25 years of Mibcon: Interview with Honza Holík

Honza Holík joined Mibcon 17 years ago and now leads the entire MIBCON Group. How has Mibcon changed over that time, in his opinion?

Honza, when Mibcon celebrated its 20th anniversary, you reminisced about your arrival at the company, which was then owned by Jirka Melzer. What is the difference between Mibcon in 2006 and today?

I remember my first day very well. It was May 2, 2006, and it was unbearably hot outside. Jirka and I went to buy a mobile phone, and I had no idea what kind of IT whirlwind I was getting into. I was naive in many ways, and before I got my bearings, I was definitely clumsy.

I immediately got to work and started building a team of people who enjoyed working with data warehouses and reporting. Gradually, we delved into projects that other Mibcon teams were implementing at the time, and over time, we began acquiring our own new customers.

What were the differences between Mibcon back then and Mibcon in 2023? Certainly in size. There are many more business partners, projects, and teams today. This also applies to technologies. Over time, the organizational structure and company processes began to change, essentially the rules of internal functioning. And one more thing: When I joined Mibcon, everyone knew each other, including family members. That’s one of the big differences compared to today.

On the other hand, I don’t see a significant difference between why and how things were done before and how they are now. Business partners want to improve or completely change their processes or come up with new needs, and we strive to meet them and help based on our knowledge and experience. I just feel that as the complexity of problems generally increases, things sometimes become unnecessarily complicated.

Do you still see Jirka Melzer?

Sometimes we meet or call each other if there’s something to discuss. What’s important to mention is that without him, Mibcon wouldn’t exist. It’s not just about founding the company, but also having a vision of how, and especially with what kind of culture, to move it forward. Jirka had one huge advantage. He knew both the processes of retail customers and the capabilities of SAP in this area very well.

You’ve been leading MIBCON Group for some time now. What is its long-term vision?

This might sound strange in today’s world, but personally, I don’t really believe in visions of how a company will or won’t look, especially not in IT. Therefore, I don’t need them for our operations. We’ve brought almost all our companies under one ‘roof’—MIBCON Group a.s.— with a single main goal: to put them all on the same level. However, each of them has its own management, organizational structure, specific corporate culture, and most importantly, its own customers. When needed, we create joint teams and, of course, transfer knowledge between them.

This format also allows us to better manage investment projects and separate different types of businesses. Currently, alongside standard IT companies, we have startups, a company focused on real estate, and even an industrial firm in our portfolio. I’m not sure if this can be called a vision, but we simply enjoy helping new projects come to life and being part of their journey as they fight for their place in the market. Of course, the economic aspect also plays a role.

What has changed in the group over the past 5 years?

I actually hinted at it in the previous answer. The group is primarily expanding, mainly through the development of its subsidiaries. Practically all of them are growing at their own pace and, to some extent, becoming more independent.

What always fascinates me is the range of services we offer and the diversity of our product portfolios. In addition to working in more or less conservative business spheres like SAP, we are also venturing into other areas. I would mention AI, blockchain technologies, and recently, even the development of our own products.

I think that’s one of the reasons why the younger generation of IT specialists is coming to us – they can truly do what they enjoy and what they want to develop in. That’s not to say it’s always easy. On the contrary, the projects are demanding and require a certain level of mental resilience.

How have you progressed since 2018, whether professionally or outside of Mibcon?

That would be a long story, but I’m not sure if it would interest a broader audience. (laughs) Professionally, I’m still very much involved in our Mibcon community, which I live for. I try to help wherever it’s needed. Sometimes I’m needed more, sometimes less. And sometimes they don’t want to see me at all, so I don’t come up with something new… Outside of work, I’m studying psychotherapy and working with several athletes on developing their mental skills. These are the things that, alongside family, sports, and work obligations, fulfill me the most.

Can you guess where technological development in the areas covered by MIBCON Group is headed?

I’m not much into guessing. I definitely wouldn’t make a living as a gambler, because whenever I tried to make a prediction, it never worked out. (laughs) No, seriously, this question can’t be answered simply. It has two sides. One of them is the demands of our customers and the trust they place in us when they turn to us. And we need to thank them for that, because without them, we wouldn’t exist. They are the ones who come up with ideas and suggestions. It’s up to us to come up with a solution and propose how to implement it technologically.

The other side consists of the demands and needs of Mibcon employees. Technology is something we’re passionate about, and we want to experiment with it and explore it on various levels. We’re drawn to it. Some might say we just want to play. And these two sides have a way of attracting each other. Maybe that’s why Mibcon has been around for 25 years and why there’s still demand for our services. Although, somewhat paradoxically, not many people in the Czech IT world know the Mibcon brand.

Five years ago, you wished that the growing Mibcon could preserve something of the original atmosphere, when there were only a few of you. Is it going well?

We’ve been talking about this a lot lately. What exactly is the original atmosphere? What values is our company built on? And how does this reflect in the company culture? No matter how we look at it, we have to realize that the atmosphere at Mibcon is something we create to a certain extent ourselves. And that’s all of us.

I believe that atmosphere can’t be artificially created based on instructions from company management. For it to be authentic, it must arise from within, from our own needs and natural inclinations. I think we’re succeeding in giving space to discussions on this topic, but I don’t want to judge what the ‘right’ atmosphere should be. I felt good in the atmosphere we had five years ago, and I feel good in the current one, even though they are, of course, different.

What would you wish for MIBCON Group in the next five years?

My wish would be that in five years, we can reflect together again on everything our companies have achieved. And may everyone in the group take joy in their success. I also hope that I’ll be doing this interview with you again in five years. 🙂

Thank you for the kind wishes and for this entire interview!