From the early beginnings through the biggest changes and challenges to the immense growth of the company, Milos Decov, Project Manager at HTEC Group, has seen it all. His journey begins 11 years ago, when he, driven by the contagious energy of HTEC’s leaders joined HTEC when it was just a small group of ten. This is his story.
Dreams Come True if You Live Them
Milos has been interested in the magical world of tech and ground-breaking technologies from an early age. He attended an aviation high school, and moved on to the college of School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, where he gained vast knowledge which he would later invest in building his career path at HTEC.
“I have always been interested in technical stuff, computers, and mobile apps. When Nokia got its first operating system Symbian, it sparked my curiosity and imagination — I felt the urge to explore this world and think of different ways I can make impact. It seemed like a natural path from high school to college. Everything went smoothly except for the fact that I had to balance my obligations with friends and travelling at the time 😊. But, overall, it was a really inspiring and invaluable experience.”
Interestingly, at his final year at college, 11 years ago, Milos joined HTEC Group and has been a part of the journey ever since.
“I met Aleksandar Cabrilo on one skiing trip. We had some mutual friends, my best man introduced us. Back in the days, one of the projects HTEC was working on was connected to smart home technology. I was instantly drawn to this position as, I believe, no other companies were doing anything similar at the time. I recognized the innovativeness behind this story and an opportunity to build a project that could really make a difference. It was inspiring, challenging and exciting. It was an offer I simply could not refuse. I had no second thoughts, I started at the beginning of April (as soon as I got from the skiing). At the time I was a system engineer, and didn’t have much experience, but I was ready to learn and grow. I remember I got really inspired by the Aleksandar Cabrilo’s advice he shared with me during the interview when he said that Google is my best friend. And that was enough to start my own career path at HTEC.”
From System Engineer to Project Manager
From a system engineer through QA to project manager, Milos has developed his career path and had a chance to work on a number of innovative projects allowing him to gain a wealth of knowledge and expertise in various domains. We asked him what he likes about his current position the most:
“I like communicating with clients and offering some new and better views on how to improve their products with new technologies. This is really cool about PM, especially the entire process from ideation to making these ideas come to life and being involved in it every step of the way. I find all of this fascinating — this is what moves me and charges my batteries daily.”
To reach this position, Milos had to face and overcome various challenges. But he emphasised that it has been a valuable and really rewarding journey.
“I have worked on various projects, I worked on mobile applications with only one or two developers or one QA. I also worked with big systems like Stena Orbit, and I have been involved in a lot of internal projects as well. It really depends on the project itself – there were times when we needed more manpower, and there were times when we didn’t have a clear path we should take on a certain project. But with such great people and huge determination to make things work, we achieved unimaginable results and I am proud to have been a part of it all.”
Teamwork makes the dream work
Milos pointed out that nothing would have been possible without great support coming from his colleagues at HTEC. He explained that one of the reasons why he managed to overcome any challenges along the way was a friendly and supportive approach everyone in the company has, from your closest colleagues to leadership.
“When we started, I was in a day-to-day communication with everybody. Aleksandar Cabrilo and Dusan Kosic were in charge of managing clients, but they were always open and supportive — I could approach them with any problem I had at the time, regardless of whether it was related to clients or the team. And I believe this has not changed ever since. Even though we do not see each other often due to the COVID-related circumstances, we still grab an opportunity to chat whenever we see each other, either in the office hall or a kitchen, and I always feel I can consult them about anything I might be struggling with.”
Being a project manager, Milos explains that good communication is vital for the company’s success, and he believes that one of the biggest values of HTEC is open and transparent culture where everyone feels comfortable to ask questions about things that bother them.
“As the company was growing, we got more and more project managers, and I am now one of them. Led by previous experience, I always try to encourage my team to tell me everything that bothers them. For instance, if they think I am doing something wrong, if there is a certain gap they have to overcome in their communication with clients, I am encouraging them to be open and share what’s on their mind. I am positive that effective communication will help us achieve success, and it is embedded in the company’s DNA from the very start. I remember working on one project with Vladimir Trbovic who is now CTO (Vladimir Trbovic, Director of Technology Excellence). Back in the days he was a developer, moving up a ladder, but was incredibly supportive whenever a problem occurred.”
Overcoming challenges
Milos explains that one of the biggest challenges he has faced so far in HTEC was when he took up a role of a project manager.
“Maybe the biggest challenge was moving to a new role of a project manager which required me to talk with clients. But my previous experience and immense help I gained from Marko Stojiljkovic who was my mentor at the time helped me very much (and is still helping me) give my best at this new role. I am thankful to Marko — I would say that I would not be at this position now without Marko’s assistance and without HTEC’s powerful mentorship program. Thanks to these, I am in a position to help others advance in their career. The knowledge I gained throughout the years enables me to help them become the best versions of themselves.
The future at HTEC seems bright
We asked Milos what his future ambitions are.
“Engineering, or business domain are the two fields I am mostly interested in, and I certainly want to take one of these paths and develop myself further. I definitely see myself in HTEC in future — I know there will be challenges, many new big clients and inspiring projects, and I am excited to explore new innovative ways to fight them and reach the stars.”
HTEC People – the powerhouse that keeps things in motion
Milos believe that one of the biggest values of HTEC are its people.
“From the moment when we only had a group of ten people to this very moment when we have offices across the world, people have been the powerhouse of HTEC, an engine that keeps things moving in the right direction. I like the enthusiasm, energy, team spirit and thriving atmosphere – I like it all 😊. If you want to make a difference, surround yourself with people who care and charge your batteries daily.”
One of the main reasons which kept Milos working at HTEC for so many years (and why he is planning to stick around for many more years to come) is the open, transparent, and friendly culture.
“I have many friends here I can hang out with. I am very much into sports like skiing and basketball, and many people from HTEC share the same interests. We often gather once a week to play a game or simply chat about current sport events. Some of my colleagues and me are a part of IT league, and I hope we will win many future victories together. Culture and people are probably two most important reasons why I like working here so much. You need people you can laugh with have fun with, and sometimes even have conflict with. Fun fact: We usually get together with our colleagues from Nis office and then go skiing or attend a soccer or basketball match in Belgrade. People here often find ways to unwind and socialize in different ways, and I hope this kind of team bonding will continue to exist in future.”
Curious to find out who’s next in our HTEC Features series? Stay tuned!
Meanwhile, read about our experts: Katarina Urosevic, Niko Slavnic, Dragomir Krstic, Mladen Karadzic, Ivana Stojanovic, David Schoch, Miroslav Virijevic, Stefan Mrsic, Srdjan Colak, Marko Zdravkovski.
