In the contemporary business landscape, prioritizing employee development, refining their expertise, and fostering diverse and inclusive environments are critical for achieving organizational success. Boku emerges as a standout organization, excelling not only in cultivating talent growth but also in championing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Positioned as a global tech enterprise, Boku collaborates with industry giants such as Microsoft, Sony, Meta, Tencent, and more, underscoring its commitment to nurturing talent on a global scale.
We sat down with Marisa Cardenas, a Technical Program Manager and talked about how Boku has managed to create a culture that is supporting talent growth.
🔵 Can you tell us a little about what attracted you to Boku in the first place?
I had heard about Boku and Fortumo way back in 2016 when I was working for a Malaysian mobile content provider working with different mobile operators in Asia. Boku and Fortumo were known in the region for being some of the best in direct carrier billing. These companies worked with renowned digital brands and published market reports that I found very useful even back then.
When I moved to Tallinn, I had two friends working in Boku and they happened to share the amazing work culture of the company – how fun and interesting it was to work there. Combining this feedback with the previous knowledge about the reputation of these companies – it was an easy decision to come work here!
🔵 Can you share your journey with Boku and your current role within the company?
I am very happy that I have gotten the opportunity to grow so fast within Boku. When I started my journey with Boku last year in April, I was initially appointed as a Technical Project Manager. This year I was offered the position of Technical Program Manager for one of our partners in one of products called bundling. You may ask, what is the difference between a Technical Project Manager and Technical Program Manager.
As a Technical Project Manager, I was in charge of leading and executing different projects: collecting requirements, building solution designs, attending meetings with partners and making sure the projects are executed in the timeline and with the requirements expected.
As a Technical Program Manager, I have a much more of a strategic role as I oversee the delivery of all projects and post-launch operations, making sure they run successfully from all angles: process, product, etc. I now work much more closely with Technical Project Managers, Operations team, Product Managers and Account Managers.
🔵 How would you explain Boku’s product to someone who doesn’t know anything about it?
At Boku we provide the possibility for partners like Netflix, Tencent or Meta to reach out to more customers by connecting these to merchants who provide other payment alternatives, different from debit and credit cards. (We do this through our APIs). Think for example of the opportunity to pay your Netflix account with your GoogleWallet, AliPay or as a part of your preferred mobile provider’s services. This enlarges our partner’s capability to acquire users and at the same it democratizes digital services to users worldwide, specially in countries where credit cards or debit cards are not common.
🔵 How would you describe Boku’s company culture in your own words?
Boku’s culture is a real treat! We work with inspiring and open colleagues, our work involves dealing with renown digital merchants such as Netflix, Tencent, Amazon, Spotify, etc. We have a wide range of different events, such as cultural evenings, summer and winter days, sports challenges, parties and much more.
In a nutshell, we work in a fun, inspiring and engaging environment! And the cherries on top, we also enjoy flexibility in schedule and location, making it easy to have better work-life balance, have a transparent and positive culture and have cool offices with the typical start-up treats (ping-pong tables, play stations, etc). You can see I have a lot of positive things to say about Boku’s culture!
🔵 How do you perceive the importance of diversity in the tech industry, specifically in a company like Boku?
I want to specify that the key is not only to be diverse, but to have equity and inclusion. Diversity can be achieved fairly easily, you add someone from a different background to a homogenous group and you obtain it. But without equity, the fostering of equal opportunities, and inclusion, the involvement of those different to us, you cannot foster an environment for diversity to be an asset.
In a tech company, diversity is very important for many different aspects. First, it fosters innovation and creativity. When you have a diverse team, you bring individuals with different perspectives which then can think of multiple ways to approach a situation and problem as opposed to when you just have one angle to the problem. It really helps to reduce groupthink.
Second, it improves marketing competitiveness. For example, in Boku we work with a vast number of countries where cultures and languages can be vastly different. When you have employees from across the world, you are able to cover for such differences. The needs of a diverse and global customer base, making the company more resilient for growth.
Finally, for a Public Company Like Boku, investors want transparency from companies on the diversity of their workforces. Investors, passive and active alike, have integrated Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) into their investment decisions. Doing DEI well correlates with better change power, which in turn is linked not only to company performance but also leadership and employee engagement.
🔵 Could you share any ongoing diversity initiatives that Boku is particularly proud of?
There are two things that our DEI committee is currently really focused on. First of all we want to understand what the needs of the different minorities in our company are, so that we can give recommendations on how to support them better and enable them for opportunities.
For example, we have started running interviews with parents returning from Parental Leave to understand how to make their return to work much smoother so that they do feel engaged in their return.
Secondly we have launched a series of trainings regarding DEI. The importance of understanding unconscious bias and how to work with a diverse workforce. For example, slightly over a month ago, we shared with our colleagues outside of Estonia, what characterizes the Estonian culture and how to work best with Estonians.
🔵 Reflecting on your time with the company, what has been your most fulfilling moment at Boku?
Looking back on my journey with Boku, there have been several moments that have truly filled me with a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment. Among these, two stand out prominently. Firstly, being acknowledged and appreciated for my contributions was a pivotal moment for me. Within just a year of joining Boku, my dedication and efforts were recognized, resulting in a significant career advancement. Moving from a marketing-sales-business development background to a technical role at Boku initially brought about a sense of uncertainty – that classic ‘imposter syndrome.’ I was constantly questioning my performance, wondering if I was meeting expectations.
However, during my first performance review, the feedback I received was incredibly validating. It affirmed that not only was I managing projects effectively, but I was also excelling at it. This feedback not only surprised me but also fueled a sense of achievement. It signified a positive shift in my career trajectory and validated my potential. Soon after, the opportunity to transition into a Technical Program Manager role presented itself, reinforcing the confidence in my abilities and the direction I wanted to take my career.
Secondly, witnessing the evolution of one of our team’s key products has been immensely rewarding. From its experimental stages to becoming an integral driver in Boku’s growth strategy, seeing the impact of our collective efforts has been deeply satisfying. Knowing that the work we put in has contributed significantly to the company’s success has been a source of immense pride and fulfillment.
🔵 Is this a common practice for Boku – recognizing the talent early on and moving them along the career path?
I would say it is and I’ve seen it happen to other colleagues multiple times! It definitely depends on the teams, as some of them are more dynamic and different positions open up a lot faster than in other teams. We do try to recognize and have these different levels of growth so people can jump into these different roles. We also have a constant and active feedback culture with platforms making it comfy. And addition to that we have a quite a strong 1-1 tradition, where the manager sits down with their team member once every week or two to discuss their wellbeing, problems, goals, dreams etc.
🔵 Talking about Boku as a workplace. What are the main reasons you would recommend Boku?
Firstly, the pace at which Boku is growing is remarkable. This rapid growth prompts constant innovation and adaptation, making it an ideal environment for those eager to contribute ideas that can make a tangible impact. Boku’s focus on continuous improvement encourages professional growth and fosters a culture that values innovative thinking and pushing boundaries. If you’re seeking a place that encourages you to expand your professional horizons and think creatively, Boku is an excellent fit.
Secondly, if you have a passion for IT and aspire to delve into the realm of paytech while collaborating with leading brands, Boku offers an exceptional platform. It provides an opportunity to validate your skills, face industry challenges, and align with the high standards set by these prominent companies.
Lastly, Boku’s culture is a standout feature. Working alongside a diverse range of individuals and engaging with different countries and markets offers a unique and valuable experience. This exposure fosters a global mindset—a critical asset in today’s IT landscape, where being a global citizen holds immense importance.
🔵 How does Boku ensure welcoming and supportive onboarding members? Are there any special initiatives or programmes for new joiners?
At Boku, ensuring a welcoming and supportive onboarding experience for new members is a priority, backed by various initiatives and programs.
For example in Estonia, we appoint a designated mentor, complementing the manager’s role, to guide newcomers into the company culture. This dedicated individual ensures support and integration within the team, fostering engagement right from the start.
Moreover, we have a well-structured onboarding plan, initially outlined by weeks and later extended by months. This plan offers clear expectations during the probationary period and charts a path for growth thereafter. Regular 1:1 sessions with managers and consistent check-ins with HR further facilitate a smooth transition into the organization.
And also one of our strengths lies in information transparency. We provide access to tools and resources, including data-sharing platforms and informative materials upon joining. These resources are designed to facilitate early engagement and equip new joiners with essential knowledge about the company.
🔵 What does the future bring for Boku? What are some exciting upcoming endeavors?
Considering Boku’s future endeavors, there’s a vibrant landscape of ongoing developments across various fronts within the company. Our products continue to experience rapid growth, fostering a culture of relentless innovation. Every department is geared towards improvement, perpetually exploring new possibilities to enhance our offerings. Notably, we’re actively shaping strategies around account-to-account and instant banking payments, paving new directions for our services.
On an organizational level, our commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) remains a continuous journey, open for everyone to engage in. Additionally, our ‘Building Better Boku’ task force is a platform for sharing and nurturing ideas, ensuring a collaborative environment where innovations thrive.
Moreover, our culture is dynamic and diverse, marked by engaging events. Recently, colleagues proposed activities like a ping pong competition and meditation sessions to promote work-life balance. Boku fosters an open culture, actively embracing and encouraging novel ideas, providing numerous opportunities for collaboration and contribution.
In conclusion, there’s a variety of job openings available for professionals with diverse skill sets. Whether you’re interested in transportation, finance, or technology, these companies offer competitive salaries and opportunities for growth.
Looking for new opportunities? Download MeetFrank– a mobile app for letting top companies apply to YOU.
iGaming company Betsson Group invites all FinTech professionals to a meetup on the 30th of March in Tallinn. Open to all curious professionals in the digital space and especially with experience in payments technology. Join the network!
Betsson Group’s FinTech Meetup on the 30th of March
Approximately 700 of 2200+ Betsson Group employees are tech and product professionals. With a strong global presence and revenue exceeding €777 million in 2022, Betsson Group continues active recruiting across all departments.
Interested in taking your FinTech experience to the next level? Take a look at their openings in MeetFrank:
Betsson Group, operating Betsafe and SuperCasino brands in Estonia, offers casino, sportsbook and other games. From a single slot machine in 1963, Betsson Group is now one of the largest companies within the global iGaming industry.
Year 2023 marks the 60th anniversary of Betsson Group – reflecting stability and company’s strong background. And it shows in the results. Despite the challenging market conditions in 2022, Betsafe delivered 15% growth. The profitability makes way for new investments in new markets and constant development of the tech platform.
The company mixes its heritage with a forward-looking and tech-savvy mindset. As the iGaming industry is ever-evolving, Betsson Group recently moved to a brand new office at the heart of Tallinn. When their first office was opened back in 2002, there was only one single employee. Only one! This has grown into 120(and constantly 📈) people, working mostly in the commercial and tech teams. Nevermind the 2200+ colleagues from 72 nationalities Betsson Group has at other locations.
Betsafe is also a loyal supporter of the local sporting scene. Sponsoring different sports disciplines, federations, leagues, and individual athletes. Lithuanian basketball league, Paide Linnameeskond, Ott Tänak – to name a few. Also one of the most legendary sports commentators Kalev Kruus hosts Betsafe Podcast.
At the SiGMA Europe 2022 Betsson Group won the Responsible Gaming of the Year Award for the second consecutive year. This category recognises industry leaders of safer gaming.
Perforce Software (previously ZeroTurnaround) is the leading provider of enterprise-scale software for technology developers and development operations teams. Their services are for teams who require productivity, visibility, and scale throughout all phases of the development lifecycle.
We interviewed Hannes Linno, Director of Software Engineering, who told us about the maturity of the DevOps field and how Perforce’s innovation helps developers around the world work smarter. Among other things, we talked about career opportunities in a team consisting mainly of senior level engineers and the challenges of developing a range of products in various stages of maturity.
🔵 ZeroTurnaround originally developed JRebel and XRebel before being acquired by Perforce back in 2017. What organisational changes, if any, did the acquisition bring as both products are still developed in Estonia?
After the acquisition, Estonia has become the European strategic development centre for Perforce, a talent hub for multiple products. In Estonia, we went from being a Java-only company to a company that offers tools for the entire DevOps cycle.
The acquisition brought organisational changes, as would be expected, but Rebels are still a key part of the Perforce family. However, the product portfolio here keeps growing, as does Perforce globally, via new acquisitions. Our newest acquisition is Puppet, a leading software configuration management tool.
🔵 As you mentioned, Perforce is building many products for the DevOps field. Before we dive into more details, could you clarify what you mean by DevOps in your context?
To answer this question, I would start with what it is not. In recent years there has been a huge increase in job openings for DevOps engineers. Sadly, it is often simply considered a nicer name for system and application administrators when more and more infrastructure orchestration is done via coding and scripting. In reality, DevOps is a wider area, so it is not simply taking care of servers and infrastructure on public clouds or on-premise infrastructure.
So, what is DevOps? It involves Development and Operations tools and processes covering the full spectrum of areas from product planning, development and quality control to execution and stability in production environments.
DevOps is totally focused on doing things smarter and automating wherever possible to have higher quality and shorter development cycles. While DevOps as an area includes both tools and processes, Perforce’s focus is on building the best tools that support DevOps processes.
Our product portfolio already covers all main phases of the DevOps cycle, so we have tools for planning, development, quality control and operating customer solutions.
🔵 How mature is the DevOps market currently and where it is heading in the next few years?
In software development, the digitalization wave is still picking up speed immensely. In Estonia, we are used to everything being digitalized, but the rest of the world is still lagging behind.
In the next several years, more and more traditional companies must increase their IT investments to keep up with stiff competition. To manage the extra complexity, companies that want to remain relevant in ten years must increasingly focus on the full cycle of the DevOps flow.
We can already see the huge gap in the available software engineering workforce and increasing demands will only add to the pressure. In addition to growing digitalization, the new emerging technologies like AI, virtual reality and quantum computing increase the complexity to the next level.
This means that development and operations must improve automation so that developers work smarter and spend less time doing repetitive tasks. Continuing in the same way as we have built software so far is not possible. There are simply not enough software engineers in the world.
At Perforce our focus is to build tools that aid software engineers (developers, QA, system administrators, and tech support) to decrease development time and ensure the quality of the results.
🔵 Who are the users of your products?
At Perforce, we are building tools for other engineers. I would say it is a unique opportunity because, often, we are solving problems that most developers, including ourselves, are facing.
Our engineers have access to all the tools we are building in-house, allowing our employees to work together across products to find insights and provide quick feedback on what to improve. Whether it is about the functionality, usability or simply the documentation that is available for using the products and tools. It also allows us to build the features that fill the gaps between our different products so that the full cycle of tools works together efficiently.
Having a wide selection of products in our portfolio enables us to focus on areas that otherwise could fall between different products or solutions, especially where the market is too small for anyone wanting to invest there. In other words, we fill the gaps to save our customers time, money and reduce stress!
When speaking to our candidates, we often hear that they are coming from industries where the company’s purpose is not interesting for them, or they don’t really understand the problem their product is trying to solve. In our case, it is the opposite: Most engineers love the area they are working in and are eager to have better tools that help them work smarter.
🔵 Let’s talk a little about your organisation. What best describes your engineering teams?
Our teams are mainly built around senior level engineers. The advantage is that even if a team member has been in the industry for 10 or 20 years, they still have interesting challenges and can continue their learning path, as they can discuss the issues and solutions with like-minded people. It allows our teams to be agile, move faster, make quicker decisions and have the greatest innovation potential.
We also try to focus our benefits package on senior engineers. The emphasis is on work-life balance and extra time off because we know how important it is to take time for yourself or spend it with your family and friends. Happy people are best positioned to create innovation.
People and teams have a lot of independence and trust. We also have flexitime where each person manages their own working time, and each team can agree what is the best work routine for their team, like how many meetings they want to have, what kind of meetings, how much office time and what are the team’s working hours in general.
🔵 What kind of technologies can one expect to work with when joining Perforce?
As we have a wide range of products in various stages of maturity, we offer interesting challenges for different tastes.
We have products (such as Gliffy) that are end-user facing, where the focus is on usability and clean design. Then we have products where developers must work on deep tech and solve problems on a very low level, close to operating system features, like Rebel products that interact with code on the compilation level, to make it smoother and faster to execute.
We also contribute a lot to open source communities by addressing all kinds of unexpected user cases and problems. In relation to open source, not many people know that Zend, the trusted tool for PHP developers, is also developed by us. And at the same time, specifically for the semiconductor industry, we are developing an IP lifecycle management solution – Methodics.
🔵 What kind of career opportunities does Perforce offer?
Having such a wide stack of technologies provides numerous opportunities for long term growth for our people. It is common that if an engineer would like to work on a different product or with a new tech stack, they will receive support from their managers on finding another project within Perforce.
The experience we have is that people with long tenure want to stay in the company, as they love our culture and benefits, but simply want a new challenge and continue improving their skillset. And the only opportunity is not just moving between projects and technologies – since we are growing rapidly, we also have many opportunities to grow from engineering roles to management roles.
Check out Perforce’s career page and open positions:
🔵 Could you briefly describe your hiring process? Do you have any tips to be successful in the process?
After an initial quick meet and greet on the phone with our recruiter, we typically have a more in-depth interview where we look for the technical knowledge needed for the position. Assuming that goes successfully, there is a meeting with the team and the direct manager.
My primary advice is to do your research about the product and the company. The interview process is not there to find your weaknesses, but rather to see where your skillset will best advance the Perforce vision. We are looking for people who are genuinely interested in our products and the problems they are there to solve.
Introducing VNTRS Estonia – Startup Studio & a VC fund enriching Northern Europe’s start-up world. Founded in Sweden in 2016, they have invested in 24 companies and worked with hundreds of others. Now they have also settled in the Estonian start-up scene. Using the Sweat Equity model & their VEQ fund to help companies grow, VNTRS is well connected with start-up hubs in the Baltics.
VNTRS has an attractive career path to offer for people who are invested in growing tech companies. And by ‘invested’, we mean both personal and professional growth. An employee investment possibility also comes with working at VNTRS, of course. Morgan Vernay, Senior Javascript Developer at VNTRS, enlightened us on sweat equity and their vision of collaborating with start-ups.
The Interview
🔵 Let’s bring everyone up to date on how VNTRS came about and how you are making the world a better place?
Our vision is the world where good ideas become successful. We believe that too many good ideas, passionate entrepreneurs, and intrapreneurs fall short due to the wrong reasons – we are here to change this.
We build digital products and services while also helping start-ups get to the market cost-effectively. If we believe in the people and the companies we work with, we are willing to reinvest part of our fee to equity, become shareholders and long-term tech partners. Our investment portfolio currently consists of 24 early-stage tech companies that we’ve helped to build, and we have also worked with hundreds of clients following VNTRS’ values.
As mentioned above, we risk and benefit together with our partners. This is what the concept of VNTRS – Sweat Equity is all about. In 2021, we also started the VNTRS VEQ investment company to expand our investment capabilities. VEQ will invest in pre-seed and seed rounds with a mandate all over Europe but focus on the Nordics and Baltics. VEQ does not have a traditional fund structure and thus can remain a long term active owner as long as it makes sense for both sides.
🔵 How has the startup scene welcomed you here in Estonia?
Since opening up the Estonian office in February 2021, we have seen a lot of interest from Estonian and Baltic startups. We focus on introducing the Sweat Equity concept to the founders as this model was not well-known in Estonia in the past. Nowadays, we deliver the message and spread the work through the benefits of this model, connecting ourselves to VC funds, incubators, and accelerators.
We screen about ten start-ups weekly, asking the best ones to pitch for our Investment Committee. Collaboration with local ecosystem players helps us to guarantee a stable flow of incoming leads.
Within those 4 months of operation, we landed our first Sweat Equity project in Estonia, helped several companies with consulting, and managed to work on one additional cash project. As things stand, there are several more investment projects in the pipeline. That’s one of the reasons we are looking for additions to our team.
🔵 The ever-changing work environment at startups can be challenging for developers. What would you say are the main distinctions in work-life between VNTRS and startups?
I would somewhat disagree here. I have been researching this topic, and according to my research, developers primarily seek to switch jobs as they get tired of the same product development; they feel a lack of impact in decision making rather than just completing the set tasks. Also, as a start-up is growing, the “romance” of the work nature is disappearing.
In VNTRS, we offer the developers various projects with 100% involvement and freedom to achieve technical tasks. Developers can finish one (long or short-term) project and choose to have some other tasks in hand for the next one. We always involve our developers in workshops, scoping sessions, MVP mapping process, etc. Coding is just one part of a developer’s job.
🔵 Could you elaborate on how VNTRS’ lifecycle management helps to relieve common pain points found at start-ups?
Very often you will find developers only completing tasks assigned to them while being micromanaged at the same time. We strongly believe that involvement is vital to solving this issue, and we enable it through different means. First and foremost, we want our engineers and developers to feel like they impact the whole process of working with start-ups. We also believe that start-ups lack diversity in developers’ daily tasks.
For our engineers and developers to find solutions for our clients, we believe that a deep understanding of the start-up and its product is key for everyone involved. Getting this knowledge enables our engineers and developers to provide valuable input to our clients during the whole process. This allows our employees to work with external clients and our start-ups to widen their skill sets.
Last but not least, we feel like having a foot in the game motivates you to give your best. That is why we run our company using sweat equity. Every employee in the company can invest in the project they are working on.
🔵 Working at VNTRS means collaborating with multiple start-ups at once instead of choosing only one. How does it manifest itself in daily life?
This means that while you could be in the “coding” phase of a product for one start-up, you could also have part of your time attributed to screening potential new start-ups or helping others in our portfolio to scope their MVP.
Working at VNTRS as a Javascript developer, you can expect a lot of diversity in your daily tasks. We believe that developers and engineers are more than just good at coding. We value their input regarding the whole lifecycle of the products. Our clients appreciate the fact that they can count on VNTRS at all stages of the partnership and always have insightful interlocutors to help them solve their problems using the talent and experience of the whole team. Both Swedish and Estonian.
🔵 VNTRS also has a ‘sweat equity’ system in place, aiming to raise employee engagement even further. Could you give a brief overview of what it is and how it works?
Sweat equity means investing ‘sweat’ instead of money. We are giving out our consultancy and seek equity of the client-company in return. This model came to light in the 1930s in California, US. Back then, immigrants had no place to live and no money to buy an apartment. Local real estate developers approached them and offered a deal, ‘help us to build houses, and in return, as an alternative to the salary, we will give you an apartment, where you could live.’
VNTRS is doing the same by not seeking monetary compensation for the services but asking for equity instead. We can reinvest part of our fee back into the start-up and thus become a minor shareholder. This takes the collaboration to a higher level as we are directly interested in growing the start-up’s valuation.
A ‘killer feature’ of our company is that all of the employees invest part of their salary into the VNTRS fund. This means that all of the workers are shareholders of the project they are working on. The given system allows our workers to get engaged and have direct motivation for success while clients see us as trustworthy partners. We are not an outsourcing company, where the more hours you spend on the project, the more money you will earn. Sweat Equity is about growing together with our startups, as only then can VNTRS be successful!
🔵 When and why did VNTRS choose to use sweat equity? How does it impact a company’s working life, people & operation wise?
This was the decision from day one. In the beginning, it is surely risky and challenging as you need to find the right balance to be able to cover all the running costs, but VNTRS did play this right from the start.
Our experience shows that the Sweat Equity model is efficient and great for founders. We are now applying all the know-how gathered in Sweden to the Estonian market.
🔵 What are some of the qualities you’re looking for in new developers joining the team?
When it comes to hiring new developers, we look for pragmatic and self-acting people with a drive to become experts in their field of work and at working with start-ups. We look for people willing to produce clean quality code using recent and relevant technologies to help the start-ups in our portfolio grow.
In February, the most popular Estonian company on MeetFrank was Katana Smart Manufacturing Software. 👏
What does the company do? What are their plans for 2021? Who are they recruiting at the moment?Without further ado, let’s get to know our gold medalist.
Providing modern manufacturing & inventory software for scaling businesses, Katana is part of an industry that was strongly boosted by the pandemic. Staying at home and not being able to socialise has led to a higher amount of online shopping and higher need of e-commerce tools.
Enterprise planning software is one of the biggest individual software categories, yet the sector has seen the least innovation. In other words, the long-established market leading systems are like horses in the world of Teslas (no longer fulfilling the market needs).
The ability to support both D2C (direct-to-consumer) and B2B (business-to-business) sales channels is crucial for emerging new manufacturing brands. This flexible integration is exactly the need of modern manufactures that Katana is catering.
Katana’s advantage is powered by its ability to provide smart manufacturing in a simpler way. According to CEO Kristjan Vilosius, their service is the world’s most self on-board-able manufacturing software.
🏆 Clarity in the company’s vision – catering to market needs by offering software for every manufacturer globally.
🏆 The simple self on-board-ability – being global from the start and bringing in an outstanding number of organic leads.
🏆 Stellar delivery – surpassing the goals with an ease (revenue growth, churn reduction etc).
Transitioning “making and crafting” into “manufacturing”
Katana’s mission in simpler terms is to find scaling manufacturers that are growing out of Excel and provide them with smart production planning software combined with inventory/warehouse management. Katana has stepped in to save modern growing manufacturers from taking the huge leap from spreadsheets to overly complex and expensive enterprise software.
As mentioned before, simpler and smarter is the magic formula.
They started off as a service for micro manufacturers. But by now, over30% of Katana’s product subscriptions come from the SME (small and medium-sized enterprises) segment. And nearly 50% of customers are located in the USA.
Our readers, who love Japanese culture, probably have a question. Is there any connection between Katana the company and katana the samurai sword?
Indeed, while the founders assembled a pitch to build a Manufacturing SaaS, they met the following term: Toyota Production System. For them, the samurais and ninjas were pretty logical topics to explore. Katana, the cutting-edge manufacturing software won by a landslide. 🥷🥷🥷
Expanding the team and scaling Katana
We can safely say that the boom of e-commerce is not slowing down any time soon. But before Katana can grow their family of manufacturers, they need to grow their own team first.
The katanauts (that’s what they call themselves) are a very international group of people with over 10 different nationalities (the more, the merrier).
The company offers its employees top-notch remote working infrastructure and a culture that has the best bits of a scaling startup. Innovative, yet stable. Not pivoting it’s roadmap every two months.
