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Lorenzo Gašparić
Episode · #192

PAMETNA HRVATSKA Lorenzo Gašparić

Guest Lorenzo GašparićHosted by Boris ŽivkovićMay 3, 2026
About this episode
What you'll hear in this conversation

Lorenzo Gašparić runs Fortis Labor, a company whose name translates from Latin to 'strong work.' That ethos underpins their approach to building software: identifying a real problem, solving it, and only then seeking external validation and funding. Gašparić and his team developed their core product, SOM System, not just once, but twice using EU funds, starting from a deeply personal need within their own business. This conversation explores how Fortis Labor built its suite of 'SOM' applications — from tools for small businesses to specialized platforms for sports clubs and municipalities. You will hear how a digital solution, initially designed to streamline internal invoicing and communication, evolved into a suite that reveals the true payment habits of clients and frees sports coaches from administrative burdens. It is a story of disciplined product development, strategic scaling within specific niches, and the unexpected impact of digitalization on everything from cash flow to COVID contact tracing.

Insights from the conversation
What to take from this episode
01
The SOM System was initially built to manage Fortis Labor's own invoicing and client communication. The most robust products often emerge from solving an internal problem first, not from external market research alone — the internal user is the most demanding test case.
02
Gašparić found that once client interactions were digitalized, 'the numbers showed me that some companies were much better payers than I thought, and some were not.' Digitalizing client interactions isn't just about efficiency; it provides an unvarnished view of business relationships, often revealing which clients are truly reliable when personal impressions are set aside.
03
Sports clubs, from small amateur groups to large organizations with 400 children across 15 training groups, were handling membership fees and attendance with 'piles of paper' and 'boards where they write who paid.' Many overlooked segments still rely on manual, paper-based processes, presenting an opportunity for digital solutions that simplify daily operations and free up core personnel.
04
A process that previously took a sports club a week to manage — creating and sending membership fee invoices to parents — now takes 'literally a few seconds' with the SOM Sport application. The true value of a digital tool for an underserved niche isn't just in automating tasks, but in radically collapsing the time spent on administrative overhead, allowing professionals to focus on their primary mission.
05
Fortis Labor chose to focus on small businesses, startups, and OPGs with its SOM System, explicitly stating, 'for now, we are not looking at larger systems like Zagreb Holding.' Prioritizing depth and utility within a specific, often underserved, market segment can be more strategic than chasing large, complex enterprise clients too early.
06
The SOM Sport application was adapted to track contact for athletes during the coronavirus pandemic, automating a process that previously generated over 50 manual paper forms per week for a single club with 13 groups. Unexpected, high-friction regulatory or health crises can become a powerful driver for adoption, proving the immediate utility of a digital platform beyond its initial scope.
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