„Today, developers have more insight. “Dactyl founders about 7 years in IT

It has already been 7 years.
Martin, Milan, and Sebastian have met in a student room. 
All of them loved programming and were heading to bigger projects. They joined their forces and that’s how Dactyl started. 
Since then, the IT world has changed a lot and so has Dactyl. That’s why we took the boys from theirs PC's and made an interview with them. 
How did they get into developing? How has the world of apps changed since then? And how will it be in the next 7 years?
Let’s read a fast three-way talk.

Sebastián Kunec
(CFO, Co-founder)

Milan Doubek
(CEO, Co-founder)

Martin Kéri
(Co-founder)

How did you actually get into development?

Sebastian: I have tended to computers since I was young. From games through system management and developing Olympics to studying at FI MUNI. 

Milan: I studied at the FIT at Brno University of Technology and as a diploma thesis I made an intelligent mobile app, which was placed in the rankings of the most downloaded apps. After school, I have started creating mobile apps for a living. 

Martin: It began when, by a mistake, I was signed up for an IT class at the primary school. Even though I did not have a computer at that time. (laugh). I already learned to create websites at high school. Photoshop was my favourite tool. I remember helping my father to create a debtor search facility for his company. 

You started a development studio together 7 years ago. What led you to this?

Sebastian: I have always enjoyed inventing and creating - to have an idea and see it being executed. I find it dangerous to rely on the state so that’s probably the reason why I have always wanted my own business.

Milan: Since I was a child, entrepreneurship has seemed like the best way to make a living, fulfill oneself and be free.
b I think that by that time, each of us had already possessed a unique skillset thanks to which we have complemented each other and were able to create a stable base for the company.

Were you afraid?

Sebastian: No, there was no reason to be afraid. We had nothing to lose. Today we have far more commitments and responsibilities.

Milan: I was, we financed the start-up phase of our business from our own pockets. A possible failure could have consequences for the future.  

How was your typical order like that time?

Milan: It was significantly smaller and technologically simpler. We made small websites and simple apps at the beginning. We had not discovered good techniques on how to effectively publish and manage apps and websites yet.
Today we can estimate the costs of graphics, development, project management, etc. much better. We have also learned to work better with agile projects. Nowadays they make an account for a large part of our orders.

How has web development changed since then?

Sebastian: Nowadays, systems like Webnode and Wix are more common. We have always wanted to develop systems that are more complicated. We focus on digitalization, so the people in companies don’t have to rewrite data by hand and don’t print papers, which they have to scan right after that.

Milan: In recent years, JavaScript is being used on the frontend. We follow this trend and added React to our technological stack. 

Martin: The big change is in using more dynamic languages where it is required a bigger interaction with the customer. That’s why JavaScript frameworks have become more popular. 

What has changed in the app area?

Milan: There are more things. The cross-platform frameworks, that save costs for development but can’t be used in all cases are more common. We wrote about it on our blog where we compare cross-platform and native development.

Apple and Google push on the quality of the apps in their store. And there are also changes in the graphic. Illustrations and animations are very common. We often work with external devices such as watches, headphones, or other accessories. In recent years, VR and AR have also been much promoted.

What do you think are today’s developers different from what they were before 7 years?

Martin: I don’t see any change. It always depends always on the personal qualities of the person. Maybe todays´ developers have a wider range of knowledge and experience about technologies, back then they were more specialized.

Milan: Nowadays, there is a shortage of developers, so they can choose the companies they will work for. They know that when they end their cooperation with one company, they can just knock on the next door and be sure that they will hire them.

What changes do you expect for apps in the next 7 years?

Milan: There will be a bigger emphasis on security and personal data protection. I also think that they will communicate more and more with other hardware. Not only with watches, cars, smart houses, there will be more smart devices around us. 
People just want to use a multi-functional device, which they can have on their hands.

And finally: How do you evaluate today’s Dactyl? Is he doing as you imagined at the beginning?

Milan: I am never satisfied, so I still see a lot of things that we could do better. But when I think about for how many client’s we have developed a software that helps them to save time every day, or how many people work with our company, I am satisfied. 

Martin: I think that I haven’t imagined anything, so I don’t have to compare. I am happy about each and every improvement.

Thanks for the interview, boys!

Milan told us after our interview that even Dactyl won’t rest on its laurels. They are planning other cool apps and interesting projects.  Do you want to be a part of it? Join the Dactyl mates!