I didn’t plan to start a company like SiMULA. Not exactly. I knew I wanted to build things, solve problems, and use engineering in smart ways. But the shift from doing the work to understanding why it matters – that came later. It did come from the people we served.
Working With Purpose-Driven People
SiMULA works with NGOs, charities, grassroots initiatives, and activists. These are people with limited budgets, operating in difficult contexts, trying to do something bigger than themselves. We’ve supported projects around human rights violations, child protection, and refugee aid. What we all have in common is this: our work has a purpose.
And it’s not the kind of purpose you put in a venture presentation. Their quests weren’t about “delivering objectives.” They were about justice, safety, and dignity. When a client says, “This solution will serve the social good,” it hits differently. When they say, “We need fewer errors because errors cost lives,” the conversation changes. And so did the way we work.
Staying Small, Going Deep
At some point, SiMULA landed a big commercial project. Lots of staff, lots of meetings, and lots of money. And soon, something felt different. Communication became complex. Management layers grew. Operations got overwhelmed. We realized that we were moving away from and losing touch with becoming better, not bigger; we felt it, and it was impossible to ignore.
That’s when I made a decision: SiMULA will be more efficient, more resilient, not bigger. Not to avoid growth in size, but to grow with purpose. To engage closely with our clients. To care about their mission. And that means going above and beyond what’s signed in the contract.
Like drafting out-of-scope policies (at no cost) when a client’s security audit reveals gaps. Like flying out to give on-site training, even when the budget doesn’t cover it, because we know it will help the client’s team become better. Like bridging a three-month gap between contracts by continuing support going because the project is alive, and people depend on it.
Friendship Changes Everything
What surprised me most wasn’t the impact of our work. It was the relationships. Over time, clients became partners, then friends. And friendship changes how you build solutions. It makes you care more. It makes you listen longer. It makes you stop and think: What’s the simplest way to solve this? Not the most impressive. Just what works efficiently.
This mindset helped me become a better engineer. In my early career, I worked on large government projects: big budgets, big names, big pressure to use impressive tech. The goal was often to look advanced, not effective. Back then, I pushed for simple solutions and was always told no.
Today, I got to say yes. One client needed an ERP system. They had the budget for something flashy, but we built a lean Odoo Community Edition-based solution that is cheaper, easier to sustain, and works efficiently. That’s what matters.
We also invent small things on every project: clever shortcuts, little tools, simple tricks. Nothing you’d showcase in conferences tends to impress people, but they make a difference. They’re like forks and spoons. Not shiny, but life-changing when you need them.
From Managing to Doing
Somewhere along the way, I stopped just managing. Curiosity pulled me in. I found myself working on data governance and data security. Fields I never studied. I learned by doing, by being around the team, by staying close to the work. I’m in my 40s and still learning new sciences because the work is meaningful and the environment encourages growth.
That’s the thing: when you work on missions that matter, it’s not about job titles anymore. I’m the managing partner, yes, but I’m also a team member. I listen, I learn, I contribute.
And because of this, we developed our own way of working:
- Listen Carefully: We start by understanding context. Deeply. Patiently.
- Align With Mission: We don’t impose solutions. We fit into the map.
- Work as One: we act like an extension, not an outside vendor.
What I Learned
If I had to sum up the journey, Purpose changed how I build. Simplicity became my strongest tool. Friendship became SiMULA’s best strategy. And staying small? That’s what allowed us to do big things.
Even though this philosophy may sound like it only works for small projects, the reality proved otherwise. We’ve implemented large-scale projects with international NGOs. Some span up to seven countries, others operate in highly complex contexts with strict integration needs. We’ve built solutions that manage highly sensitive data where cases of a single breach could put lives at risk. And still, we did it by staying close and staying simple.