Jakub Mertus: Team Spirit & Transparency

A couple of months ago, Jakub joined Sudolabs to address the unexpected demand shift in the market due to the rise of autoregressive LLMs and other generative models. This role combines two knowledge bases: technical delivery & product management. The theory behind creating this new role is that AI solutions require a deeply analytical and knowledge-driven approach to deliver a successful product. Unlike traditional digital solutions such as web or mobile applications, artificial intelligence is still in its infancy, presenting unique challenges with each new product or solution.

How did you decide to join the Sudolabs team?

Previously, I worked as a Data Scientist for my home country's most innovative commercial bank. It is a huge corporate employer with nearly four thousand employees. My first experience with the Sudolabs team was through collaboration, where I was on the receiving end of their services. My previous personal experiences with product agencies mostly left me with average impressions. From within the confines of the giant corporation, I often pondered the efficiency of utilizing external resources. You know, the classic pessimistic outlook: “What can these external advisors offer us?”. I thought they didn't know our business as intimately as we did. But watching my now-new teammates work on projects and observing their finesse in extracting the maximum from an idea, rapidly prototyping, and deploying solutions changed my mind about what agencies can do. It made me want to join such a dynamic collective of driven people.

What makes your role as an AI Project Manager rewarding?

It is exciting to experience the whole field of AI changing so rapidly. Ever since I studied Data Science at university, it has been clear that technological and scientific breakthroughs based on neural network architectures are right around the corner. Now, in this role, one gets to be on the edge of new developments in applied artificial intelligence, with the possibility of implementing them for real-world use cases.

What were your first days at Sudolabs like?

During my first days at Sudolabs, I was impressed by the friendly environment, dedication of the team to the work, close relationships, and informal setting—things you might expect. Even a superficial detail like a modern office was predictable. What genuinely surprises me is the transparency of everything that happens within the company and the feeling that we are all in the same boat. We share our victories and defeats and openly discuss the obstacles ahead. Artifacts of this culture of transparency are abundant wherever I look.

Can you share some examples of these transparency artifacts you've noticed?

Something to highlight is a flat hierarchy and regular touchpoints with company board members. From my experience, it is evidence of the higher-ups' feeling of belonging and responsibility for each project the company undertakes. Something as simple as sharing their offices or being present at meetings so they clearly understand what is bothering us. The last piece of evidence, and the most telling, is the ability for anyone to anytime and under any situation communicate with the board members directly and openly, as you would with a friend. But there is more.

What else stands out to you?

The wealth of knowledge shared benefits the discovery, design, and development of solutions for clients. Part of our job is to create an abstraction of knowledge from previous projects and share it with the rest of our department. This frequently helps us solve adjacent dilemmas. I did not expect this vast corpus of materials, templates, and lessons learned for both product managers and designers, and it tremendously helps newcomers, such as me, in taking on the new role.

Last but not least, there is clear communication about the company's financial situation. Coming from a tightly regulated banking environment, I was surprised by how openly we discuss our status here. These are closely guarded secrets in the bank; employees see financials simultaneously as the public. Communication of ongoing financial results in Sudolabs from the board to the employees has many positive aspects. From the employee's point of view, we see how our contributions influence the bottom line and, therefore, feel the weight and importance of daily work. The employees can also understand why pay increases are temporarily postponed or, in the opposite scenario, should be negotiated at this moment.

What is your guilty pleasure?

In the last couple of months, I have spent some of my free time playing a game called Helldivers 2. It is a multiplayer third-person action game set in the future with a satiric outlook on democracy and aliens, and it is so much fun.