One week ago today I had the distinct pleasure of attending Softhouse Day, the annual gathering where we all meet up to learn from each other and share our thoughts on the future. It was an incredible turnout and an inspiring group of people. I left the conference knowing more than when I came, and I know I’m not the only one. There were seminars on everything from cybersecurity to making computer games, and as the sun started to set and we settled into drinks, laughter, and dancing I took a moment to reflect on how lucky we are to have such talented colleagues.
One of the exercises we did together was interviewing each other about projects we had worked on, and summarize them succinctly with our new metaphorical glasses – our commitment to the idea Softhouse makes you grow. We gathered around 100 of these little mini-stories at the end of the day, and I must say they make for very uplifting reading.
As CEO, I try to have my eye on the future and translate ambitions into roadmaps and visions into goals. This year has been very colored by how I want to live up to our commitment of applying talent with a purpose, and with my mind so focused on what we are to do next, I kind of lost track of how much we have already accomplished. Reading off the cards I was reminded of the outsize impact we have had on the communities we serve, how much we ourselves have grown, how much we have taught each other and our clients, and the string of successful clients we have left behind us.
Together we have helped connect hundreds of millions of people to their first bank account, something of almost incalculable value in the developing world. We’ve helped increase public transport adoption, which is a great good in itself, but we’ve also helped prevent the printing of literally tens of kilometers of train and bus tickets on paper. We’ve made countless systems faster and more efficient, reduced carbon emissions, improved health outcomes and helped get exciting startups off the ground. You’ve made a difference. We have delivered so much more than code together – we have punched above our weight and managed to make many meaningful contributions to the world. Cheers to you!
Softhouse has historically been an important engine for growth, and our ways of working, our competence and attitude, has been producing positive outcomes all over the world for decades. We can be proud of that history, be proud of the work we’ve done together and of the many colleagues with whom we’ve made this journey, but I also hope you share my excitement for the future and everything that we’ll accomplish with our renewed focus and energy.
As I mentioned before I let you all go last Friday, you can expect exciting ways for things to start changing for the better. You’ve already noticed our new commitment to improved communication, and next up is an overhaul of how we talk to ourselves internally. It is with great care and ambition for the future that we’ve developed the new briefing format for new projects, something that will make it easier for us to remember what we’re really here for and to hold ourselves up to the high standards that make it a pleasure and honor to work here. Routines are being revised, commitments are being renewed, skills are being developed and honed. There’s a tangible energy in our hallways, and we’ll harness it make good on our aspirations. What do we mean when we say value delivered, continuously?
Softhouse makes you grow.
If you have any questions about where we’re going or any comments or ideas on how to get us there, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Bengt Gustavsson, CEO Softhouse Consulting Sverige AB, at 076-883 24 60 or send an e-mail.