This episode of KOLEKR ProTalks brings you Željana Vulović, Founder and CEO of SYSQBIT Holding, who reveals the secret behind the success of technology that doesn’t follow trends but focuses on actual problems and people.
Building Technology Was Never the Goal
People often assume that because I lead a company focused on artificial intelligence and software development, technology has always been my biggest passion. The truth is, what has always interested me most is solving problems. Technology simply became the way to do that.
When I founded SYSQBIT Holding, I wasn’t thinking about creating another software company. I wanted to build a team that could help organisations work smarter, embrace digital transformation and use technology to solve challenges they face every day. For me, innovation has never been about creating something because it’s new. It has always been about creating something because it makes a real difference.
As the company grew, I realised that building technology was often the easier part. Building the right team, earning the confidence of clients and making decisions that would shape the future of the business required far more patience. These experiences have made me understand that it is the people, culture, and vision which make a company grow and not just the technologies.
In retrospect, there is no single moment when everything suddenly turned around. Instead, there were hundreds of decisions made which gradually molded both the company and the person I was turning into. Each obstacle gave me new insights, and each project made it increasingly clear that understanding the problem better before doing anything else is critical.
This approach forms the basis of any project done by SYSQBIT. Rather than talking about the technologies, the algorithms, or any software from the beginning, our first task is much simpler. We want to know what problem do we want to solve and how we can make life easier for someone. I’ve learned that when you begin there, innovation follows naturally.
Building a Company Was Harder Than Building Software
When people ask me about the biggest challenge I’ve faced, they often expect me to talk about technology, competition or entering international markets. Those things were certainly demanding, but they were never the hardest part of the journey.
For me, the real challenge was building a company from the ground up. When you don’t have a large organisation behind you, every decision carries weight. You’re building a team, earning the confidence of clients, making investments and trying to create something meaningful, often without knowing whether the next decision will be the right one. That’s both exciting and demanding because there isn’t a perfect roadmap to follow.
One lesson became clear quite early. A good idea can start a business, but it can’t build one on its own. What makes the difference are the people who believe in the same vision and are willing to grow with it. Looking back, I’m just as proud of the team we’ve built as I am of the technology we’ve developed, because one simply doesn’t exist without the other.
Of course, there were moments when the easier option looked tempting. Each entrepreneur goes through cycles of uncertainty, unexpected events that happen and decisions that keep you up late at night. Such situations put your faith to the test, but it also helps you learn things that cannot be learned anywhere else.
Gradually, I realized that perfection is never what happens. What really matters is that I make well-thought-out decisions, learn from them, and keep on going further. Entrepreneurship is not about always doing everything right. It is about being flexible, improving constantly and not letting any setback influence your path.
One more behaviour pattern that formed my approach is long-term vision. It’s easy to become focused on the next project, the next client or the next milestone. I’ve learned that the stronger question is, “Will this decision still create value five years from now?” That simple mentality is what has shaped our product development, our partnering and our continued growth at SYSQBIT.
Now, as I reflect on that journey, the obstacles do not appear to be roadblocks. Instead, they become experiences that have taught the organisation and me so much about our leadership and culture. All of those tough conversations, all of the setbacks, and even the small victories have turned into something much greater than the sum of their parts. In reality, creating an organization has always been about more than just technology.
The Best Ideas Usually Start With One Simple Question
One of my greatest achievements is the development of SanyView, but it is not the technology that made this project unique. It was the conception itself.
While collaborating with companies from the tourism sector, we discovered something rather simple. Many operators of beaches were handling the reservation process manually. Guests had difficulties finding and booking the desired place, while operators had to waste their time handling reservations. It wasn’t a lack of technology that created the problem. It was the lack of a solution designed around the people using it.
That observation completely changed the way we approached the project. Instead of asking ourselves, “What technology can we build?”, we asked a much more important question: “What would make this easier for everyone involved?” Once we understood the real challenge, the technology became much easier to design.
That’s how SanyView evolved into a platform that combines software, a mobile application and hardware to simplify reservations while giving operators better visibility over their daily operations. Every feature was built with one purpose in mind—to solve a real problem, not to showcase the latest technology.
Working on this project reinforced something I’ve believed for years. Innovation does not start with artificial intelligence or even software. Innovation starts with listening. The more time you spend understanding how people work, where they struggle and what they actually need, the better your solution becomes. Technology should support that process, not lead it.
It is a practice that has been instilled in me every time I work on a project at SYSQBIT Holding. Prior to talking about artificial intelligence and any other development process, I spend some time trying to understand the problem. Not every opportunity requires something new to be created. It’s finding a better way to solve a challenge people have been accepting for years.
Looking back, SanyView wasn’t just another product for our company. It was proof that meaningful innovation doesn’t happen because technology becomes more advanced. It starts with curiosity and asking the right questions.
What Entrepreneurship Has Taught Me
Whenever I am asked what my key takeaway from the whole process has been, the honest answer is that there are many of them. Every challenge, every project and every difficult decision has taught me something different. Looking back, there are a few lessons I return to again and again.
Don’t Wait for the Perfect Moment
If I had waited until everything felt certain, I probably would never have started. Entrepreneurship is full of uncertainty, and there will always be reasons to delay. At some point, you simply have to take the first step, learn along the way and keep improving. Progress comes from action, not perfection.
Build the Right Team
People often focus on ideas, but I’ve learned that ideas only take you so far. A company grows because of the people behind it. Finding individuals who share your values, challenge your thinking and genuinely care about what they’re building is one of the most important investments you can make.
Listen Before You Build
One of those habits that has defined our approach at SYSQBIT is to listen rather than write a single line of code. There are no solutions if you do not talk to your customers, partners, and people who are facing such problems daily. The more clearly you understand the problem, the more valuable the solution becomes.
Keep Learning
Technology changes constantly, and that’s one of the things I enjoy most about this industry. Every new project teaches us something different. I’ve never believed that learning ends once you build a successful company. In many ways, that’s when it becomes even more important to stay curious, ask questions and remain open to new ideas.
Think Beyond Today’s Success
It’s easy to become focused on the next client, the next project or the next milestone. I’ve found it more valuable to ask a different question: Will this decision still matter five years from now? It is also something that affected our product development, selection of partners, and overall strategy. Immediate outcomes can be important, but only long-term value creates successful businesses.
Ultimately, entrepreneurship is not about always being right. It is about never losing curiosity, never stopping to learn, and believing in yourself even when the road ahead is still unclear.
About the Author
Željana Vulović is the Founder and CEO of SYSQBIT Holding, a Serbia-based technology company specialising in artificial intelligence (AI), software engineering and digital transformation. With a Bachelor’s degree in Software Engineering and a Master’s degree in Information Technology, she has spent her career helping businesses across Serbia and the European Union embrace technology, improve operations and solve complex business challenges through practical, scalable digital solutions.
Under her leadership, SYSQBIT Holding has grown into a company focused on building AI-powered solutions, custom software and intelligent digital products that help organisations become more efficient, competitive and future-ready. Her philosophy is simple: technology should solve real problems, create measurable business value and make people’s lives easier.
Beyond her work as an entrepreneur, Željana actively contributes to Serbia’s technology and innovation ecosystem. She supports initiatives of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia that promote digital transformation, innovation and women’s entrepreneurship, while encouraging stronger collaboration between businesses and the technology sector. She is also a WB6 Award Winner 2026 and an active member of the eZene Association and the Women Entrepreneurs Network.
In this KOLEKR ProTalk, Željana shares her experiences, leadership lessons and entrepreneurial mindset that have shaped her journey—from building a technology company from the ground up to developing AI-driven solutions with global potential. Her story offers practical insights for founders, business leaders, technology professionals and anyone passionate about innovation, entrepreneurship and the future of artificial intelligence.
With this KOLEKR ProTalk, Željana reveals the experience, lessons and leadership skills that made her a successful entrepreneur, giving valuable insights to founders, business leaders and tech experts in an era of artificial intelligence.
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