As a company grows, the conventional approach is to implement a management structure with a clear hierarchy of reporting.
But is this even necessary?
Applifting is a global software company founded in 2014 with bases in Prague, Czech Republic and the Level 39 tech community in London’s Canary Wharf.
Featuring at No.139 in the FT1000 list of Europe’s fastest-growing companies in 2020, it has grown its team to 200 employees and contractors today.
“There are no managers!” UK CEO Jan Hauser, 31, tells TechBlast. “Everyone is treated as an equal, and everything is transparent and open to discussion.
“We make decisions together – making sure every voice, opinion, and concern that wants to be heard is, in fact, heard.”
The company has a ‘Council of Elders’ which consists of six elected people tasked with the direction of the company as a whole.
“However everyone is welcome to listen in on their deliberations and chime in if they feel like adding their two cents,” explains Hauser.
“All in all, people are driven and committed, not just to work but also to one another. They put a lot of emphasis on sharing know-how, giving their colleagues feedback, and helping out whenever the need arises.”
FinTech & MedTech
The company’s expertise lies in end-to-end software solutions, technical innovation, product discovery, UX and UI design, mobile development, QA and cloud engineering. Its primary focus is on FinTech and MedTech solutions.
Customers include Austria’s Erste Group Bank AG, for which it provided secure access to mobile banking for millions of clients across Central and Eastern Europe; Canadian firm TELUS Health, for which it developed a solution for remote monitoring, virtual nurse and patient registries; Bankovní Identita in the Czech Republic, an electronic system for bank identity; and, in the UK, assisting Braid with the creation of a core open banking platform.
It doesn’t raise external funding and follows a policy of salary transparency.
Investor launches new fund to back AI, SaaS and FinTech firms
“Applifting is currently in the process of tribalisation,” continues Hauser. “Different parts of the company, each focusing on a specific field or industry, are now branching out into smaller tribes, each with their own respective missions and culture – with the original Applifting way of doing things serving as the foundation.
“Nevertheless, they remain an integral and inseparable part of Applifting and the community as a whole.”
AI revolution
Hauser says developments in artificial intelligence are “revolutionising the digital economy” but urges caution on this emerging technology.
“Don’t close your eyes in front of the current AI and GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) evolution,” he adds. “Our industry is changing rapidly and it’s happening right now.
“We are working hard to incorporate the newest AI tools and capabilities into our software development processes which, in some cases, can accelerate the speed of development and delivery and reduce costs by some 30-50%, which is a breathtaking improvement.
“We are ready to advise and navigate digital product companies with how AI can enhance their current products because we believe it’s the natural next step in this evolution.”
Advice
Asked for a piece of advice for startup leaders, he answers: “Never underestimate the power of validation and feedback loop from customers.
“Digital products are never-ending stories of evolution and shaping. You stop, you die. Keep the pace and stay resilient.”