How to create a successful software house and not go crazy

Starting your own software house comes with many challenges and sacrifices. Ludwik ?ó?towski and Maciej Wojtyczka , founders of Sirocco Mobile, talk about their 15-year journey in the world of IT.

Interviewed by Aneta Wójcik

How did you get into the IT industry?

Ludwik ?ó?towski: You could say that it was a coincidence. I studied management and marketing in Warsaw. I took a one-year break and in 2002, I traveled to the United States to New York for an internship. I would commute by subway and observe other passengers. I noticed that more and more people, instead of solving paper crossword puzzles, were using electronic devices like PDAs or the first cell phones, which had larger displays. A kind of technological revolution began. When I returned to Poland a year later, I said I would look for companies that deal with this kind of thing. I came across a job ad for a company called Breakpoint, which wanted to develop games just for cell phones. I got the job and handled marketing and sales. That's how I got into the IT world.

Maciej Wojtyczka: I started writing simple programs and games already in elementary school, together with my cousin, we exchanged experiences, and this fascination with programming continued in high school as well. When it was necessary to choose a university, I figured that I would go further in this direction and decided to study computer science at the Silesian University of Technology in Gliwice. After some time, I noticed that my studies did not give me the development I wanted, and I started looking for a job. When I saw an ad on the board at the technical university that read, "we are looking for programmers", I applied.

L?: I used to cut and pin these ads myself [laughter]. Instead of putting out ads anywhere, I figured it was better to go to the university and look at the source. That's exactly how I found that job. I knew I didn't want to work for a corporation, so I contacted the owner and said I was passionate and had a lot of ideas to develop the business. And I was hired.

When did your paths cross? How did you meet each other?

L?: As I mentioned before, I spread the word about the job at the Silesian University of Technology. Thanks to this, it was possible to get programmers from Gliwice for our project, and this is how I met Maciek, who joined the company in Gliwice in 2005.

MW: At the beginning of my work, I was a programmer, but pretty soon, I started managing the Gliwice office and a team of developers. That's when some more interaction with Ludwik started. Before that, we only saw each other at team-building events. My first memory with Ludwik is actually from such a party, where he bet with someone that he would walk back and forth on his hands. And, of course, that's when I learned that you shouldn't bet with Ludwik [laughter].

At what stage of your friendship did you say "we are starting a company together"?

L?: This project of a mobile games company has ended and the company was sold. At that time, Maciek and I decided that we had a lot of capability, potential as well as the right know-how. I had business relations and sales skills, and Maciek had the skillfulness to lead large development teams. We found a common language very quickly and decided to start our own company.

MW: That's exactly right. I would only add that from that company, we offered jobs to four people who are still working with us today.

L?: I remember explaining to my wife that I wanted to launch my company and wanted Maciek to be my business partner. Maciek had competencies that I did not have. He has incredible technological and expert knowledge, attention to detail, and an analytical mind. I think that's why we complement each other so well. We have always been like plus and minus, fire and water. One sees the glass half full, the other half empty, but together we have the whole glass [laughter].

You mentioned that you hired four people from your previous company.

L?: That's right. We needed trusted people for the project with Polsat and we knew who was already battle-tested. One of those people is Bartek Garus, who contributed to Sirocco Mobile from the very beginning and helped us in many business aspects. We would like to take this opportunity to thank him for his priceless contribution to our company.

Who came up with the name Sirocco Mobile?

MW: Certainly, the "sirocco" itself was my idea. Sirocco is the name of a warm wind blowing in the area of the Mediterranean Sea. "Mobile" we added to emphasize our area of expertise, which at the time was games for mobile devices.

L?: The Sirocco itself came from the fact that Maciek is a big fan of sailing and paragliding.I remember him saying that thanks to this Sirocco wind, which blows from Africa, he has a good lift. I was terrified when he would go paragliding because we were just starting the company.

What was your big concept for Sirocco Mobile?

MW: We had experience in developing Java games and we wanted to take advantage of that. After iOS came out and Android soon after, we very quickly started developing mobile apps in addition to games. As the company grew, mobile games slowly became a smaller and smaller leg of our business.

L?: When we started working with the Polsat Group, it turned out that in addition to mobile games, there was a growing demand for IT business systems, e.g. weather forecasting or customer service for Cyfrowy Polsat. Hence, we circled around mobile applications.

MW: Sometime later, we started developing web applications and business systems, so eventually, we also went beyond this "mobile" field and expanded our range of services and areas of expertise.

What were the origins of Sirocco Mobile? What was the first project?

MW: We started by creating Java mobile games. The first such game was Euro SMS 2008 with Polsat. It was a multiplayer mobile game using text messages.

L?: I remember that this game was available in four countries from the group in which Poland played at Euro 2008 and was very popular.

What was the turning point for Sirocco Mobile?

L?: The first such moment was cooperation with a large entity like Polsat. Ipla TV was the first large and innovative project, and one could say that it was unique on a European scale. Ipla TV was one of the first linear stations available from a mobile phone. It was Polsat that owned this VOD service. For many years Polsat was also the majority shareholder in our company.

MW: The second moment was the opening of our web department and the delivery of the first business systems for our customers, such as a sales support system and a logistics support system. Many of these systems are still in operation now and bring real business value to clients.

Have you had moments of doubt? How did you deal with them?

MW: The first years were tough. We were beginners as entrepreneurs. There were many weekends and nights when I worked and was constantly on the phone. I also worked during my vacations. There were so many of these situations that a book could be written about them.

L?: Of course, there were difficult moments. There were sleepless nights and doubts about whether we would make it through. There were months when we didn't pay each other salaries. Our approach was the result of the fact that we always put employees first. As they say, leaders eat last. What helped us get through the difficult moments was the support and belief of trusted people in the company that we could do it. And, of course, support from the loved ones.

What do you like best about Sirocco Mobile today?

L?: The people and values we have in our team. These values are trust, the closeness of relationships as well as openness. These are, in my opinion, the most important things that Sirocco is characterized by. I think a big indicator is also that there are people with us who have been working here for five, ten, and even these fifteen years. We try to address the needs of our employees to be the kind of employer we would like to have ourselves.

MW: For me, it is the close-knit and professional team and the fact that over the years, we have developed our in-house processes for customer service and software development. Despite so many years of existence, we are constantly developing our competencies and are always thinking about what else we can do better.

If you could turn back time, what mistakes would you try to avoid?

L?: I think we could have been braver at certain points.

MW: It is difficult to say. It's possible that we could have acquired more capital for the company's development and taken more risks, but on the other hand, it's uncertain whether we would then be where we are now.

What advice would you give to a younger version of yourself?

MW: Go to a corporation, you will have a quiet life [laughter].

L?: Never go to a corporation, otherwise, you will have a boring life [laughter].

MW: I think I might have advised myself to delegate more things and not take so much upon myself. That was the kind of reflection I was missing. Only over time, I had to learn how to do that.

L?: I might say, "be braver." I would also consider what I wouldn't say to myself. I wouldn't say that I should have been more committed to work because my wife and children paid a heavy price for all my travel and irregular working hours anyway. I think I could thank the younger version of myself for the right prioritization. Work and my own company are an important part of my life, but my family is my most important "project".

Was it worth starting your own company?

MW: It depends [laughter]. You must be prepared for "blood, sweat, and tears". But starting your own business also gives you tremendous satisfaction.

L?: I believe that despite all the difficulties, it was worth it. Creating something that has already existed for fifteen years fills us with great pride. We could write a guidebook on how to create a successful software house and not go crazy. I would then write on the first page, "be yourself, be consistent, and constantly improve your skills”.

Will you reveal what plans you have for Sirocco in the coming years?

MW: Foreign expansion, continued growth, and more technologically interesting projects. I dream of innovative projects in the fields of AI, Big Data, and space technologies. In addition to this, we will continue to work towards developing our own in-house products in the SaaS model.?

L?: We have huge potential and great people on board. I would like to add that as of 2021, we are part of the Euvic Group, which is one of the largest technology capital groups in the Polish market with great energy to expand beyond the borders of our country. This gives us new opportunities for growth on a much larger scale, and we will try to take advantage of this on many levels in the near future.

Thank you for the interview and your time.

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About the interviewees:

Ludwik ?ó?towski - CEO and co-founder of Sirocco Mobile. Associated with the IT industry since 2002. Passionate about creating innovative solutions to support business processes for industry leaders, especially automotive and logistics. Manages sales from the company's office in Warsaw. Enthusiast of golf, baseball, and alternative forms of education.

Maciej Wojtyczka - CTO and co-founder of Sirocco Mobile. Manages the development office of Sirocco Mobile in Gliwice. In the IT industry since the beginning of 2004. Fan of sailing and all other sports activities.