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Ljiljana Kukec
Episode · #53

VRIJEME JE ZA GOSPODARSTVO Ljiljana Kukec

Guest Ljiljana KukecHosted by Darko BukovićMay 3, 2026
About this episode
What you'll hear in this conversation

Ljiljana Kukec's path into business started not with a grand plan, but with an instinct for what was missing. As a high school student in the 1970s, she saw an opportunity at a Rolling Stones concert and created a market for printed t-shirts in Yugoslavia where none existed. That early boldness set the tone for a career defined by being first, from opening Korčula's inaugural pizzeria to becoming a leading voice in Croatian franchising. She embodies the motto, "Be first and dare." This conversation explores how unconventional beginnings, a willingness to challenge assumptions, and a sharp eye for unmet needs can shape not just a career, but an entire industry. Readers will come away considering how their own early curiosities might hold the blueprint for future ventures.

Insights from the conversation
What to take from this episode
01
Seeing t-shirt printing machines at a Rolling Stones concert in 1976 sparked Ljiljana Kukec's first venture, bringing custom printed apparel to Yugoslavia where it was completely new. The businesses that truly disrupt don't just improve on existing products; they introduce categories the market didn't know it needed.
02
Placing a 4,500 Deutschmark ad on the back page of Arena magazine, against her partner's strong objections, yielded three boxes of orders that took a year to fulfill. When you believe in an idea, a single bold marketing move can validate its potential on a scale no spreadsheet could predict.
03
After receiving thousands of t-shirt orders from the Arena ad, Kukec had no supply chain—just demand. She sourced t-shirts from Pelister in Bitolj and set up production from scratch. True entrepreneurial agility often means building the infrastructure *after* the market has already told you it wants what you're selling.
04
The custom t-shirt business operated with a nearly 500% margin, a figure almost unimaginable today. When you are the first to introduce a product into a virgin market, the value you create is reflected in pricing power that disappears as competition arrives.
05
Opening the first pizzeria on Korčula, Number One, Kukec deliberately chose a "dead" part of town, against her husband's advice, and watched it become a bustling hub. You don't always need to follow the existing flow; sometimes, the best strategy is to create a new center of gravity where none existed.
06
While in Milan, Kukec worked as a cultural guide for thousands of employees and retirees of major Italian firms like Banca Popolare di Milano. Even seemingly tangential roles can build a deep understanding of corporate structures and client needs, proving valuable for later consulting ventures.
07
Ljiljana Kukec trained as an archaeologist and historian, a background seemingly far removed from her entrepreneurial career. The lesson isn't about abandoning your studies; it's that the ability to uncover hidden patterns and understand past trends—core to archaeology—translates directly into spotting unmet market needs.
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