How it all came about

Greetings, my name is Marek Ander, and I am the JOBka idea maker. Origins of JOBka date somewhere around year 2010 to my first business ideas and attempts to create first applications. In 2018, after countless failures or only partly successful projects, I came across an interesting opportunity. At that time, I was still an employee on the IT position in Ideal Automotive, and I have been given a task to create a notification channel for employees. The original idea comprised sound system installed within the production hall. The assignment was literally: “Mr. Ander, you are the musician, aren’t you? Please try to find out what would it entail to equip the production hall with a sound system enabling us to play some music and inform the employees about current events at the turn of shifts.” I contacted several suppliers, we measured the decibels and I received offers. The proposed costs were to high and the management decided not to continue with the project. Based on this experience, however, an idea was born. I said to myself - why not use cellphones everyone carries with them. We sat down with my colleagues and started to come out with an assignment for software companies. One of these companies was Skeleton Software Plzeň - at that time, I didn’t know my colleagues Petr Mašek and Honza Netrval at all. Nowadays, Skeleton is our development centre and JOBka is one of Skeleton Software Plzeň branches.

At the time I was closing the tender, two things surprised me. First surprise was a relatively high price of the mobile application for our company. Second surprise was the fact that the same price (with an accuracy of thousands or tens of thousands CZK maximally) has been calculated by all addressed companies. At this point of the story, it is no surprise that the winner of the tender was Skeleton Software Plzeň. They attracted me especially with their prepared ready2use solution that they showed me during the presentation. Based on the whole duration of the cooperation with colleagues, I can confirm that it was the right choice.

Then the breaking point came. I had to defend the purchase of the software in the company in which I have been working. At that time, there was unfortunately (or fortunately from today’s point of view) no budget available for such project and they rejected it. That was the key moment. The idea of application for companies seemed so amazing to me that I have decided to support the pilot project myself (from my own lifetime savings intended to be spent on land for house construction). I have agreed with our CEO to launch the project for our employees to have a great tool for lunch orderings right away from their cellphones as well as to be informed on time, but the project was suppose to be managed by myself as a private business activity. The management agreed and not long after that I started ordering first version of JOBka 1.0. from the supplier - Skeleton Software Plzeň. A few months later, as I have as an employee and freelancer in one purchased JOBka licenses for the seventh client, Honza Netrval (my current colleague) came to me and asked whether I would be interest in joining JOBka and Skeleton Software. I agreed. After we agreed on cooperation, the project has picked up the speed. The development of new version speeded up (we release a new version with great functions 3 to 4 times a year). Nowadays, we produce new features, language variants, new platforms support (e.g. Kiosks), etc. Simultaneously, the sales team is continuously created. The foundation for this team has been laid by Martina who has assembled the whole sales team with the assistance of Gabča who has been building the team in Moravia and Slovakia. Our colleague and current head of Technical Support - Honza Tráva - had been a part of the company and cooperated on JOBka implementations practically from the very beginning. To this day, Honza works hard not only during the day, but also in the evening and during nights, and all innovative changes inside the application such as web pages design, user environment and comfortable access to the communication are predominantly his results. Honza is the inspiration and a pillar of the whole implementation and technical support department.

Nowadays, JOBka and Skeleton Software are full of enthusiastic colleagues. I am thankful for failures that preceded JOBka and also for the task from our CEO in the original employment. I am glad that JOBka has been created on the base of my long-term acting in environment for which it is intended to. I would like to thank to all colleagues and partners who have worked and will work on JOBka. Our reward is the customer feedback. I believe that employees matter :)

Thank you for reading this far.
Marek Ander