A pair of LinkedIn posts from Borys Musielak of SMOK Ventures - one AI-generated, one handwritten - sparked a debate about practices in the CEE startup ecosystem. KFactory co-founder and product lead Adrian Dima joined that debate in ITKey Media, with a single, sharp counter-point.
The argument
The piece pushes back on a popular framing in the regional VC conversation - the idea that founders should orient their lives around investors. Adrian's view is the opposite: the only thing that really matters is whether the startup has customers. Customers, the right business model, and a team that can execute together unlock everything else - including funding.
"The investors are not more important for startups than the customers. The customers are the only thing that really matters for a startup."
- Adrian Dima, co-founder & product lead, KFactory
The practical implication: when the customer is genuinely well-served and the business model is right, funding follows - and founders gain the leverage to be selective about which investors they let onto the cap table. Both VCs and founders may have hard times, the argument goes, and both should share them honestly. But the centre of gravity for any startup has to stay where it belongs: with the customer.
Why this matters at KFactory
This is not an abstract principle - it shapes how we build at KFactory. The product roadmap follows the operational pain points that real manufacturers have on the line. Connect, Operate, and the broader Industry 4.0 platform are designed to deliver measurable outcomes for the customer first - and that customer-led posture is exactly what made the regional ecosystem worth defending in the first place.
Original article: "The Idyllic CEE Startup Ecosystem" on ITKey Media →