MISLIŠTE Kristijan Matijašević

Guest Kristijan MatijaševićHosted by Sandro KraljevićMay 3, 2026

Kristijan Matijašević

About this episode

What you'll hear in this conversation

After two decades leading marketing teams in large corporations, Kristijan Matijašević made a decisive shift: he launched his own consulting agency, Abnormal Agency. His transition wasn't a sudden leap but a calculated move, driven by a growing weariness with corporate life and a long-held desire for independence. Matijašević challenges conventional notions of corporate security and the very definition of marketing itself, arguing that most businesses mistake communication for the real work. His perspective is shaped by a holistic view of the market, combining client-side experience with agency insights. He contends that effective marketing is less about flashy campaigns and more about deeply understanding a company's financials and identifying overlooked revenue opportunities. Matijašević's firm focuses on what he calls Revenue Growth Management — not just increasing sales, but ensuring that growth is profitable and sustainable. This conversation offers a clear-eyed look at what it means to transition from employee to owner, the true drivers of business growth, and how a contrarian mindset can redefine an entire industry.

Insights from the conversation

What to take from this episode

After two decades in corporations, Kristijan Matijašević felt "a bit tired" in his forties and initially planned to spend a year or two "just playing tennis" before starting his own business. The internal signal to exit a long career often comes not from a grand strategy, but a simple sense of exhaustion, and the next step is often forced by circumstance before it's fully ready.

When asked about leaving corporate security, Kristijan Matijašević immediately questions "how secure that security actually is." The perceived safety of corporate employment is often an illusion, and recognizing that can be the first step toward building your own venture.

Kristijan Matijašević named his company Abnormal Agency because, as he puts it, "if everything else on the market is normal, then I am abnormal." A distinctive brand name can signal a contrarian approach, immediately positioning your offering against the conventional wisdom of your industry.

For Kristijan Matijašević, "communication is not the truth, or it's ten percent of the truth" of marketing; its core is "numbers, money, finances, revenue." Most businesses mistake marketing for messaging, but its real purpose is to drive measurable financial outcomes.

A true marketer, for Kristijan Matijašević, doesn't "create a sweet campaign with a nice TV spot"; they "dig deep into the business" to analyze operations and uncover missed opportunities. Real marketing solves business problems, not just communication challenges.

Kristijan Matijašević stresses that Revenue Growth Management isn't just about increasing revenue, but about doing so "profitably and long-term." Any company can boost top-line numbers temporarily, but the true test of strategy is what remains after costs, and whether that growth can be sustained.

As an external consultant, Kristijan Matijašević observes that he sees opportunities because he is "not burdened by some things that corporations are internally burdened with." Even established companies often overlook clear paths to growth because internal teams are too close to daily operations or entrenched ways of thinking.

Kristijan Matijašević describes his "professional deformation" — walking through a supermarket and immediately seeing "many opportunities that are not being used" on the shelves. For an expert, the market's hidden potential isn't just in reports; it's visible in everyday observations if you know how to look.

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