RITAM POSLA Martina i Miroslav Vuković

Guest Martina i Miroslav VukovićHosted by Lidija KiseljakMay 3, 2026

Martina i Miroslav Vuković

About this episode

What you'll hear in this conversation

The idea of starting a business rarely begins with a grand plan; often, it starts with a simple curiosity. For Miroslav Vuković, it was reading online that beer could be made at home, sparking a hobby that would eventually become Pivski Mudraci. His wife Martina initially offered patient support from a couch in the attic, sometimes wondering if he *really* needed to brew again. This is not the story of a meticulously planned startup, but of a decade-long evolution from an improvised attic setup, complete with a hair dryer-heated fermentation chamber, to a brand now found on supermarket shelves. Martina and Miroslav Vuković share the unexpected turns of their path, from a small Croatian village to building a unique brewing operation. They reveal how resourcefulness, a touch of romanticism about wood-fired stoves, and a willingness to embrace an unconventional journey transformed a personal interest into a commercial venture. Their conversation offers a window into how deep personal conviction, even when initially unburdened by business ambitions, can ultimately shape a lasting enterprise, demonstrating that some of the best ideas emerge not from market analysis, but from a persistent, hands-on pursuit of what fascinates us.

Insights from the conversation

What to take from this episode

Miroslav's venture into homebrewing began simply because he read online that it was possible, not from a specific market opportunity or business plan. The most enduring ventures often begin not with a business strategy, but with a personal curiosity that simply demands to be explored.

Martina's early support for Miroslav's brewing involved sitting on a couch in the attic, drinking coffee, and chatting, even admitting she sometimes wondered if he *really* had to brew again. Early-stage support isn't always active participation; sometimes it's just patient presence, even with a touch of skepticism, that allows a nascent idea to grow.

Their first 'brewery' was in an attic, not a garage, because a garage wasn't available, and Martina 'didn't allow it in the kitchen.' Resourcefulness isn't about finding the ideal space; it's about making the most of the space you have, even if it means an improvised setup.

The early fermentation chamber was a small, two-square-meter improvised space, heated by a hair dryer in winter and cooled by frozen water bottles in summer. True innovation often starts with 'what if I just use this?' — leveraging everyday objects for highly specific technical functions, rather than waiting for custom equipment.

Pivski Mudraci still brews its beer on a wood-fired stove, a method Martina finds 'romantic' and that Miroslav describes as simply an energy source, believing it's unique in Croatia. A seemingly anachronistic production method can become a core differentiator, not just a quirk, if it's genuinely part of the product's identity and story.

The decision to formalize the business into a company happened in 2020, during the initial phase of the COVID pandemic, after Miroslav had purchased a new brewing system that sat in the garage for a year. Sometimes the signal to commit to a formal business isn't a clear market opening, but an accumulated readiness and the unexpected push of external circumstances.

Martina applied for 'Startup Hrvatska' right after opening the company, but before they had even brewed their first commercial batch, finding the questions about sales and annual revenue comical. Starting a business often means navigating formal processes designed for established entities, requiring a willingness to apply even when you don't fully fit the mold.

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