This document discusses strategies for running a successful employee-centered tech company. It provides details about Michael Kraeftner and his company CELUM, which creates content productivity software. CELUM has experienced rapid revenue growth and employs over 100 people across multiple offices. The document outlines ten "Celumandments" for cultivating a positive company culture, and discusses challenges in acquiring and retaining talent in a competitive market. It also provides tips for motivating and retaining technical employees through aligning them with the company's goals and vision.

1. EMBRACING YOUR INNER NERD AND BEING
AUTHENTIC
SUCCESS FACTORS FOR RUNNING AN EMPLOYEE CENTERED TECH COMPANY
October 2017

2. MICHAEL J. KRAEFTNER
@CELUM & @CONTIDIO
― 2002 Mediatechnology & -Design Graduate
― Private Pilot
― Entrepreneur since 1999
― Main role is CEO and Product Evangelist at CELUM
― Computer kid from the start:
― First Computer was of course a C64
― First lines of „code“ done on a Sharp PC1403

3. COLLABORATION & CONTENT
WHAT WE DO

5. THE CELUM CONTENT PRODUCTIVITY PLATFORM
CREATE, MANAGE, BUY &
ENGAGE THROUGH CONTENT

6. COMPANY FACTS & FIGURES 2016
€10M REVENUE AND FAST GROWING
Revenue growth
2015 vs. 2016
+32% +90%
Growth in new
software licenses
2015 vs. 2016
Revenue growth
Q1 2016 vs. Q1 2017
+49%

7. CELUM IN NUMBERS
112 people in total
70+ software/tech people
4 DEV locations
(hagenberg, linz, vienna, kosice)
30%+ female workforce overall

8. MAKE IT A PLACE YOU LOVE
THE 10 CELUMANDMENTS
FAMILYUNDERDOGNESSAWESOMENESS CURIOSITY PASSION
SIMPLICITYFUNRESPONSIBILITY BEAUTIFULNESS PERSISTENCE

10. ACQUIRING, MANAGING AND RETAINING
EMPLOYEES IN A TOPSIDED MARKET IS A
CHALLENGE
WHEN THE TABLE HAS TURNED

11. 11+
NUMBER OF LEADERSHIP MISTAKES I MADE IN THE LAST 30 DAYS

13. MY 10 TOOLS
A PERSONAL SWISS ARMY KNIFE
100

14. A GOOD LAUGH WILL DEFROST THE MOST
INTROVERT PEOPLE
1. HUMOUR IS MAGIC
78

15. THE BEST OPEN DOOR POLICY IS WHEN
THERE IS NO DOOR
2. SIT CLOSE TO YOUR TEAM
95

16. EVEN SMARTASSES CAN BE INTROVERTS
ASK PEOPLE WHAT THEY DO, WHAT BOTHERS
THEM
3. BE THE FIRST TO TALK
36

17. STAND BY YOUR MISTAKES, ADMIT FAILURE
4. LOWER THE INVISIBLE BAR
67

18. BUILD INCENTIVES, DEFINE SUCCESS
CLEARLY
BEWARE OF PROCESS FIRST – RESULT LATER
5. MAKE EXCELLENCE A GOAL
42

19. DEVELOPERS ARE HIGHLY SELF AWARE SO
ONLY CRITICIZE INDIVIDUALS IN PRIVATE
6. DON’T GRILL IN THE OPEN
80

20. MEASURE – ASSES – INVEST AND DEVELOP
BUT: HAVE THE GUTS TO LET PEOPLE GO
THAT YOU CAN’T EVOLVE AND WHO
UNBALANCE YOUR TEAM
7. CLEAN YOUR TEAM
22

21. BLOW OFF SOME STEAM TOGETHER
BE AUTHENTIC WITH THAT
8. NERD IT OUT
73

22. I recently visited a
customer in Minneapolis,
went to the Mall of
America and I brought this
back home!
I had to leave clothes
behind to fit it in my
luggage. Naturally!

23. PEOPLE DESERVE THE TRUTH
IT IS SHOWING RESPECT TO TELL THEM IF
SOMETHING IS NOT WORKING OUT –
BEWARE OF THE BLAME GAME
9. BE HONEST
75

24. IF CHANGE IS PERCEIVED AS A THREAT, MAKE
IT SMOOTH
10. EMPATHY FOR ANGST
8

25. MOTIVATION AND TECH-EMPLOYEE
RETENTION
A SIMPLE METRIC

26. Retention value
Effort
IN WHAT (physical)
ENVIRONMENT
FOR WHAT
(PERSONAL BENEFIT)
FOR WHOM
FOR WHAT
(short term) RESULT
WITH WHOM
HOW
WHAT

27. A BIT IN DETAIL
― It is easy (but costs money) to provide a nice work environment
― This has comparatively low value
― And others can compete easily
― It is more difficult to provide a technological ecosystem that talented people will like
― But others can compete here as well
― The holy grail (for larger teams) is to fully align people on the WHAT thing.
― Easiest for companies that build DEV tools
― Dangerou for startups if they lose the „What“ advantage

28. TO THE POINT
THE HARD THINGS
 The hard thing isn’t setting a big, hairy, audacious goal.
 The hard thing is laying people off when you miss the big goal.
 The hard thing isn’t hiring great people.
 The hard thing is when those “great people” develop a sense of
entitlement and start demanding unreasonable things.
 The hard thing isn’t setting up an organizational chart.
 The hard thing is getting people to communicate within the organization that
you just designed.
Ben Howowitz (of AndreesenHorowitz)
“

29. “The hard thing about hard things“
Book by Ben Horowitz
I RECOMMEND

30. www.celum.com
VISIT US