in the field of IT and about managing scattered teams, not to mention ‘how not to employ an IT developer’. Apart from all that, I always listen carefully to presentations on trends. There are two on this year’s programme; one will be dealing with business trends and the other will be looking at IT in 2025.