I will tell you the story of Nais

We develop a service that makes people work better and more enjoyable. Our Polish product has been noticed and today we can say: we are leaving Nais abroad. And that's how it started...

It's been almost five years since we talked about starting a company together. We met: Tomek Józefacki, Krzysiek Mikulski and I in the café Bêste Muzz (this name suited the situation as he did). Everyone at a turning point in their professional career. At the next coffees we forged an idea, the decision was quick.
All three of us understood what was missing in the market and the vision of an innovative employee app, a modern tool to help build positive and fulfilling relationships at work, worked on our ambitions and imagination.

All three of us had a slightly different motivation to create and develop Nais, each has different competences, but all in all it came together. Each of us probably remembers those six years differently, this story is my memory.

Investors

Without them, it would be difficult to move from place to place. The first group is the former angels from the category “family & friends” — this is the most important group, because it is the first. The most important, because she believed in the idea and our human mixture, which has an explosive character :-). The most important, because they wanted to devote hours to being kind critics and sharing market knowledge and experience. During these five years, a group of private investors allowed us to accumulate capital in the amount of $1.9 million, which is unprecedented on the Polish market. Some of them support us every day with their work, some sit on the supervisory board, still others simply share their knowledge and advise on important moments and issues. The AgriTech hub fund has invested in our business, with which we cooperate kindly.

folks

Without them, nothing would have happened. The team has grown and today has almost 20 people. It hasn't been easy these years. We reached each other, we went through almost all the stages of the development of the team. People came and went - everyone left their good part here, brought their way of working, customers, small customs. Partings were always painful, but the core of the band grew stronger and wider. In today's lineup we have been working for almost two years. They are all co-owners of the company and work for common success. The pandemic has strengthened us, although every day is not easy. We are feeling the effects of remote work. There are three new people in the team who have never met the rest. We learn to understand each other more, to communicate in slack in order to better understand each other's intentions. Once it seems that each team is at its pole, there is no way, you have to meet. Integration evenings show that close to each other, we have a similar sense of humor and many common topics to talk about. We like to integrate into sports, we have Runmageddon and kayaking behind us. During such events, it is easy to see the roles that each of us willingly takes on (sometimes these insights surprise). I like these meetings, they allow us to see a fuller picture of the team, they put us (individual elements) into a neat whole that can flow to the finish line.

Refunds

I had never worked in a startup before and I only knew beer from business literature. Today it is difficult to count how many of them we have behind us. Bigger, harder and faster, small, everyday. We changed tactics several times, trying to keep the strategy, although we also thoroughly revised it. I can't count how many times I've had to change my mind. It is very demanding, responsible and beautiful at the same time. It was unthinkable in the corporation. At Nais, we analyze mistakes, failures and successes right away and correct the course on an ongoing basis. Not everyone likes it, it is difficult to count on comfort and peace of mind at work. On the other hand, people, eager for results and agents, find themselves in it perfectly, releasing their agility and creativity on a daily basis. This way of working would not work without the support of the team. In important matters, we make decisions collegially, everyone has a voice and everyone has the right to press the “red button”. We usually manage to communicate and reach a compromise. Where there is none, I am left alone, but at least I know almost all points of view and the decision becomes easier.

Humility

This is probably the hardest part. A label with the inscription “creativity” is glued to the start-up, and success is determined primarily by consistency, patience and humility. Every failure is worth analyzing, so that it can be used as a lesson — and for the entire company. After all, you just have to get used to failures, which does not mean that you have to put up with them. Combined with ambition and humility, they become the driving force in the company. They must be accompanied by successes that add wings and build a sense of value. These successes in a startup are worth looking for everywhere, because there are times when the spectacular and obvious ones - like new customers, valuable contracts, awards - simply do not occur. Humility and patience allow you to go through the “valley of death” and not fall into self-conceit when it is better. They open their eyes to what customers think and what they need, and they can also throw ideas that we think are great into space.

Success

What is it? Many start-ups fail before three years have passed. We are. We have been building a position on the market for six years, striving for a stable business. We work with the best. We have many great clients who have been awarded many times in the categories of best employers — we are part of this success. We match organizations that cultivate gratitude, appreciation, positive feedback in their culture, and that take the relationship with the employee seriously, understand what it is and what his commitment depends on. We cooperate with the world of science, carry out research projects that allow us to develop a product based on research results. Together with SWPS University, we carried out the first study in Poland on the state of appreciation in Polish companies, together with PBS we conduct research on feedback at work. Based on the results of this research, we have developed an in-app research module that allows our clients to analyze satisfaction and engagement in teams on an ongoing basis.

We have the support of the best, we belong to EynNovation and we can draw on EY's knowledge and experience. We work with Microsoft as part of the Microsoft For Startups program. We have built a group of reliable suppliers, thanks to which we offer our customers a wide range of employee benefits of the highest quality.

We have a stable, valuable team of people who are united by ambition and values — the latter can be seen well in the most difficult situations for us. We are developing in Poland. And now also abroad. We set up a company in London for the international development of Naisa. In Poland, we will continue to take care of our employees and offer the best possible solutions to our customers.

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