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Ivo Špigel
Episode · #329

PSIHOLOGIJA USPJEHA Ivo Špigel

Guest Ivo ŠpigelHosted by Tanja PuretaMay 3, 2026
About this episode
What you'll hear in this conversation

Ivo Špigel has spent decades building one of Croatia's earliest IT firms, Perpetuum Mobile, yet he describes himself as a 'techno-skeptic.' This isn't a contradiction for him; it's the core of his perspective on digitalization. He sees technology not as an independent force, but as 'a mirror of civilizational development,' reflecting and amplifying society's tendencies, for better or worse. As a co-owner and board member, Špigel has guided businesses through the rapid shifts of the digital age, from the early days of IT to the accelerated adoption seen during the pandemic. His insights come from the practical trenches of implementing solutions for clients like Atlantic Group, grappling with the question he posed in his column collection: 'Where is this going?' This conversation explores that tension — how technology pushes businesses to change, and how businesses, in turn, shape technology's evolution. Readers will leave with a more considered understanding of tech's role, not just as a tool for efficiency, but as a powerful amplifier of human choices.

Insights from the conversation
What to take from this episode
01
Ivo Špigel has spent his career in IT, building one of Croatia's earliest tech companies, yet his Twitter bio describes him as a 'techno-skeptic.' Your deepest convictions about your field might be counter-intuitive; those tensions often provide the most valuable perspective, rather than a simple embrace.
02
Špigel describes technology not as an independent force, but as 'a mirror of civilizational development,' reflecting and amplifying society's tendencies, good or bad. It's not the tool that's ethical, but the intent and values of the society that wields it.
03
During the pandemic, even segments of state administration that seemed resistant to change 'rapidly, successfully, and efficiently digitalized.' Crisis can force faster digital adoption than years of strategic planning; the barrier isn't always technical capacity, but the perceived urgency to act.
04
Perpetuum Mobile sees its role as helping clients 'use technology for their benefit,' and Špigel notes they 'most often initiate, encourage, and propose' new solutions. For an IT service provider, the job isn't just to implement; it's to anticipate and educate, showing clients problems they didn't know they had, then solving them.
05
Špigel compares critical IT infrastructure work — like servers and networks — to plumbers and electricians: 'after they do their job well and go home, you hope you never have to call them again.' The most valuable work often goes unnoticed precisely because it works, while visible front-end flair gets the awards and champagne.
06
When asked how much an IT company needs to understand its clients' business, Špigel explains it depends on how close the solution is to core operations. The deeper an IT solution integrates into a client's business processes, the more the provider must understand the client's actual business, not just their IT department.
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