Tomasz Wesolowski

A couple of weeks ago we had WSA European Young Innovators jury in Vilnius. I'm so impressed by the ever-increasing quality of the WSA winners across all - business models, branding, positioning, the quality of websites and content, and even traction. When I started my journey with WSA back in 2016, social entrepreneurs rarely spoke about business models and being self-sustainable financially. Social businesses were seen and saw themselves as non-profits, projects, or NGOs. However, making an impact is only really possible when a company or a project is self-sustainable financially first. Fast forward to 2024, and we see that the majority of the nominees are in the mindset of organizing their finances sustainably through creative business models that enable them to expand their impact over time. There were 2 shifts in this perception: - In 2018 everyone was talking about making money as a social business, - In 2022 - we started seeing the majority of nominees and winners implementing self-sustaining business models to their social impact businesses. Looking forward to meeting the new generation of WSA European Young Innovators!

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Geeknauts switches to Apropo for their project estimates! 👏 👏 👏 ➡ Geeknauts, a custom software development company based in Krakow, Poland, can be definitely counted among t͟o͟p͟ 5͟ ͟#S͟a͟a͟S͟ ͟s͟p͟e͟c͟i͟a͟l͟i͟z͟e͟d͟ ͟d͟e͟v͟e͟l͟o͟p͟m͟e͟n͟t͟ ͟c͟o͟m͟p͟a͟n͟i͟e͟s͟ ͟i͟n͟ ͟P͟o͟l͟a͟n͟d͟. They know very well all the different aspects of #SaaS business - both technical and business. ➡ What I however like the most about them, is their strive for perfection. They are not satisfied with solutions that are “𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥-𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩”. 🔶 That’s one of the few things that I always find common for all the A-Performers - they N͟E͟V͟E͟R͟ tolerate mediocrity. And that’s the main reason why Geeknauts switched from Google Spreadsheets to Apropo - they didn’t agree for mediocrity in their estimates and proposals. 📣 Here’s what Borys Z., Frontend Developer & Sales Representative at Geeknatus, says about the impact from implementing Apropo: “Apropo 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 thanks to creating estimates that look 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 than Google Spreadsheets. The way how estimates done in Apropo look also massively helped with communication with our clients and 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁. Our 𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗴𝗼𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 which further helped us increase the profitability of our projects” 🤝 Thank you Borys and Geeknauts Crew - it’s a pleasure to have such A-Players like yourselves as our users. We wish you tons of time saved, accuracy increase and deals won with Apropo!

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Rewolucja AI, którą przewidzieliśmy w 2016 roku… (ENG) Back in 2016, together with Bartlomiej Rozkrut I stood on a stage of InternetBeta Conference, talking about AI, and the project we launched called Edward (AI powered intelligent assistant) - it was one of the first AI related presentations in Poland. And our journey with AI has been a rollercoaster. I had dozens of presentations for clients and conference speeches showing the potential of AI and numerous possibilities that are in front of us. We event started AI meetups, a regular event in couple of cities, which was gathering 200-300 people each. But by 2020-2021, interest had faded. It felt like we were shouting into the void. We thought we were glimpsing the future, but little did we know how much was still hidden from view. Then, suddenly, ChatGPT exploded onto the scene in 2022, and the world woke up to AI's potential. It's like looking at our old presentation through a time warp - so much has changed, yet the dream remains! Today, nearly every app we create involves using one of the AI API's. More than that, using no-code solutions you can achieve great results with days or weeks, not months or years. Howewer, most AI solutions feel like simple OpenAI wrappers with a new paintjob. I believe the real, transformative business applications are still to be developed! Meanwhile, tech giants march steadily towards "real" AI. OpenAI has unveiled a 5-step roadmap to "Artificial General Intelligence". Their five-step plan feels both thrilling and daunting. Are we ready for what comes next? Will we even notice the moment when AI transitions from tool to companion, from assistant to innovator? Will we wake up one day to a world reshaped by AGI, much like how AI quietly became part of our lives? As I look back at this first presentation, I see that we've come so far, yet the horizon seems more distant than ever. The path to AGI is not just a technological journey, but a deeply human one. It challenges us to rethink our roles, our purpose, our very definition of intelligence. What are your thoughts on this? Are we in front of a revolution or it's just a tech-bubble we are in and no one else cares? #ai #nocode #technology #future

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🤔 What is the main reason CEE software developers sell their services at 50-80% discount compared to companies in the West? This is a question we asked participants of our recent webinar: How to Sell IT Services? The most common answer (40%) that our participants provided was their inability to justify higher prices. However, research shows that B2B buyers do not consider price to be important criteria in making purchase decision. So it doesn't make sense to concentrate on low price. If anything, companies should increase prices and focus on building trust and demonstrating competency. We explained this in the webinar. To learn more, watch the recording here: https://lnkd.in/dQ2AcvyE

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- Question for CEV technologies d.o.o.: Ivica Blažević I went back to Germany, rented an EV with an US cell phone. US phones aren't allowed for German charing apps, as a visitor I need to pay for expensive on demand charging. One universal customer app or prepayment needed, allowing for device with crossregion charging. Can you do that? - Answer from CEV technologies d.o.o. : Sure Mareike this is exactly why we have developed CEV technologies d.o.o. smart energy solution, we have skipped complicated issues with many of closed loop app schemes. To pay for your charging session on our charge point you can use any of NFC payment devices plastic or on your mobile phone ( like on the pic) no matter from where you are coming from. Thank you for your question it points out exactly the problem of today most used solutions and many of providers are not aware of. We spoke to some providers ( also US) on power2drive in Munich this year, i have asked "do you have a payment solution integrated through OCPP to your backend ?", they goes like " yeah, yeah no worries we have it in place" and then they show us payment terminal not suitable for EU market :) Similar issue we are facing now on the market of India, there we have to adopt RFID reader for the EVSE according to MCITT certification. There is no one solution for all markets at the moment but our solution seems to be the best one or close to the best one :) 🙂 ⚡

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Innovations in the Food Service Industry 🍽️ – What Can the Sector Gain from IoT?💡   Attending the Gastro Quick Service trade fair in Warsaw, I was very curious to see how IoT technology is driving the development of the food service industry, not only in Poland but also across Europe.   My curiosity was quickly satisfied.   Nearly every equipment manufacturer I spoke with at the fair is connecting their devices to the cloud and consciously utilizing IoT technology. Remote device monitoring, real-time data analysis, and remote functional improvements are just some of the possibilities flowing from the data.    Here are a few examples: • 🍞 Oven manufacturers use device performance data and chef quality assessments to improve baking technology. • 🛠️ Remote software updates save a lot of time and costs while enabling a quick response to customer needs. • ☕ Data from industrial coffee machines can be used to manage the coffee supply chain for machine users, optimizing availability and inventory.   The food service industry is evolving rapidly, with technology playing a bigger role in enhancing efficiency, automation, and customer satisfaction.   My takeaway → IoT technology is an absolute necessity for equipment manufacturers to stay competitive. How brands use this data in their business is now a key differentiator. 🌐 #IoT #BusinessStrategy #DigitalTransformation

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We Are Not Loud Enough! 🔊 I have watched Irina’s presentation from RailsConf 2024 for the second time. It’s brilliant and inspiring! Startup stories and the most needed things in our ecosystem! A lot of case studies and innovative ideas! I highly recommend you watch it, as it covers a really important topic for all of us Ruby developers! Any of us can contribute! I’m glad that we have similar thoughts, Irina Nazarova, and we are taking the same road! Here are the points on what startup CTOs miss or what is not enough in our ecosystem: 5. We Are Not Loud Enough! There are a lot of Ruby conferences and events. It’s great and worth sustaining, so keep going! On top of that, we should advocate more at non-Ruby events and platforms. As a team from the Polish Ruby User Group and Visuality, we are also discussing the topic of sharing great things that are so obvious for us Rails people but not so obvious for people in other technologies. We are planning to visit more non-Ruby-related conferences! 4. More Ruby for AI Agree. We are planning a big meetup for AI in Warsaw, most likely in November. 3. More Integrations What are the most crucial integrations you had in mind, Irina? It’s worth listing all of them to show people a path on how they can contribute! 2. Rails Frontend Ecosystem Hotwire is great, but people still don’t use it widely. When we presented at a meetup, only 4 out of 40 people raised their hands that they were using it in their projects. 1. Integrating with React/Vue.js We have implemented React into components in Rails views. It’s not that difficult, but there is no perfect solution. 0. Let’s Do This Together My mission to contribute to Ruby and Rails is to start local meetups and reunite Ruby people. Warsaw meetup, LRUG (Łódź), Barcelona.rb, Amsterdam.rb reactivated! We are also helping other meetups and established a conference in Warsaw! I’m not shy 😉 I encourage everyone in the Ruby community to get involved in meetups, conferences, open source projects, and to share your experiences. Our collective efforts are key to the growth of our community. Together, we can achieve great things and continue to improve in the Ruby world 💪 https://lnkd.in/dqgQfj-W

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🌟 Polish-founded Proofs raised €2.4M to transform POC development in SaaS sales. 🌐 Led by Earlybird Digital East Fund, with support from Expeditions Fund and RTP Global, Proofs aims to streamline sales processes for API-centric companies. 🚀 Proofs was established in 2022 by Bartek Pucek and Zbigniew Sobiecki. Bartek is an angel investor who has invested alongside prominent firms such as Y Combinator and Andreessen Horowitz, in companies like the Polish-founded unicorn ElevenLabs. Learn more about their mission! #TechNews #StartupFunding

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When we started AccessOwl, the idea was clear: Okta is a poor fit for many companies looking for an easy way to manage their SaaS apps. Along the way, we kept hearing one piece of feedback repeatedly: “If you automate my SaaS tools, can you also show me where we’re currently wasting money?” We must have talked to hundreds of IT admins (many of whom I’m happy to now call customers). It quickly became clear that modern companies don’t just need to manage employee access to their SaaS apps - they require an entirely new set of tools that companies like Okta simply don’t provide. That’s why we’ve been building AccessOwl to be more than just an access management tool. Customers can now manage their entire SaaS apps, access, spending, and compliance all in one central place. Thanks to everyone who supported us along the way! There’s so much more to come, and we’re looking forward to the next launches 🤠

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What happened to Cambridge Analytica experts? Is there a successor company? Is it possible that there is interference with the upcoming European elections? I have more questions: Is it true that there are more than 200 000 bot profiles within different social media? How do we ensure that people are really knowing the content of the election programs? How do we find out which politicians are sponsored by governments outside of the EU? What are your questions and your answers concerning this. #EUelections #Europeanparlament #EuropeanUnion https://lnkd.in/d6g-Xu47

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Innovation Agency Lithuania | Global, together with AI startups Leya AI, AQ22, isLucid, Technote.ai, FitSpace and WhiteBridge.ai will participate in the World Summit AI exhibition in Amsterdam on October 9-10. 🚀 It is one of the largest AI ecosystem events in the world, bringing together 200,000 AI experts from over 160 countries. 🌎 Representatives from Amazon , Microsoft, eBay, University of Oxford, United Nations and many others will be attending the event. The companies will be waiting for you at their booths, where you can discuss their products and potential collaboration opportunities. 📢 Additionally, Leya AI will present their product during "The WSAI Startups Showcase." If you're planning to attend the event, let's connect! We can discuss further opportunities for developing innovative AI products in Lithuania. 🚀 Lukas Fabijonavičius Vilius Šlapelis Inovacijų agentūra Startup Lithuania #AI #startup #innovation #global

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There are too many data sources when it comes to tech meetups & events in Warsaw. Tried to gather a curated list of those here, on LinkedIn. But wasn't very effective. I'm overwhelmed with newsletters and want to provide constant access to information. That's why, I've built this calendar with Luma 👉 I'm adding selected events I'm attending or I would attend. 👉 Sometimes I will send out the email summary to all calendar subscribers 👉 You can submit your event yourself! Both those on Luma and from external sources. I'll get pinged to verify and accept it. See yourself what you can find there: Data Nomads Club by Vadim Nazarov | ML in PL | Warsaw AI by Paweł Gora | Perspektywy Women in Tech | Data Science Summit | AI Creative Fest by Tomek Graszewicz | AI Summit Poland by Przemyslaw Gamdzyk

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Working on the business analysis and architecture of the cashless payment system for AMIC POLSKA was a tough challenge, but a fun and exciting journey too. Mariusz Banasiak thanks for entrusting us with this one 👊 #BusinessAnalysis #SoftwareArchitecture #TeamAugmentation #Consulting #ProperTeam Prognetics #Amic #cashless #payments #casestudy

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How do you see AI shaping the future of IT? Your insights will be impactful for my talks and presentations! I need thoughts and opinions from IT professionals to create content that resonates. I've spoken at: ↳ Snadnee ↳ Frontendisti.cz ↳ JS Poland Conf ↳ CityJS Conferences ↳ many more meetups and conferences Your input is crucial for making my content as relevant as possible. Your expertise matters. Please take a moment to fill out my brief questionnaire. Together, we can make AI discussions more engaging and insightful. Let's shape the future of AI in IT together. https://lnkd.in/eyuRWDmA

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90% of people think business scaling is about sales: But this is not the full story. I have recently had a keynote on this topic: At one of the top CEE conferences by Startup Disrupt. Proper business scaling is about: 1. Strategy: Have clear mission, vision and purpose. Communicate it effectively internally and externally. Structure strategy at 4 key levels: ⚡ Corporate - overall business strategy ⚡ Business - strategy of business lines ⚡ Functional - strategy of various departments ⚡ Operational - strategy of day-to-day operations These should be formulated in line with the key principles of business growth: 🚀 Business agility 🚀 Fast adaptation to changes 🚀 Culture of innovation 🚀 Fast and data-driven decision making 2. Sales and Marketing Take advantage of all outreach methods: A) Warm - direct and to audience (posting content) B) Cold - direct and to audience (ads) Work with all lead getters: Your team Client referrals Marketing agencies Affiliate marketing and partnerships Find 1 method that works and double down. Then reinvest profits to expand into other areas. 3. Finance The key role of every founder is to make sure: 💵 the company does not run out of cash 💵 every penny is used efficiently Make sure to track your numbers: As well as optimize your costs. Growth at all costs is not sustainable. You are in business to be profitable. 4. Leadership and HR Learn how to efficiently: Hire, onboard, train and engage your talent. One of the key roles of leadership is: ♻ retaining the top talent ♻ making sure you motivate them well enough Otherwise the best people will leave. 5. AI Teach your people how to use AI. Motivate them to use AI. Implement AI tools that will improve efficiency. This is not an exhaustive list, but core points. Scaling involves juggling many areas at once. It is tough, but you need to master these. As the more difficult it is: The harder it will be for competition to get ahead. ♻️ Repost so others can learn this too. P.S. Feel free to add more points in the comments.

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🚨 Exciting News: Two Dots Consulting is Coming to Riga, Latvia! 🚨 Ready to scale your startup and create local success stories? Don't miss this opportunity: Our bootcamp together with Latvian Startup Association Startin.LV is filling up fast! (Link in comments) Both Priel and I, have a track record speaks for itself: Over 2,000 European startups have benefited from our unique approach. 👉 Want to connect? Book a meeting with us now. Join us in Riga and unlock your startup's full potential! 🚀 #LatvianStartups #ScaleUp #TwoDots #StartupsBootcamp

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https://lnkd.in/e2FdaUcP The truzzt Alliance, with its multitude of members, is prioritizing the provision of the IDSA standard as a commodity for all, covering all aspects seamlessly. We offer an open-source approach to creating secure, trustworthy, and interoperable data spaces. Our alliance empowers businesses to digitize their business models and participate securely in data ecosystems. We utilize technologies like Intel SGX for secure data operations and promote interoperability, simplified control, and vendor independence. As the standard continues to be refined, the truzzt Box is here to support all users. Join us in this exciting journey of digital transformation and interoperability! 🚀 #DataSpaces #truzztAlliance #IDSA #OpenSource #DigitalTransformation #Interoperability

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