People often ask me how we've managed to grow Apify so fast without losing what makes it special. As VP of People, I've had a front-row seat to watching our headcount double, then double again, while somehow becoming an even better place to work. Honestly? It's not magic. It's just about staying true to what we said we'd be from day one: open, driven, responsible, flexible, and a real team.
Growing up, scaling up
Early in my career in Prague, I worked at GoodData during their global expansion. We went from a Prague startup to opening offices in San Francisco, managing teams across multiple time zones, and building all the infrastructure needed to handle that kind of rapid international growth.
Those were really exciting times, but watching that process taught me that culture doesn't just happen automatically - you have to be incredibly intentional about preserving what makes your company special while everything else seems to be changing around you. It's not enough to hope people will figure it out or that good culture will naturally survive the pressure. You need people actively thinking about it, creating ways for people to stay connected, and figuring out how to keep that shared understanding alive when your team is suddenly not all in one place.
Stuck with the right people
When I joined Apify, I could see something special right away. Fundamentally, the founders were building the type of company they'd always wanted to work for.
They wanted to build a place where people could be open with each other, make real impact, and flexible enough to handle the curveballs without compromising on results. Where you could take ownership, move fast, and build something meaningful, all while actually enjoying the people you work with every day.
Even my hiring process showed me what this place was all about. After my interview lunch, I got stuck in an elevator with the senior team for 20 minutes. Instead of any awkward tension or checking our phones, we just made the best of it and had a lot of laughs. They even joked that they wouldn't let me out until I signed my contract. But really, it showed me exactly how this team handles the unexpected - with humor, together, and without anyone panicking.
The infrastructure for culture
The Apify platform has gone from handling thousands of requests to millions. And along with that, my role has grown from hiring and onboarding to something much bigger: helping our international team stay connected to our core values while serving customers all around the world.
When I started, we didn't have a dedicated recruiter. I hired our first one, Kaja, and we built our entire hiring framework together - focusing on brilliant people who are genuinely great to work with. Curious, resourceful people who share Apify’s values and know how to get things done. Then give them the space to do it.
Once we grew past the point where everyone knew everyone, we had to get creative about keeping our collaborative vibe alive. So, one thing we did was to start using the Donut app that, if you opt in, randomly matches Apifiers from different teams for coffee and conversation. It's amazing - suddenly you're chatting with someone from another team who you might rarely get a chance to chat with.
Onboarding became something we're really proud of. New hires get multi-day conversations with our CEO and all our team leaders about how we actually operate. They’re paired with a buddy, and we check in regularly for three months. Not formal reviews, just real check-ins. And our team leaders? They’re the backbone, they naturally show people what it means to work at Apify.
Staying flexible
Real flexibility isn't about policies or tracking vacation days. At Apify, we trust people to manage their own time and get their work done. When you remove the artificial barriers between work and life, people perform better.
This creates space for everyone to handle what matters to them. Whether that's personal commitments, pursuing passions outside work, or simply having the mental bandwidth to do their best thinking. People can be fully present wherever they are - a challenging task, collaborating with teammates, or handling personal priorities - and bring their best energy to their projects.
For me as a mom, this means I can show up for my daughters when they need me and love what I do at work.
Cutting through the fog
New people are always surprised by our level of transparency. They get access to company results and KPIs that many places keep private. Our monthly All-hands meetings and after-party include open dialog sessions where anyone can ask any question, and leadership is genuinely approachable - grabbing coffee or a beer in the kitchen or staying at the party for a laugh.
This transparency is so important as you scale. When everyone understands the bigger picture - how we're doing, where we're headed, what challenges we're facing - they can make better decisions in their daily work. People don't have to guess what matters or wonder if they're focusing on the right things.
I also work closely with our team leaders, constantly asking what's working and what needs to change. We've built clear expectations for every role and created a culture where honest feedback isn't something to fear. We call it radical candor - caring enough about each other to have the hard conversations when necessary.
What people-first really means
All of this - the transparency, the open feedback, the trust-based flexibility - comes down to one simple philosophy: take care of your people, and they'll take care of everything else. When people feel genuinely supported, they don't just show up. They innovate, solve problems proactively, and stick around to build something meaningful.
This approach attracts exactly the kind of people you want to work with - those who bring both talent and perspective to their work. They care about doing great things at Apify, but they also have rich lives outside the office. That balance actually makes them better colleagues and more creative problem-solvers.
Growing without growing apart
Part of my job is keeping that startup feeling alive. These days, that means figuring out how someone in Lisbon or San Francisco can feel as connected to our mission and culture as someone here in Prague. I'm working to preserve those spontaneous conversations and shared energy while helping Apify keep innovating for developers and customers worldwide - and to be the company we all want to work in.
At the end of the day, it comes back to those five things we said we'd be: open, driven, responsible, flexible, and a real team. As long as we keep hiring people who embody those values and give them space to do their best work, the rest will take care of itself.
