Entrepreneur #22 out of 100: Konrad Pawlus from Krakow, Poland

Konrad Pawlus didn’t grow up with early access to tech: he got his first laptop at 17. But that didn’t stop him from co-founding SALESmanago, one of Europe’s largest and most influential marketing automation platforms, and successfully exiting the company as CTO.

As I mentioned in the last episode, I recorded this conversation in Krakow, where I was hosting a congress. I asked around for local founders to meet, and someone recommended Konrad. Her previous boss, she said, had exited his company and now owned a huge Barbie collection. It turned out it was a bit more nuanced than that, but ofcourse I was curious. Twenty-four hours later, we were recording this episode.

We talk about the mental load of entrepreneurship and how Konrad found a way to balance that pressure: by collecting LEGO minifigures. In true founder style, he automated the entire process. Eventually, the collection outgrew his house and became a full-blown museum.

In this episode, we explore the one thing that helps him step away from the daily intensity of building companies:
💡 Why every founder needs a hobby💡 How stepping away from work can create space for new ideas💡 And why Konrad insists his museums are not businesses (even though they’re run like one)

A sharp and personal conversation about focus, energy, and the unexpected benefits of building something just for yourself.