Interview with Michał Pierzchlewicz - CTO at TeaCode

Today, we’re excited to introduce Michał, co-founder and CTO of TeaCode—a company known for building high-quality digital products with a strong focus on the JavaScript/TypeScript ecosystem. With a background in control engineering and a passion for solving complex problems, Michał shares how TeaCode grew from a developer team into a full-cycle tech partner.

Thank you, Michał, for accepting our invitation.

Welcome to TechBehemoths, Michał! To set the mood, could you please introduce yourself, like your childhood, education, and how you've developed professionally?

Thank you for introducing me! My professional journey has truly been shaped by my fascination with how things work. I started my career as a Control Engineer, which provided me with a robust understanding of systems and problem-solving skills. This ultimately led me to co-found TeaCode in 2017, where I've been serving as CTO ever since.

Outside of work, my two biggest passions are physics and football. Understanding how the world functions has always intrigued me. I love delving into scientific concepts through channels like Veritasium and Neil deGrasse Tyson's StarTalk.

And then there's football! I've been a huge Manchester United fan since I was a kid. As anyone who follows the Premier League knows, the last decade hasn't exactly been easy for us supporters, but my dedication remains strong! I also love playing football myself. I might not have been blessed with the biggest talent, but I certainly have a lot of love for the game.

How did the idea for TeaCode come about, and what inspired you to co-found the company?

The idea for TeaCode actually emerged quite organically. For several years before we formally established the company in 2017, my future co-founders and I were already collaborating on various development projects. Formalizing TeaCode was simply a natural progression of that ongoing partnership.

My entry into IT projects truly began because people around me recognised my knack for coding. They'd reach out to me for help building solutions, such as web applications and mobile apps.

Things really kicked into high gear for us when Node.js and React.js gained significant traction. We made a strategic decision to invest heavily in deeply understanding and building expertise in these technologies, which ultimately became a cornerstone of TeaCode's early success.

You cover the entire product lifecycle—from discovery workshops to scaling and modernization. What makes TeaCode’s approach different from other development agencies?

At TeaCode, our journey through the entire product lifecycle - from initial discovery workshops to scaling and modernization - is shaped by a philosophy that sets us apart.

We actually started as a team of software developers, but it quickly became clear that building truly high-quality solutions demands more than just great code. This realization led us to systematically expand our team's competencies. We've brought in dedicated design, QA, product management, and digital marketing teams because we firmly believe that seamlessly integrating all these disciplines within a single team is absolutely critical for efficient and effective development. Our goal is to be a comprehensive IT partner for our clients, meaning we strive to provide the full spectrum of services they need to succeed.

On the other hand, we've remained incredibly focused on a narrow tech stack: the JavaScript/TypeScript ecosystem, primarily utilizing Node.js and React tooling. This disciplined approach has allowed us to specialize deeply and become exceptionally good at what we do within these technologies.

Finally, we are firm believers in continuous, iterative improvement in how we work. While we have a robust core for our project management and technical setup, with every new project or engagement, we actively seek to identify and implement one small improvement or upgrade. This commitment to constant refinement ensures we're always evolving and delivering better results.

TeaCode also offers consultancy and product strategy. Can you walk us through how you help clients make smarter tech and business decisions?

At TeaCode, empowering clients to make the best possible tech and business decisions is central to what we do. We've had the invaluable experience of building and observing countless products both succeed and fail, and this comprehensive insight forms the bedrock of our advisory capabilities.

Our primary goal is to help clients truly understand the technology at hand, its possibilities, and limitations. This deep knowledge enables them to choose the right solutions that align with their goals and ultimately make sound product and business decisions. For example, we guide clients through critical choices like when to opt for a modern solution that can accelerate development versus when to stick with a stable, thoroughly tested approach. We also help them understand how to achieve specific functionalities, shedding light on market standards and potential hidden challenges.

Rather than "consultancy," we see our role in this process as fostering transparent and proactive communication. We believe that information is absolutely key to making the right strategic choices, which is why we empower everyone on our team to communicate openly and directly. This ensures all parties have the full picture to make informed decisions, whether it's assessing the impact of new features or navigating complex technical pathways.

Ultimately, our clients' success is our success. When the solutions we build drive their revenue, it naturally strengthens our partnership for future investments.

You describe yourself as someone driven by solving the "unsolvable." Can you share an example of a particularly complex project you've successfully tackled at TeaCode?

For me, being driven by the "unsolvable" doesn't always mean a purely technical puzzle. Often, it's about navigating complex, unexpected business needs and finding a way to deliver under pressure. A great example of this involved a recent project for a US-based sports league web portal.

We had just kicked off the project with a clear, six-month development roadmap. However, about two weeks in, the client came to us with a critical oversight: they had a major conference in just four weeks, and they needed a functional version of the portal ready by then.

This was a curveball, but it's exactly the kind of challenge we thrive on. We immediately jumped into action. First, we engaged in rapid, focused communication with the client to pinpoint the absolute minimum viable features needed for the conference. Simultaneously, we swiftly assembled a dedicated, separate team to focus exclusively on this expedited four-week deliverable. We also made quick, strategic shifts in our design and technical approach for this urgent phase.

Thanks to this decisive action and collaborative effort, we successfully delivered a portal that not only met their crucial conference deadline but also managed to do so without jeopardizing the progress or long-term goals of the original six-month project. It was a testament to our agility and problem-solving under pressure.

In your view, what are the key trends in software development that CTOs should keep an eye on in the next 2-3 years?

From my perspective as a CTO, the two pivotal areas in software development that I'm closely monitoring over the near future are Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Quantum Computing.

AI is undeniably shaping how we approach software. From a development process perspective, I'm keenly observing how AI can intelligently improve the speed and quality of our work. This involves leveraging tools for automation, efficient testing, and smarter workflows. The goal is to augment our teams and boost efficiency, rather than replace human ingenuity.

From a feature and product perspective, my focus is on how AI can unlock entirely new capabilities. This ranges from smarter data processing to ensuring our systems can seamlessly interact with emerging AI interfaces, like making a website's information accessible to large language models.

This might be my "physics self" speaking, but quantum computing is a trend that, while not impacting daily development in the next 2-3 years, commands my long-term attention. Looking out 10-15 years, if practical applications emerge, quantum computing has the potential to revolutionize industries even more profoundly than AI. Keeping an eye on its advancements, particularly in error correction and stability, is crucial for anticipating the next wave of technological disruption.

Reflecting on your 10+ years in software development, what’s one lesson that’s shaped your career the most?

I believe the most impactful lesson that has shaped my career, and indeed TeaCode's approach, is the profound value of iteration over revolution. I learned this the hard way, through direct experience.

A few years back, we made a significant push to shift to 100% cloud-native development. While the vision was appealing, this proved to be too drastic a change for our operations at the time. It quickly led to a host of unanticipated problems and challenges that I hadn't correctly foreseen. This ambitious leap resulted in financial losses on a couple of projects, as we found ourselves scrambling to address issues that simply weren't on our radar beforehand.

That challenging experience was a powerful lesson. It underscored the importance of a more measured approach. For this reason, as I mentioned earlier, we now operate with a focus on small, iterative improvements, continuously refining our processes and technologies step by step. This allows us to adapt, learn, and grow without the high risks associated with drastic, revolutionary changes.

If you weren’t working in tech, what do you think you'd be doing instead?

Honestly, it's genuinely hard to say. My fundamental interest lies so deeply in understanding how things work that it feels almost inevitable I'd be engaged with technology in some capacity.

While my passion for physics is immense, I feel a professional path in that field might be too far removed from the practical, problem-solving world that truly energizes me.

And as for football, well, let's just say I can't imagine anyone seriously paying me to play with my current skill set!

So, when I really think about it, there isn't a clear or realistic alternative career path for me. Tech just feels like where I'm meant to be.

What’s one tech gadget or app you can’t live without?

This might come as a surprise, especially from a CTO, but honestly, I'm not a big gadget person. In fact, I often find that the less tech involved, the less that can go wrong. This philosophy also directly translates into our approach when we're designing solutions at TeaCode: the fewer moving parts, the less there is to break.

Funnily enough, I'm pretty much the mirror image of my co-founder, Jakub, in this regard. He's incredibly into gadgets and loves having everything connected via Bluetooth! So, while I don't have that one "can't live without" gadget myself, I definitely appreciate the balance our contrasting approaches bring to TeaCode.

If TeaCode had a company mascot, what would it be and why?

That's a fun question! Thinking about a company mascot brings back early memories of TeaCode. When we were a much smaller team of just a few developers, we were incredibly close-knit. That allowed for a lot of personal connection, and many of us even had nicknames based on what distinguished us individually.

If I were to pick a mascot that truly embodies TeaCode's spirit, I'd actually name one of our very early team members. Their unique qualities and contributions truly captured the essence of who we were becoming. However, I'll keep that specific name to myself for now!

And to conclude, please send a message and advice to our readers.

To wrap things up, here's a little thought to ponder: No worries, AI won't make you lose your job... quantum computing will! 😉 It's been great chatting!

TeaCode is one of the leading companies on TechBehemoths. If you like this interview and think that Michał and his team can help your business, don't hesitate to contact them via TechBehemoths or discover the agency on social media: LinkedIn.