I like reading. When I read, I can feel my skills, knowledge and horizons expanding. For me, reading is a way of challenging my existing patterns of thought and learn new things. Another way to achieve this is by joining a community.

The ‘Community Manager’ book

You will find many interesting insights on this subject in one of the best books I read last year, ‘Community Manager’ (available in Italian only for now) at Amazon.

This book, written by two Italian community managers, Osvaldo Danzi and Giovanni Re. Osvaldo Danzi is the founder of the thriving business community FiordiRisorse and is also a senior recruiter, author and influencer in the Italian HR landscape. Giovanni Re is the community manager of Artigiani Digitali; another vibrant group. He’s also a researcher and lecturer in the area of visual communications and digital craftsmanship.

The book presents a series of diverse communities and explains the strategic role of the community manager in each. This is enriched using real-world examples and case studies. We’re shown that, even in a world where communications are delivered via digital platforms, newsletters, mailing list or bots, the essence of any organization is always its people. They are the key to the success of a community that shares common values and interests, and that the person driving it also usually influences it.

Back when Osvaldo was writing the book, he was looking for practical examples to incorporate. I thought it would be a good idea to give him my contribution, an introduction to the start-up community in the city where I have lived for over nine years, Krakow.

Not everyone knows that this city, located in Central Europe, is one of the leading destinations for corporate outsourcing and an excellent place for start-ups, energized by an active community.

The Krakow startup community #OMGKRK

As a member of #OMGKRK (the name used by the foundation connecting the Krakow startup community) I thought I could not miss the chance to interview one of its founders, Richard Lucas, an entrepreneur and investor. As usual, whenever I interact with him, I learnt a lot (I’ll quickly take this opportunity to thank him for all the great insights he has provided me with).

During the interview, he mentioned some examples of the events he organizes, such as OpenCoffee and Krakow Enterprise Mondays. With both events, the most significant value provided is meeting other attendees in person.

The OpenCoffee event

If waking up early is not a problem and you enjoy meeting new people, OpenCoffee is an excellent event for you. Here, entrepreneurs, students and others interested in startups can network. As stated in their Facebook description: “We make sure that, whenever a young person from a less supportive background or country finds the courage to join our meeting, they see that we are glad they came. We always warmly welcome their effort and contribution.”

The Krakow Enterprise Mondays event

In contrast, Krakow Enterprise Mondays is a pro-enterprise meetup that happens in the evening, after standard working hours. Here, students can encounter entrepreneurs and alumni who have gone into business, within a friendly and informal setting.

When attending one of these events, you can benefit from many things. You have the chance to learn something new, improve your knowledge, get some validation of your idea, get a new job, find resources for your company, business partners, investors, inspirations or, lastly, inform people of that event you are organizing.

The book suggests not focusing entirely on your interests but, instead, think about what you can offer people and focus on relationship rather than transactions. Avoid asking for something before giving. The key is to be eager to help people and, in the future, they may find ways to help you.

Something I can add to this is, that when networking at this kind of event or in general, it is better to prioritize quality over quantity. Don’t worry how many people you interact with but to make sure your interactions with them count.

The Fior di Risorse community

Even if Poland and Italy are not close neighbors, we can identify many similarities between #OMGKRK and the Italian business community that Osvaldo founded circa ten years ago, Fior di Risorse (full name Fior di Risorse “Persone al Centro”, or “People at the Center”).

Being a proud member of both communities, I have gained a lot from both. Looking back, I see that attending these communities’ events allowed me to challenge my existing patterns of thought and help me to learn many new things! And I met new friends, found suppliers and inspirations for life.

As written in Community Manager “when you are looking for a job or business partner, the likelihood of success is strongly related to your skill in creating the right network over the previous four years, before it was needed.” This reflects Dr Cialdini’s  principle of reciprocity when you provide value to others, and then you can have it back. “There is an obligation to give, an obligation to receive, and an obligation to repay.”

Being an active part of a community may help your business and be an opportunity to build your credibility. As Dr.Cialdini says: “People will do business with people they know, like and trust based on your knowledge, your creativity, and your credibility.”

My recommendation

Even from my limited perspective, I heartily recommend anyone to join a community that has a good fit to your goals and needs. You will not regret it! It will almost certainly boost your efficiency and effectiveness when on your entrepreneurial journey.

And as the Fior di Risorse’s motto says, even in a digital world “people are always the center”.

The post Ideas of ‘community’ extend beyond physical distance: What do Italian community Fior di Risorse and the Polish community #OMGKRK, focused on start-ups, have in common? appeared first on ITSELECTA.

Eastern European Countries – Leaders in IT Outsourcing

The acronym SSSR (CCCP) stands for the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (Soyuz Sovietskich Socialističeskich Respublik or Союз Советских Социалистических Республик) which consisted of various countries in Eastern Europe. What do some of these countries that belonged to this “block” or that were “satellite states” have in common, other than geographic location?

You could answer this in many different ways:

• sharing very difficult languages, both in terms of reading and in terms of pronunciation.
• sharing a very conflicted history, from the Yugoslavian war to the long, sad war between Russia and Ukraine that has affected all Eastern nations.

However, there is another, less known characteristic that links Russia, Poland, and Ukraine: they excel in the IT sector. Starting in school, children are encouraged to master computers, and many become those that we call web developers, project managers, systems architects or software analysts and developers. Many of them probably imagine a world where IT contributes to solving the problems of our future and where the knowledge of sector experts has a positive effect on the evolution of the profession.

Competing for IT Talents Globally

This is the vision of the World Business Association, dedicated to teachers and scientists in the IT sector. This is the vision of The Association for Computing Machinery (ACM). The association has more than 100.000 members, making it the biggest institution in the field. Every year the company sponsors ICPC (International Collegiate Programming Contest), an event that claims to be the biggest and most prestigious global programming competition dedicated to university students in IT. The competition is keenly followed by industry experts. Over two thousand universities line up future IT geniuses that the international IT sector waits with open arms. For about 20 years, from 1977 when the competition started up to 1997, the prizes for this competition were monopolized by the United States. It is no surprise since the US is home to IBM, the official sponsor of the event. Additionally, many other IT giants such as Apple, HP, Microsoft and Google originate from the US.

Eastern European Teams Leading in International Programming Contest

Most people reading this article have probably bought some software from these companies before. However, after 1997 the compass of winners spins over to the Orient and the East, with China and Russia being first and second. Both Canada and Poland won honorable mentions on two separate occasions. Russia has won every competition since 2012, and other Eastern countries dominated the most recent competition in 2016. The eight Eastern European teams – five Russian, two Polish and one Ukrainian – placed among the TOP 12.

Europe’s Capital of Outsourcing: Krakow

The results of this competition reflect the globalization of the IT market and the new direction of outsourcing IT projects. Many IT companies have decided to relocate their IT processes to these countries, particularly to Poland. Being the gem of this country, Krakow is considered the European capital of outsourcing as well as the ninth best city in the world, according to research by the American company Tholons (2016). The capital Warsaw places among the TOP 25, while Wroclaw occupies rank 58. The GDP in Lesser Poland, where Krakow is located, has doubled in the last ten years thanks to outsourcing and European funds.

The next time that you turn on an application on your smartphone, consider that the app might have been developed in an Eastern European country instead of the USA. As Marshall McLuhan said:

“Today, after more than a century of electric technology, we have extended our central nervous system itself in a global embrace, abolishing both space and time as far as our planet is concerned.” This is one of the reasons for ITSELECTA offers BPO and why we have chosen Poland and Ukraine for places to source suitable companies and IT professionals that best fit the required skills and your business needs. Contact us now to discuss your next project with our BPO experts!

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Since 2014, the Polish city has been the first European centre for outsourcing services.

by Alessandro Lombardi

Walking through the streets of central Kraków, the medieval atmosphere makes it seem like a step back in time; but travel a few kilometers towards the suburbs, and you’ll have the sensation of being physically transported to the future with the geometric shapes of the massive, fifteen-storey glass buildings that house corporate headquarters.

These are the so-called Business Parks, an English term that means built-up areas where Polish employees work alongside foreigners from all over the world: Italy, Spain, Ukraine, France, the United States, the UK, Finland… I, too, came to Poland following in their footsteps.

Poland, especially Krakow, is progressively welcoming foreigners. It has adopted a policy of encouraging people to visit not only in regards of business activities, but also in terms of tourism. During the era of the communist regime it was very complex for a non-Polish citizen to enter the country – let alone start up a business – but a few decades later the situation has completely turned upside down.

Over 15 million passengers travelled through Polish airports in 2013, though this number is estimated to increase to over 41 million visitors by 2020.

A quarter of these travellers are foreign – a strong sign of the interest the country attracts outside of its national confines. Mission accomplished by the Polish government.

Why is Poland the destination for investors all around the world?

Perhaps it is the allure of the landscape, history and culture: Poland is increasingly becoming the destination for foreign investors and employees of international organizations that have moved to the country. Recently, many young people from all over Europe have chosen to spend their year abroad in Poland. Many are even looking for a chance to enter the labor market without having to go through the classic unpaid internships that are often offered in their own countries.

Poland presents itself to a potential investor as “an oasis full of water to a thirsty person in the desert.” Among the most important reasons to the country’s recent success is its increasingly stable position in European economics. Companies relocating to Poland have the possibility to benefit from EU economic funds: about 105 million Euros have been allocated to encourage growth in the coming years. Moreover, we can’t forget about the “special economic zones” that let investors benefit from tax reductions. Depending on the area, tax reductions can be based on the investment value, the size of the company and the number of new jobs created. Tax reduction can amount to 30-55%. The minimum investment required to obtain some of these subsidies is around ten thousand euros.

In terms of human resources, Poland offers a vast range of selection and recruitment of qualified personnel, especially when it comes to knowledge of foreign languages. For this reason, big international groups like Shell, IMB or Motorola have chosen this nation to set up their own business centres dedicated to outsourcing services such as HR, cash collection or customer service.

Another decisive element are the great air link services, consisting of 11 international airports, and the presence of low-cost flight operators, which cover around 45% of air traffic.

Invest in Polish resources

The Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) can be defined as outsourcing of management and control processes that, for these functions, rely on a highly qualified partner to fire up internal resources and dedicate them to activities that are more orientated towards the company’s core business. Since 2014, Krakow has been the first European centre for outsourcing and shared services.

So, if you happen to have a technical problem with your newly-purchased television and you have to phone an assistance line, the person on the line could be located in Poland, despite speaking your language.

Don’t be surprised if you are sitting next to a manager equipped with a laptop and a Blackberry on your trip to Krakow.

This is why ITSELECTA decided to set up the office in Krakow, where we have been established for 6 years now. We have a wide knowledge of the IT environment not only in Krakow but also in other cities in Poland, like Warsaw and Katowice, as well as in Ukraine. We source different markets to find the most suitable programmer or developer for your company’s needs.

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