Navigating through the rough seas: a reflection on the year 2023
The year 2023 brought disruptions to the global software industry, and consulting businesses found themselves sailing against the wind.
The last time such shockwaves were experienced was in the spring of 2020 when COVID-19 hit the world. Markets soon realized that the world was not going to end but that we had to change faster than ever, and digitalization boomed like never before. Everyone needed software engineers, and agencies were thriving — until mass layoffs in the IT sector started around the world.
The software development landscape is ever-evolving, and besides all the economic turbulence that 2023 brought, AI is here to stay. From global uncertainties to industry-specific disruptions, markets are now demanding more and more creative solutions and strategic thinking. The AI is a game-changer. It won’t solve all our problems but will help innovative businesses grow. Companies and people need to adapt and embrace emerging technologies. AI will improve productivity and enable the transformation of many professions, especially in the software industry.
How did we do?
Well, it was not an easy year for us. The business metrics will not come close to what we forecasted a year ago. Still, we will achieve approximately a 10% growth in sales and somewhat positive profitability. Even though the new business acquisition was harder than ever in 2023, it showcased our resilience, adaptability, and commitment to our principles.
We expanded our client base by welcoming the first clients from Nigeria and Dubai. We also continued working with clients based in the Netherlands, complementing our well-established presence in Finland. This geographical growth marks a great milestone for the Sauna.
People always come first at Software Sauna. Therefore, I am very happy that we managed to navigate the storm without having to let go of any team members due to economic reasons, even though there were times when many developers were on “the Beach” without a project. While many companies in the industry faced tough decisions, our commitment to our talented team members remained steadfast.
We always encourage our people to learn new technologies and educate themselves, as they are our greatest asset. The team also continued the development of our “Starter package,” which enables us to utilize ready-made building blocks and reduce the cost and time when starting a new product development project from scratch.
One of the highlights was our 5th anniversary in April!
Looking to the horizon
As we bid farewell to 2023, we are optimistic about the future. Thanks to lessons learned and new experiences gained, I can honestly say we navigated the difficulties and emerged stronger than ever. As we look ahead, we are excited about the opportunities that are waiting for us in 2024.
We have been discussing strategic partnerships with a growing number of well-known organizations, and our team is ready to take another step ahead. We strongly believe in our ability to operate as a trusted remote software development and consulting partner for large and mid-cap clients, not to forget the start- and scale-up companies that always provide interesting challenges to our engineers.
We remain committed to pushing forward with our principles of clean quality code, staying agile in the face of change, and providing unparalleled service to our valued clients.
Thank you to all clients, partners, stakeholders, and our people for the past year! We made it together again. We are looking forward to a brighter 2024!
