"Healthy leadership is based on respect for people, understanding, and empathy."
Tomek Mlodzki
Along with his brothers, Tomek Mlodzki founded Poland’s first company dealing with the production and service of photo booths. Currently, the company is making people’s lives easier by developing the world’s largest AI-based online service for taking biometric photos: PhotoAiD.
Let’s learn a little about you and really get to experience what makes us tick – starting at our beginnings. Where did your story begin?
Tomek Mlodzki: Hi, thanks for the invitation! I was born in Poland in 1986 as a third and youngest son. I was a happy child in exciting times – the fall of communism in Poland and a way to democracy. When I was in my twenties, I graduated law at Warsaw University, but, as you see, being an advocate wasn’t my destiny. From the beginning of the internet in Poland, it was what I’ve been interested in! Finally, around 2010, together with my two brothers – Marcin and Rafal – we created the website Fiszkoteka. The idea was simple – our website offered customizable flashcards to learn English and other languages for free. We used flashcards to learn when we were kids, so we transformed them into the online world! In these times, we didn’t think about things like monetization or scaling business.
It was just fun. Our website was becoming more and more popular, and I realized that it could be more than fun – it can be a good business and way of life. Later everything went fast. We started cooperation with schools and other educational institutions. Then we invested the earned money in the design of photo booths. At first, they were just for parties and taking funny photos, and then we became interested in biometric photography for documents. We received funds from a venture capital fund, established R&D cooperation with universities, and created the PhotoAiD app.
Can you tell us a story about the hard times that you faced when you first started your journey? Did you ever consider giving up?
Tomek Mlodzki: Of course, I had problems. The beginning of the road wasn’t easy-peasy. As I said, I was studying law. You can imagine that this is not a simple field of study. I spent a lot of time studying. At the same time, I wanted to pursue my passion, which is creating solutions in the developing Internet. I knew I would have to make a sacrifice eventually – either a secure, well-paid job as a lawyer or what I liked to do. Fiszkoteka’s small successes and listening to the voice of my heart made me choose to abandon the law. At first, I felt guilty, but I realized that it was the right decision with time.
What are the most common mistakes you see entrepreneurs make and what would you suggest they do?
Tomek Mlodzki: The most common mistake I see in entrepreneurs is an incorrect assessment of the situation. What do I mean? The point is that doing business is based on accurate market recognition and demand for a product or service, considering many factors beyond our control, such as legal regulations or taxes. Taking the time to do the initial research before starting your business and analyzing it as you go along is an investment. And that’s what I suggest all entrepreneurs do – think of the time spent preparing for business as an investment.
On the other hand, a common mistake that entrepreneurs make is to want to plan everything. That is not possible! Doing business is taking risks. It is impossible to predict all crises. It is impossible to create an ideal model of company management. Of course, creating organizational habits is essential – they minimize the risk, and I am a fan of them! However, you have to accept that unforeseen situations can happen.
Resilience is critical in critical times like the ones we are going through now. How would you define resilience?
Tomek Mlodzki: Fine, I agree that resilience is critical in critical times, but I would also claim that resilience is essential at any time. For me, resilience means the ability to respond to changing conditions. It is confidence that comes from knowledge, experience, and preparation. It is also imagination and understanding of the fact that the world fluctuates, as well as humility towards reality. The 21st century is a time of unprecedented pace of change! Adaptation to changes and willingness to learn new things are considered the most important features in the labor market.
This, too, is resilience, only in terms of individuals, not organizations. The pandemic sped up some processes a little, verified business models and the skills of leaders.
In your opinion, what makes your company stand out from the competition?
Tomek Mlodzki: I believe that these are mainly two factors: product quality and focus on SEO and outreach.
As for the product, we took it very seriously. In times of enormous competition among startups, only the highest quality guarantees success. When creating PhotoAiD, we entered into cooperation with the best specialists in artificial intelligence in Poland. We have created an AI algorithm that ensures almost 100% certainty that the photo will be accepted.
I am aware of the importance of visibility in search results. Therefore, in our marketing strategy, we strongly emphasize SEO, link building, and outreach. We have great specialists on board, invest in the development of their competencies. I believe that this is the second most important thing that distinguishes us from the competition.
You are a successful business leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success?
Tomek Mlodzki: First, courage. Business is always associated with risk, and risk is always with decision making. To make wise decisions, you need to be convinced that they are correct, but you can never be 100% sure about the outcome. This is where courage comes in, especially the courage to make mistakes and admit them if they occur.
Second, the ability to focus on tasks. I am not a fan of multitasking. I think that if you want to do something well, you need to focus on it entirely.
Third, humility. Henry J. Kaiser, an American industrialist, once said that he makes progress by having people around him who are smarter than he is and listening to them. I have nothing else to add.
What have you learned about personal branding that you wish you had known earlier in your career?
Tomek Mlodzki: I wish I had known how significant personal branding would become!
How would you define “leadership”?
Tomek Mlodzki: Leadership is about inspiring people and getting the best out of them. I believe a good leader must be a specialist in at least one field because that makes him credible. Healthy leadership is based on respect for people, understanding, and empathy. It is also a matter of trust and, again, courage, because the leader must know how and when to delegate tasks and not be afraid of doing it.
What advice would you give to our younger readers that want to become entrepreneurs?
Tomek Mlodzki: I once attended a business conference where a wise man said that there is no right time to become an entrepreneur. Think about it.
What’s your favorite “leadership” quote and how has it affected the way you implement your leadership style?
Tomek Mlodzki: I’m a huge fan of Stephen Covey. His book ‘7 habits of highly effective people’ is so inspirational that I would quote the whole! Of course, I can’t as it would be a long answer you won’t read and simply plagiarism, so I chose one sentence: “Are leaders born or made? This is a false dichotomy – leaders are neither born nor made. Leaders choose to be leaders.” Understanding it impacted my leadership style. It’s all about our perception of challenges. I am a leader because I chose to be one. I want to inspire people with my own behavior and take responsibility for my decisions and consequences. And you know what? I like that perspective!
This interview was originally published on ValiantCEO.
