TEHNOBIZ Dražen Oreščanin

Guest Dražen OrešaniHosted by Dražen TomićMay 3, 2026

Dražen Orešani

About this episode

What you'll hear in this conversation

The Croatian IT market faces a defining tension: a strong outward push for export growth, met by an acute talent crunch at home. Companies are increasingly looking beyond local borders for revenue, yet the very people needed to drive that growth are becoming harder to find, often drawn to more flexible, tax-efficient arrangements like flat-rate sole proprietorships. Dražen Orešani, from Poslovna inteligencija, has navigated these shifts firsthand. His firm, now 140 people strong, made the strategic pivot to international markets over a decade ago, evolving from offering developer services to selling proprietary software solutions globally. He shares how external crises forced internal innovation and why today's talent landscape—shaped by legislative loopholes and new working models—demands a fundamental rethinking of how IT businesses grow and retain their most valuable asset. Readers will consider how their own growth strategies account for both global opportunity and local talent realities.

Insights from the conversation

What to take from this episode

When the 2009-10 crisis hit, Poslovna inteligencija faced a stark choice: reduce staff or find work abroad. That forced pivot to international markets became the foundation of their export-led growth, proving that external pressures can create entirely new business models if you refuse to shrink.

Poslovna inteligencija began by offering near-shore developer services, but their growth accelerated when they shifted to selling complete software solutions through a partner network. Relying on individual developer hours limits scale; a strong product with twenty global partners removes the ceiling imposed by your own headcount.

The rise of flat-rate sole proprietorships ('paušalni obrti') has created a significant challenge for IT firms, as experienced talent leaves traditional employment for more favorable tax treatment. This isn't a fault of employees or employers, but a legislative gap that treats the same work differently, inadvertently incentivizing talent to leave established companies.

When a worker can receive 17,000 kuna net as a sole proprietor compared to 10,000 kuna net as a traditional employee for the same work, the financial logic is undeniable. This creates an impossible retention challenge for companies, forcing them to compete not just on salary, but against an entire tax regime.

The issue with flat-rate sole proprietorships isn't just about individual choice; it’s a systemic problem where working exclusively for one client can be considered 'disguised employment,' allowing both parties to avoid full tax obligations. This regulatory ambiguity creates an uneven playing field and strains the traditional employer-employee model.

The threat of twenty percent of a company's workforce shifting to flat-rate sole proprietorships isn't hypothetical; it's a real and present danger that directly impacts project delivery and client commitments. This internal brain drain can destabilize even large, established firms, highlighting the urgency of a legislative solution.

Faced with a shrinking external talent pool, Poslovna inteligencija runs its 'Bird Internship' program, bringing in about fifteen graduates annually. When the market cannot supply the people you need, building an internal talent pipeline through structured education becomes a core business function, not a recruitment side project.

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