A deep dive into our unique culture

I'm Iztok Smolic, the CEO and Managing Director of Agiledrop. Today, I'd like to invite you to take a closer look at the unique culture we've cultivated at Agiledrop, a reflection of my personal journey and beliefs, and the evolving world of technology.

Having started my career as a designer, I transitioned into web development in 2007. Over the years, I've worked on more than 50 web projects, which exposed me to the global web development and open-source community. These experiences shaped my beliefs and influenced me to establish Agiledrop in 2013.

Our culture at Agiledrop is a harmonious blend of traditional family-owned business values and modern tech practices. It's a tech company, but we've intentionally moved away from the cliched startup culture. Instead, we've created a work environment that respects individuality, encourages learning, and values work-life balance. This, I believe, is the secret sauce to our success.

At Agiledrop, our team members are the heart of our operations. We are a team primarily composed of engineers, and we understand that not everyone comes equipped with the same skills and experiences. That's why we have established internal programs dedicated to teaching new skills and updating our team with modern and enterprise-level best practices. This is a reflection of my firm belief in the power of continuous learning and growth.

Communication is the glue that holds our team together. We hold weekly meetings, known as WeeklyDrop, to update the team about the upcoming week. We discuss project allocations, any absences, and any potential roadblocks that might affect our workflow. Additionally, we conduct a MonthlyDrop meeting to review the past month's activities. These meetings are calm and focused, mirroring my personal belief in the importance of tranquility and focus in the workplace.

One of my core beliefs is that praise should be public and critique should be private. This ensures that feedback is always constructive and respectful, promoting a positive work environment. We also understand that not everyone is outgoing, so participation in team building events is entirely optional. This is a reflection of my respect for individuality and personal preferences.

Work-life balance is a cornerstone of our culture. I've always believed that a satisfied and well-rested team is more productive and innovative. Therefore, we do not expect or encourage after-hours or weekend work. If a situation arises where extra work is needed, it's always opt-in and compensated accordingly.

Our organizational structure is relatively flat, mirroring my belief in the power of equality and open communication. I value consistency and reliability over flashy skills. I prefer to work with 'marathon runners' - those who show up every day, on time, and deliver the work they promised.

I'm a strong advocate for collective problem-solving. Encouraging team members to solve problems together rather than individually leads to better outcomes and less stress. This belief has shaped our approach to problem-solving at Agiledrop.

Lastly, I have always believed in putting people first. This is reflected in our approach of prioritizing our employees over clients. This may seem counterintuitive, but I firmly believe that a happy and satisfied team will naturally lead to happy clients.

In conclusion, our culture at Agiledrop is a unique blend of my personal beliefs and modern values. We strive to create an environment where everyone feels valued, respected, and encouraged to learn and grow. I believe that this culture has been instrumental in our success and will continue to guide us in the future.

Thank you for taking the time to learn about our culture at Agiledrop. As we continue to evolve and grow, we remain open to new collaborations and opportunities to help businesses thrive digitally.