Born from Need: The Real Story Behind Creating Humadroid

Starting a business with a good friend and watching it grow is an adventure. Grzegorz and I launched Prograils with a vision to carve out a niche in the Ruby on Rails space, primarily serving Danish clients. Our portfolio soon boasted names like Falck, Triumph, and MacBaren, and we didn’t stop there. We ventured into the startup world, lending our expertise as acting CTOs to promising projects. This part of our journey was exhilarating, filled with learning curves and the joy of building something meaningful.

As Prograils expanded, the administrative side of things began to demand more attention. Our initial toolkit, crafted in-house as a bit of a training ground for our junior developers, included everything from a simple absence management app to a quirky tool for tracking lunch debts among colleagues. These solutions were our way of keeping the ship sailing smoothly without getting bogged down in administrative quagmires. But as the team grew and we set our sights on doubling our size within a year, it became clear that our beloved patchwork of tools wouldn’t cut it anymore.

We faced a trifecta of challenges: avoiding the complexity and overhead of enterprise solutions (we were still a tight-knit team, after all), finding a tool that could handle a broad spectrum of HR and administrative tasks, and doing so without allocating a significant chunk of our budget to multiple software subscriptions. This quest was made all the more challenging by our ISO certification requirements, which added another layer of complexity to the mix.

That’s where Humadroid steps in. It’s not just another HRMS tool; it’s a lifeline for businesses navigating the tricky waters of growth. We knew we needed a comprehensive solution that could serve as a central hub for everything from managing who’s who in the company to ensuring all employee documents were in order and easily accessible. We wanted to eliminate the awkwardness of not knowing your colleagues or having to ask around to figure out basic information. Humadroid’s people directory and employee document management features were designed with these challenges in mind, streamlining operations and fostering a more connected team environment.

But we didn’t stop there. Document authoring, managing absences and vacations, keeping a company-wide calendar, tracking assets, and administering benefits were all critical components that we integrated into Humadroid. Each of these features was born from our firsthand experiences and the realization that managing these aspects efficiently could significantly impact our ability to serve our clients and keep our team happy and engaged.

One of the most heartfelt additions to Humadroid was the 1-on-1s feature. Learning the importance of regular, meaningful conversations with team members was a game-changer for us. It helped us stay in tune with individual aspirations, concerns, and feedback, ultimately contributing to a more cohesive and motivated team. This feature embodies our belief in the power of communication and personal attention in nurturing a thriving company culture.

And let’s not forget the little things that make a big difference, like the tracking of casual debts for team lunches or celebrating pizza day remotely. While these may seem minor, they’re the fabric of a company’s culture, contributing to a sense of camaraderie and belonging.

In crafting this post and reflecting on the development of Humadroid, it’s clear that it’s more than just software. It’s a distillation of our entrepreneurial journey, a toolkit designed to tackle the very challenges we faced and overcome. It’s our way of extending a helping hand to fellow business owners, offering a solution that’s been tested in the fires of real-world experience. If you find yourself wrestling with the complexities of managing a growing team, remember that you’re not alone. Humadroid was created to make your life easier, to give you back the time and peace of mind you need to focus on what you do best: building and growing your business.