SoDA continues to interview interesting women who work in our member companies. We strongly believe that women play more and more significant roles in the widely understood industry. We strongly support this trend — diversification means the change of the optics — finally, women will not be treated as strangers in this business — now often perceived as man’s world. That is why we have launched „Women can do IT”, a project presenting female leaders, managers, experts, and specialists from the member companies of SoDA.
We’re talking with Marta Roszko from BlueRider Software, who successfully combines different roles in her company.
What role do you play in your company?
I’m the one-woman-band (laughs). Officially I’m the CEO and CFO, but usually, I do everything except for software development.
What is your formal background and education? How did you end up in IT?
I just went and started a company. Eleven years ago, or so, my colleague gave me a tip — the European Union helped new companies through grants. I went, I saw, I conquered (laughs). We created software for various companies, and that’s how it’s been from the beginning.
I finished an economic high school, which benefits me to this day. Part of my routine is managing money flow so that’s a plus. Bachelor’s degree was in mathematics, a master’s in computer science. This combination turns out to be invaluable because I can do everything without making an effort. Thanks to this I can focus on what’s really important and that’s people and products. Exactly in that order. I can also understand software developers. Being part of their team and understanding complex technical dilemmas without feeling like a space alien is very helpful.
How does your typical month of work look like?
There is no such thing as a typical month, not with five kids and multiple tasks to manage on the professional front. In the first few days, I always draw in paperwork, since I have to pay invoices on time and handle other costs. The rest month is divided into various tasks — financials with clients, day-to-day business operations, company events… One thing is for sure — I don’t get bored easily 😉
What is your biggest success in the IT industry?
The greatest success is the continuous quality development and the fact that we’re still here. There are much larger companies on the market with data science, AI & ML, but we have managed to create a space for ourselves. In such a saturated market, it’s easy to forget that smaller companies can also be here and grow successfully.
The other important thing is that we don’t feel burned out. My husband is working with me side by side as a CTO. It would be hard for all of us if we were to fight all the time or just felt like these 11 years were too much. Fortunately for the clients, our team, and us personally, we still like what we do. I guess that’s the key to deal with everyday difficulties.
If you’re asking project-wise, I would say that we are proud of the recent, legal project made for a huge company in the USA. The idea was to analyze legal contracts and find mistakes in them. The client said that our software was much more efficient than dozens of lawyers which says a lot.
What is your biggest professional challenge?
Separating professional life from the private one (laughs). Fortunately, I have gained some experience over the years. I often find myself thinking about work while relaxing on a couch. It’s very easy to get lost in it, especially if you have a company.
Another difficulty was to make a decision to rebrand the company and take a new direction (the company was previously called TJ Software). Personally, the main challenge for me was to step out of my comfort zone and try something new. From a years’ perspective, I can tell it was a great move.
What is your professional goal?
My main goal is to increase the reach of the brand. I would also like to help global society in solving a significant real-life problem. I guess that’s my dream — finding a solution for tomorrow for something we have today.
Thank you for an interesting conversation.
Thank you very much!
About the author:
Jarosław Ściślak is an independent branding, marketing, company culture, business scaling, and content specialist. Working mostly but not exclusively with technology companies, he helps to drive revenue and build an image. More on https://www.scislak.com.
