It had been 26 years since the last trip to Poland in 1996. I had already forgotten the expectations and thoughts of my previous visit, when I visited Poland, Poznan after a long time.
I enjoyed myself in Poznan very much. The only thing that differed me from my home town Tampere was the zloty instead of euros – and the cheap prices. Nothing was ever missing during the trip and everything I needed was easily found. The cleanliness and functionality of everything also made a positive impact.
Indeed, the country had changed over the course of a quarter of a century, and it could also be noticed that the European Union invested in infrastructure and restoration which was also nice to see. The acute situation in Ukraine is very visible in Poland, but everyone has a great desire to help.
I have been able to participate in opening several nearshore centers in the past, and every time I have been convinced by the expertise of people. Cooperation has worked very well.
If any of my previous customers remember differently and better – please let me know, I’ll offer a lunch.
But now, with Poland, there was something different compared to my previous experiences. Everyone in the meetings was really well prepared, very friendly and, above all, cast-iron professionals. I had to think for a while after returning home, what could be the cause of all this. At least one logical explanation is certainly that Poland has long been the center of software development for global large German and Dutch companies.
You can find incredible references from even small companies (e.g. Siemens, WV and Carlsberg to name a few). Several Swedish companies also seem to have found their suitable experts in Poland.
Certainly another reason is that 80% of IT professionals work on a B2B contract, i.e. they employ themselves. A huge amount of responsibility is taken on everything that is done.
Whatever the reason, I look forward to the next meetings and encounters. We will soon open an office in Poznań and will build a local Codemen network there, which goes by the company name BestCoders. This offers a lot of new project opportunities for Finland as well.
During the trip, we also got to participate in the Warta Poznan football match organized by Spondeo. Along with the game, the CEO of Polar Night Software, Henri Jääskeläinen, shared tips on positioning in the Polish market.
However, the real surprise didn’t hit me until I got home, when I had time to process what I had experienced. It’s really not the same Eastern Europe that I traveled to decades ago. A lot has changed over the decades and Poland evolves fast!
I will be happy to tell you more about our Nearshore services, so feel free to contact me!
Best regards, Juha Karjalainen
juha.karjalainen@codemen.fi
+358 400 855 846
