Innovation means leaving the comfort zone

Imagine yourself in this predicament. Since finishing university over a dozen years ago, you’ve worked for the same software company. All your professional experience is tied to this one company, as are the strong bonds you’ve formed with your colleagues by overcoming seriously demanding projects.
But from time to time, you wonder what life would be outside of this company and what other options are out there?

Thursday, January 2, 2014
Innovation Means Leaving The Comfort Zone Banner

These thoughts usually tend to quickly dissipate when you think of all the security and conveniences that come prepackaged with your current position. However, at times you let these thoughts take you a bit further and you question if there is really something worth exploring?

And then one day, your former co-worker proposes to start a new IT company. His idea is very interesting but it would mean a complete shift in your life. You would have to work harder, longer, travel more and give up the nice salary you currently have. Plus, this new business could potentially tarnish some of the great friendships you have built over the years in your current job. Hmmm… Makes you think. Eventually you decide that this is neither the right time nor the perfect opportunity and you retract back to your comfort zone.

Some time passes… Unexpectedly, you learn that the company you work for will go through some serious reorganization. Whether you like or not, this reorganization will also mean a change in your life. Question is: should I just go with the flow or do I want to take destiny in my own hands?

This serves as a serious ‘kick in the a*$’ and it makes you think again about the startup idea. You reach out to your friend and he tells you that now there is a larger group of people interested in starting a company. You listen to who these people are and quickly come to realize that these are friends that you truly respect and like. Subconsciously, you know that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity.

A few months later you wake up as a partner in a startup full of talented individuals that have bright ideas about the future. You know that some bumps lie ahead, but working with these people makes you feel confident that your new venture will be successful.

I have started this blog to share the story of Andea Solutions. A company of friends and professionals that share the same vision – to innovate the world of IT solutions provided for manufacturing…. And at the same time have fun at it.

Your comments, suggestions are welcome and please be on a lookout for our next blog.

About the author

Tadeusz is the VP of Innovation at Andea. He has over 18 years of experience in creating innovative applications for the manufacturing sector. Prior to joining Andea Solutions, Tadeusz was working at Apriso where he was in various positions including; Solution Architect, Project Manager and Senior Product Manager responsible for FlexNet Applications. His passion is to apply modern information technology to address various challenges in manufacturing and logistics operations. Tadeusz earned his MSc degree in Computer Science at the AGH University of Science and Technology in Krakow.