Celebrating 15 years at SoftwareMill

Even before IBM's Watson made headlines and Tesla had just started introducing electric vehicles, four programmer friends got together and thought of something that might not seem so strange now but was unusual back then: “Let’s work from home and start a company with no office, no managers, just ambitious people driven by a passion for programming.” And as they said, they did.

Fast forward to now. At the end of this year, we celebrated a remarkable milestone: turning 15 at SoftwareMill. Also since then, one of our colleagues has become a proud Tesla owner (he welcomes endless jokes about battery life, charging stations, and range anxiety with unusual calm). As a company, we have clients on six continents, also for AI projects.

While milestones like turning 15 are important and deserve celebration, what truly defines us are the stories we've created together. Today we invite you to discover SoftwareMill through the eyes of the people who create it.

Our values

We started as a small team of engineers, very hands-on, including running a company. Flat structure, no managers. An army of one-man-army seniors. And seniority still runs in our veins, as today, 80% of our engineers are senior-level or above. However, as we grew, we recognized the need to introduce managerial structures to facilitate faster decision-making and empower those with the best qualifications and context to lead (but doubling down on transparency!). What have we learned, and what are our values?

Back then, my friends and I graduated and worked on a project to develop software for schools in the US. Working from home was a privilege, and our passion for programming fueled our discussions and visions. When we discovered an EU-funded startup opportunity, we seized the chance. We put our savings into the initial investment and successfully secured the grant! Although the project itself didn’t succeed, SoftwareMill endured, staying true to its founding principles: creating an extraordinary environment for people, by people, built on the pillars of Excellence, Engineering, and Trust.

SoftwareMill taught me the power of teamwork. Success lies in trusting the people around you. By empowering them, you allow their talents to flourish. And often, their abilities surpass your own. This mutual trust and empowerment create an effect where individual strengths unite, forming a thriving organization.

Our foray into Scala started as an experiment but was surprisingly successful. Knowing that there must be something better than Java (which did not resemble today’s Java in many ways), our first “production” Scala project was an open-source attendee and talk selection portal for a JVM community conference in Poland: Confitura. This nicely combines the three aspects that will define many of our activities for the coming future: Scala, open-source, and conferences.

Being outgoing towards the community: speaking at conferences, writing technical articles, and working on open-source libraries, allowed us to build an engineering culture based on excellence and trust. These are the principles that we try to follow today as well. And it opens quite a lot of business opportunities, as well!

Building trust with our clients and maintaining high engineering excellence is crucial for us. Over the years, this approach led us to develop significant technology partnerships from the ground up. We are the highest-level Confluent partner in the region, and we also collaborate with Redis, Snyk, Grafana, and all major cloud providers. Through these experiences, we have clearly defined our identity as a reliable technology partner committed to providing excellent software, exceeding expectations, and offering expertise above and beyond the norm.

I've been working here for 11 years. It is a pleasure to be in a company of experts where most employees are senior, engaged in what they do, and always looking for space to develop and grow. This encourages me to grow personally even further.

It feels pretty surreal to celebrate the company’s 15th anniversary as I approach my 14th year here. Watching the organisation grow and change, from a group of 10 to a team of 95, really underlines how important our people have been in this journey. Looking back, it has been (and continues to be) crucial to hire individuals who want to improve themselves and then give them the tools and opportunities to keep learning. It’s gratifying to see how those who joined just a few years ago are getting better at what they do or are stepping up to new responsibilities. Without a culture that encourages continuous learning, rewards growth, and provides the trust and freedom to experiment (and make occasional mistakes), we wouldn’t be where we are today.

One of my first projects here was Scalar back in 2018. I hosted a conference where I initially felt out of place in an elegant dress amidst the casual tech vibe. However, the warm community atmosphere quickly made me forget feeling overdressed. The openness and passion of everyone present inspired me.

That welcoming spirit is something we carry forward every year. Each time, I get to reconnect with familiar faces and welcome new Scala enthusiasts at Scalar. Everyone leaves inspired and empowered, fostering technical diversity. In 2025, we're excited to launch Rustikon, Poland's first Rust conference, building on this vibrant community experience.

Knowledge is the bedrock of our culture at SoftwareMill: it is exchanged freely between projects and all team members. We aim to create such opportunities in the tech community: to build an environment where people can explore their curiosity and generate new ideas, ensuring everyone leaves inspired to code.

This is our glue

Trust your people, let them do their thing, and you'll all do better. But how to build trust? Are we a remote-first company? Yes. Do we meet monthly to have quality time together? Maybe ;) When building genuine relationships is definitely our secret sauce, transparency, open communication and respect for each other helps us find working together pleasant and rewarding personally and career-wise.

Here are some candid snapshots of the best memories we’ve made together.

The one with a "no. 13" employee

I remember I was a "no. 13" employee (if I'm correct) when I joined SoftwareMill. Now, we're almost 100 great people, and it's been a wild and amazing ride and experience to see how the company has been growing and changing while maintaining its genuinely unique culture over time. I remember using Skype for internal communication at the beginning. We used to have a bot that had to be present on all the channels to make sure the other people got the message you sent in some cases. We used Big Blue Button for video calls and TeamSpeak for project voice rooms. I remember our quests to try on other tools - we even seriously considered going back to good old IRC at some point (we're a bunch of nerds anyway, no?) before we settled with Slack as our primary communication tool. Looking back, I can't imagine how we could even function without all the custom reactions, emojis, and internal memes we currently use.

The one with feeling empowered

In one of our retrospectives, it turned out that maybe we don't want to lose the spirit of a small, flat company, where everyone knows each other and has an influence on everything. A working group was formed, and the vote showed that the majority of the company was in favor. We froze hiring for a few months. I felt then that it was a completely bottom-up decision, and yet it had a really big meaning and impact on the future of the company. After a few months, we returned to this matter, checked how we were doing with it, and again, by voting, we unfroze hiring. We decided that the influx of new people, development, and freshness is something we lack. On this occasion, it was very visible how we give ourselves the opportunity to experiment, learn from mistakes, draw conclusions from them, and move forward.

The one with Type Safe Party Hard

What I love most about SoftwareMill is that "type safe, party hard" isn't just a catchy phrase - it's a philosophy they took to their hearts. On a daily basis, the team approaches business very seriously, applying modern principles to create a solid safety net around deliverables.

But when the party starts, they're unmatched - often dominating the dance floor with their energy and spirit!

The one with feeling part of the group

My first retro in Warsaw was my first live meeting with the team. I had just completed my first month and was preparing for the trip with our online game, where you match a workmate's face with their name. However, I quickly realized this was an unnecessary hassle. After a cultural week filled with online meetings, I already knew more people than I had at my previous jobs. It was clear to me that SoftwareMill is where I want to stay for the long haul. Another memorable moment was our trip to Berlin. For months, we speculated about where the management might take us, engaging in discussions and brainstorming. Then, just as we were boarding the bus, the guide approached and casually asked, "Is this a trip to Berlin?".

The one with the Event Storming session

Shortly after joining SoftwareMill, I became a member of the Java Developers' Guild. One of our first challenges was to design and implement an internal system for our badge-based open salary framework. While I was already familiar with SoftwareMill's professional face before joining, I had a few doubts about the approach we would take to tackle this new project. As a big fan and occasional evangelist of exploring the problem space before diving into implementation, I was super surprised to see that my new colleagues had already decided to kick off the project with an Event Storming session. I was even more delighted that the workshop took place in a physical room rather than online, as this type of session is much more effective and engaging in person.

What made the experience even cooler was that the workshop was scheduled the day before SoftwareMill's monthly integration event. The next day, I had a fantastic opportunity to meet more of my new colleagues. One of the attractions of the day was visiting the "Body Worlds" exhibition in Poznań, which left a lasting impression on me. After an inspiring exploration of the human body, we had another chance to spend time together and get to know each other during the evening party. This particular party was especially memorable because, as it turned out, the day I joined marked a significant milestone for SoftwareMill - the company reached 100 employees. This was a fantastic reason to celebrate with a colorful cake. After those two eventful days, all my doubts were completely cleared, and I knew I had found the right place for me.

The one with the scaling challenge

One of the crucial moments was the very first one – when I joined SoftwareMill, the company transitioned to a flat and transparent one. This filled me with both excitement and doubt. Over the years, I’ve witnessed several “it won’t be the same anymore if we become more than X people” moments, where the initial X was 30, I think. With over 90 fantastic people on board now, seeing that the show continues with the core values intact is encouraging.

Also, at SoftwareMill, I started my adventure with offshore sailing and co-piloted a real plane (over the magical city of Elbląg).

The one with learning together

I truly enjoy participating in Reading Clubs, where sharing insights about the passages we've read helps the content resonate with me long after the discussion ends. Together, we can tackle even the most challenging titles, enriching our understanding through collective exploration.

Additionally, I appreciate our integrations, which provide a fun way to engage with others. I fondly remember pushing my limits while climbing a snowbank, thanks to Rafał’s playful challenge, and I'll never forget the exhilarating experience of winter swimming in a barrel of ice. These moments not only create lasting memories but also deepen our connections with one another.

The one with the cricket tournament

One of my favorite memories is the trip to South Africa in 2012. For over a month, I worked on-site for a large bank in Johannesburg, which had been our client for a long time. The stay was an experience, but what stood out most was an invitation to dinner from our CEO. They then lived near a cricket stadium (South Africa's national sport). The Cricket World Cup was taking place then, and I couldn't find any parking nearby. I ended up parking about 2 kilometers from Tomek's apartment and even had to pay residents for "supervision" to ensure my car still had all its wheels when I returned ;-) However, the highlight of the evening was the steaks prepared by Tomek. These were the largest and best steaks I've ever had, and back in Poland, they didn't taste the same :D

The one with a cat

Our DevOps retrospective meeting is quite the memory for me. After about six months at SoftwareMill, this type of event was the first one in my career. There were a lot of discussions, but what stayed with me is our debate about TDD:

Me: “If you’re writing code, you really should be using TDD. How else can you ensure everything works as expected?”
Daniel: “It just takes too long! Think about a startup CEO: if you tell them you can deliver a new feature quickly without tests or you can deliver it twice as slowly with tests, they’ll choose the faster option every time. They might even fire you if you insist on writing tests!”
Me: “But how you work is up to you. The client hires you because they don’t have the time or expertise to do it themselves. You don’t need their permission to do the job properly.”
Daniel: “Give me back that sticky note!”
Me: Throws the note at Daniel “Here, take it.”

After that, during the ‘what went well’ part of our retrospective, Daniel wrote my name on a Post-it and mentioned how happy he was that I joined the DevOps tribe.)

After an intensive time full of discussions, we decided to call it a day at a local pub. The place was called “Pub on the ramp” and was situated in an actual warehouse on top of a truck loading ramp in the industrial (and seemingly not so friendly) part of town. Luckily, we quickly learned the owners were really great people, and their cat seemed to like me.

As the night progressed, we returned back to the hotel to continue talking about “life, the universe and everything” until about midnight. I’ll long remember that safe, respectful, and friendly atmosphere, one that allowed serious work, playful feuds by day, and joyful pub visits with deep discussions by night. Unlike anything I’ve experienced outside SoftwareMill.

The one with critical migration

I firmly believe that we exist as software engineers because we’re out there to solve problems. So, here’s a story about that. When I first joined the company, I was almost immediately allowed to join a telecommunication project for a client based in Australia. This thing has been running on production for years, with virtually zero tolerance for downtime. Complex domain? You bet. Easy to break? Definitely. Is pressure going through the roof every time we make a production release? Oh yes. When I started, we were running almost on bare metal, using a combination of some new and some antiquated technologies, especially on the infrastructure level. CI was clumsy, and observability was mainly a word in the dictionary. If something went wrong during the release deployment, you did not need coffee to keep your heart rate up. And if a hard drive broke, somebody from the client team had to drive the car to the building with the server racks and replace the faulty one. And they had to be quick about it - remember the zero downtime tolerance policy? Fun times.

It took us a bit more than a year to prepare the system for migration to the cloud. We introduced shiny new things such as Kubernetes & AWS cloud services. We figured out and tested various scenarios in which services and data migration could go wrong - there were quite a few. But no matter how diligent and prepared you are, you can never be 100% sure with a system like this. And yet, there was the day when the client officially confirmed that migration was a success. Rolling deployments were in place, metrics were humming happily, and alerts were configured to inform the team if danger was ahead. The system was running smoothly, and nobody had to drive the car with a new drive in case something went wrong. Server racks could be sold, and the old system could be phased out. Problem solved. That, so far, was my best moment at SoftwareMill. We had a great SML team on that project. I’m proud of what we achieved there.

The one with surprises

Upon joining SoftwareMill, I experienced a "culture shock" due to my corporate background. The recruitment process was unique, featuring a casual online conversation, practical tasks, and a lunch with two volunteers from the company. This approach immediately signaled that SoftwareMill values relationships and good communication.

The second surprise was general access to information and the "Ask for forgiveness and not for permission" approach that works every day and makes things "happen".

And thirdly, our integration meetings are something I really value. I tried activities that I probably would never have tried - from diving, through the shooting range, fencing, off-road, to combat medicine training, survival training and sleeping in a hammock under the open sky, or Tai Chi training. Thanks to the music enthusiasts here, I also had the opportunity to sing in a professional music studio - fortunately, the effects of the recordings are secret :D,

One of the most memorable moments was a joint bicycle holiday (yes, you even want to spend your holidays with these people!) In 10 days, we rode over 650 km from Zgorzelec to Świnoujście. There was pain, sweat and tears, but also joy from every kilometer traveled. It was not easy, but it was definitely worth it!

The one with workation

My fondest memories revolve around two unforgettable trips with my team. The first took us to the breathtaking snowy mountains of Switzerland, where we enjoyed evenings filled with cheese and wine after engaging in morning presentations in a stunning setting. The second trip was to a birr-rancho, where we experienced a unique workation. We cooked together, played games on the Switch, and enjoyed a barbecue under the stars, far away from the city lights. The peaceful surroundings made it a truly memorable experience that strengthened our team bond.

So many with awesome memories made together

When I joined, I wasn't sure what to expect except what I read in the guidebook. However, a couple of days passed, and I had already jumped into the cycling section in our Slack channel, where I discovered that there are cycling nerds like me. Fast forward, and we were at the bike park, flying and riding through the downhill tracks. Despite a couple of wounds, I got due to my reckless riding, it was almost like when I was a kid doing crazy riding with the boys. That was nearly 3 days of pure joy in the bike park with cycling nerds.

I joined SoftwareMill during the pandemic when everyone was working remotely. Even then, the company worked hard to keep its traditions alive and help us stay connected as a team. Our monthly "birrs" (company meetings) moved online, and Sylwia ensured they were fun. We did virtual escape rooms, did wine tasting, played games, and just hung out. These events were great, but nothing could replace meeting in person.

When restrictions eased and we finally had our first in-person meetup, the real magic happened. After months of seeing each other only on screens, meeting face-to-face brought a different energy. The connections we'd started building online grew so much stronger in person. That first live meeting showed how powerful it is to bring people together physically. These moments really bond a team and make working together much better every day.

In September, I went to a mini birr in Jastarnia. During the day, we worked together with a co-worker by the sea, and in the afternoons, we went windsurfing. The level of relaxation and fun of windsurfing, the great working atmosphere, and the good weather. I recommend 10/10. I'm waiting for the next edition!

I fondly remember our birrs, whether to the Owl Mountains or Masuria. Spending time together in nature and preparing our meals allowed me to connect with the team on a deeper level. This aspect of our company is truly valuable and sets us apart. Those unforgettable experiences opened my eyes to new possibilities I might not have considered otherwise. From creating a forest in a jar to participating in breathing workshops and even sailing for days on Masuria, I've enjoyed every moment spent with my colleagues.

The lockdown was an interesting experience for us. Although our functioning remained largely unchanged since we have always worked remotely, it became clear how important regular meetings are for our company culture and how much people missed them. I remember how we organized online gatherings, with some team members staying up late to chat or play games together.

One memorable event was the cheese and wine tasting, where everyone received a set to enjoy at home. The host guided us through the different types of cheese and wine pairings via video, and some participants even joined in with their partners.

The live improvised performance was a highlight, even though the online version didn't quite capture the magic of being there in person. Still, it generated plenty of laughter as we created two parallel communication channels: one official with the actors and another on Slack, where people commented on the performance. We even created a special emoji to commemorate this fun event!

My best memory from recent years is the first outing (after a long time "in lockdown") as part of a birr meeting during the pandemic (I think May or June 2020). This started the trend of mini-birrs with outdoor activities. We climbed Ślęża and ended up in Karpacz, and since then, we have been meeting regularly in the mountains in spring - e.g., in the Karkonosze or the Owl Mountains. We rent a cottage for the weekend, and some people even take pets for such trips. Since then, I have participated in at least five such meetings combined with hiking in the mountains, and there were also those among us who traversed the trails in the remote and wild Bieszczady Mountains.

One of my favorite memories from joining Softwaremill during the COVID quarantine was an online wine-tasting event. Complete with delivered wine samples and a sommelier guiding us on how to taste and evaluate wine. We also played fun online integration games, and I was amazed at how the company created such a unique and engaging experience remotely. It was an unforgettable day that made me feel instantly connected!

What surprised me when I joined SoftwareMill was the high level of trust in the team. The organizational culture, which actively involves everyone in the company's operations, was a refreshing change from my previous experiences.

Some of my best memories are from our integration events. Whether in large gatherings or smaller groups, these occasions are always enjoyable and often lead to lasting memories. Everyone has the opportunity to host meetings like this and share their passions, allowing me to explore new activities. One of my favorite experiences was diving at a deepspot, which I had never done before, it was truly amazing!

Even though SoftwareMill is a fully remote company, one of my favorite aspects has been our monthly meetings, where we do fun things instead of working (which is fun, too! ;)). It's hard to choose just one memory, but I do enjoy outdoor adventures, like our hiking trips. We usually meet for more than just one day, and if the weather cooperates, we gather around a bonfire in the evening. It's always a joy to escape the everyday routine, spend quality time with great people, and connect with nature.

One of my favorite memories is a weekend trip with the entire company to Berlin. After an intense sightseeing activity in the form of a city game, we went to a restaurant serving traditional German dishes. The atmosphere was fantastic! The waiters were dressed in Bavarian outfits, and a music band played some folk music. We had a great time.

A few years ago, we were on a trip in Berlin and visited a restaurant designed like a traditional inn. It had a fantastic band with amazing energy. As the night progressed, the atmosphere became increasingly lively. Before we knew it, nearly half the restaurant, most of them strangers to us, were singing along with us to 'We Are the Champions. It’s such a happy and unforgettable memory.

Never in my wildest dreams I would have imagined that during our Birr in Berlin we’d go to the art workshop space YAAM by the Spree river bank and practice street art. All of us wore cleanroom suits and filter masks so it was extra fun, because we looked like true professionals. It was a one-of-a-kind experience to be able to spray paint collaboratively with my colleagues and I’m sure I’ll never forget that.

We couldn't meet at our monthly social meeting Birr because of travel restrictions during the pandemic. Despite the distance, we still connected via various online activities. One of the highlights was playing Among Us together online. It was incredibly engaging and hilarious, and I had a couple of good laughs during those sessions.

What comes next

As we celebrate 15 years, we’re looking forward with ambition and purpose. Our mission is to transform the world through technology, built on trust, integrity, and engineering excellence.

We’re committed to expanding partnerships with leading technology providers, delivering exceptional solutions, and exceeding expectations. Rooted in a people-focused culture, we empower innovation, continuous learning, and collaboration to drive meaningful digital transformation.

The next chapter is about impact: leading with expertise and solving real challenges.

We plan not only to sustain but enhance our community involvement in various technologies and provide maintainable, trustworthy solutions solving the hard problems that businesses face when it comes to software.
— says Adam Warski, CRDO at SoftwareMill

A snapshot of our anniversary celebrations

We went for a trip down memory lane, infused with laughs and nostalgic moments as we met to celebrate together in Warsaw.

We celebrate our 15th anniversary this year, and it couldn't have happened without a proper party - and it was lit! Check it out!#birthdayparty #softwaremill #softwaremillvibes #15anniversary pic.twitter.com/PJ8LW8rlsz

— SoftwareMill (@softwaremill) December 20, 2024

We didn’t forget our beloved tapir, they had their own birthday cake at Płock’s Zoo.

We had a Christmas party!

For the fifth time, we shared insights on technology trends for the upcoming year.