You and your brother, Vytautas run Adroiti. And you have been operating between Lithuania and the USA for over a decade, building meaningful technology solutions. How do you manage to operate across two sides of the Atlantic?

Vytautas and I organically separate our responsibilities by geographic location. Adroiti's partners and customers are mainly in the US, where I spend most of my time and handle relationships and business development. I also love spending face time with European teams, but Vytautas takes ownership in managing company operations in Lithuania and Europe. Such division of responsibilities allows us to operate effectively on both sides of the Atlantic.

How would you describe the differences and similarities between working in the US and Lithuania?

In Lithuania, teams tend to stand out for their high level of education and depth of knowledge, translating into high-quality results. There's also a strong emphasis on maintaining an effective work-life balance, which is generally true for most European countries. In the US, specifically in the technology ecosystem where we operate, the drive to be first and succeed often means pushing harder for longer. But that drive gives great satisfaction, as it allows you to get ahead, achieve results sooner, and position yourself to win.

Over the past decade, I've noticed that the work culture differences between Lithuania and the US have gradually disappeared. With the increasing globalization in any industry, companies in similar sectors tend to adopt similar working methods and working cultures. So, the differences are less pronounced or even nonexistent.

"Over the past decade, I've noticed that the work culture differences between Lithuania and the US have gradually disappeared."

The cost of living and salaries vary widely between the US and Lithuania. How do you manage this?

Geolocation has a big impact on the compensation. The cost of living in larger US cities can get expensive. Take high-tech centers like New York, LA, San Francisco, Miami, and Seattle - the cost of living there is higher than average. So, compensation demands are naturally higher than in other US areas. If we look at Central and South America, or if we go back to Europe, the cost of living can be lower, and naturally, so are the compensations. For example, if the average gross salary of a mid-level IT professional in Lithuanian cities such as Vilnius or Kaunas is EUR 5,000, the average employment cost in the major US cities could be two or three times higher. The cost of living a quality life dictates salary ranges in most cases.

You mentioned startups, where offering shares to employees is a common practice. Does Adroiti offer employees a stake in the company?

We do what we can. In several cases, Adroiti has managed to offer options to employees. I believe that ownership can be a strong motivating factor that gives extra fuel to get across the finish line—especially getting through the dip during harder times or just pushing harder and further every day.

Adroiti employs or contracts close to 100 people globally. Yet the majority of your team is in Lithuania. Why is that?

Lithuania offers an excellent talent pool, and the cost of living a quality life remains lower than in the US. That makes it an ideal place for our operations. Although Lithuania is no longer an inexpensive location to run a technology service company, it's an excellent fit for Adroiti's client base, which requires top-performing teams to deliver high-value results. Lithuania would not be our first choice if our focus differed, for example, on low-cost / low-value services. However, given the need to build high-performing teams, we require top quality, top efficiency, top initiative, and top accountability, which Lithuania and the neighboring region provide.

Adroiti operates as a flat organization. Can you explain why you chose this model?

Leaders make the best possible impact by operating alongside their teams. Instead of having layers of management, we keep Adroiti's structure lean and flat. Doing that in a small team is easier, but we were able to remain flat as we grew. Being flat allows us to move faster, avoid unnecessary bureaucracy, innovate, and adapt very quickly to client, industry, and market needs.

For example, say you need specific information or help, you would go directly to the person best suited to help you. I have not met one person who would rather work through multiple levels of managers to move forward. That would just kill initiative and productivity.

At Adroiti, we encourage everyone to respect responsibilities but follow a flat approach and take the initiative, empowering teams to work more effectively.

"Leaders make the best possible impact by operating alongside their teams."

The flat structure lets our leaders stay close to the work and focus on outcomes. Understanding the code, the projects, and the technical details truly helps. It helps leaders because they can offer their teams precise, valuable, and proactive support. After all, one of the leader's responsibilities is to help the team, so if there is a disconnect, the best intentions may provide little or no value.

What does Adroiti's management structure look like in practice?

Adroiti's management team is designed to support project teams.

Delivery managers, finance, and HR team roles exist to serve project teams building products that Adroiti co-creates with its partners in the USA. Adroiti currently runs 14 committed teams. Delivery managers are responsible for ensuring those teams are well structured and have the right roles to operate effectively. HR is responsible for ensuring the right people are in the right roles.

You mentioned that recruitment is a key element for Adroiti's success. What does your hiring process look like?

We take recruitment very seriously – building high-performing teams that deliver value is essential to the long-term success of our efforts. Our hiring process is thorough, often involving up to four interview phases. First, candidates have an initial interview with our HR manager to align synergies and expectations. Then, candidates meet with the hiring manager, followed by a technical or skillset interview with one or a few future colleagues. Finally, there's a final interview with the delivery manager or the CEO.

I try to speak with every new hire. I love to meet new folks joining the team, share additional insights about the company, and open doors for communication. Such a process allows us to see if the candidate is the right fit for our team long term and gives the candidate time to get to know us. Hiring right is an investment for both sides of the table.

Adroiti gives employees a lot of flexibility. How does this trust-based approach function in practice?

Trust and accountability are cornerstones of Adroiti culture. I believe people are generally good and trustworthy until proven otherwise, and that trust helps us build a robust and motivated team that operates at the highest levels of initiative. We give our teams the flexibility to work from where they are most productive, and in return, we expect exceptional results.

"I believe people are generally good and trustworthy until proven otherwise, and that trust helps us build a strong, motivated team"

Outcome and output-based performance show well who effectively delivers value, who needs a bit of adjustment, and who may need significant help. Of course, there have been a few times when trust has been abused, but these have also learned experiences for everyone. Most of the time, any issues arise from cracks in our own needs, where we may not have been specific enough about the fit we're looking for. But with the right hires – the sky is the limit.

Is trust the main motivation for employees?

While financial reward is very important, Adroiti's unique culture is a big motivator. The flexibility of the remote-first approach, the focus on personal growth, and the empathy across the company are what drive motivation long term.

Another critical part is doing meaningful and energizing work. At Adroiti, we look for responsibilities for people in the "genius zone." This means the person (1) knows how to do something well and (2) enjoys doing it. If these two components are present, a person is positioned to achieve very effective results. Reducing work that drains energy and doing work that gives energy is rocket fuel for productivity and motivation.

What do you think of the recent trend of returning employees to the office?

We don't push our employees to work one way or another. They make the choice. Some of our team members prefer to spend time in the office, in Old-town Vilnius. But many choose to work remotely, and that's perfectly fine. The deciding factor is where we can be most productive doing our best work.

Adroiti was built as a remote-first company from the start in 2009, as our partners and clients are in North America. If 40% of people work remotely, why shouldn't the other 60% be able to do the same? Of course, there are certain roles where working face-to-face is more effective, but it's up to each team. Conversely, building a career from the couch can only be so exciting. Some folks work from the office. For those who don't - we typically meet in person at least quarterly, so remote work has always been part of our DNA.

"Remote work has always been part of our DNA"

You run the business with your brother. How do you manage the balance between family and work?

It is not for everyone, but it works very well when you respect each other and separate family and work. Leaving ego behind the door and not taking things personally is a must. That helps avoid wasting time on insignificant items and helps to focus on what truly matters for the company. On the other hand, I think that constructive conflict or difference of opinions is great—it brings out the truth and helps make better decisions. As long as there's trust and respect, everything else falls into place.

How do you see Adroiti evolving in the coming 1-2 years?

So much change is driven by technology today, and change is only happening faster. As the company evolves, we will remain aligned and focused on doing the work that best serves our customers and our customers' customers. Adroiti is a full-service technology powerhouse, so naturally, as adaptive as we are serving across areas like product, marketing, business analytics, research data science, or software development - we will keep technology as our "main thing." Also, Adroiti aims to stay a flat organization, adaptive, lean, and efficient. We will keep pushing innovation, take initiative, stay curious, be accountable, and continue delivering excellence.