Navigating the Path to Entrepreneurial Success through Passion and Opportunity!
Life often presents opportunities and pathways, and those who embrace them can savor the taste of success. Janez Sterle, Founder and CEO of INTERNET INSTITUTE Ltd., embarked on his career as a lecturer and researcher at a university. While he initially didn’t envision a future in the telecommunications business, his journey eventually led him to create his own startup, driven by a passion for technology and problem-solving.
During his tenure at the university, Janez had the privilege of working with emerging technologies. This experience opened his eyes to the immense potential they held, inspiring him to take the entrepreneurial leap. Although telecommunications wasn’t a childhood dream, his active involvement in various projects during his academic career exposed him to real-life challenges and opportunities.
Janez’s sense of responsibility led him to cover his own expenses as a student, a valuable lesson that taught him the importance of being passionate about one’s work. He reflects, “Meeting interesting people and interacting with them in different environments gave me a strong foundation for the future, and I finally realized what it truly means: ‘You need to be passionate about what you do.’ And with this important life lesson, my professional career naturally evolved in the direction where I am now.”
Janez Sterle’s journey serves as a testament to the power of embracing opportunities and following one’s passion. From his beginnings as a lecturer and researcher to becoming the founder of INTERNET INSTITUTE Ltd., he exemplifies how seizing the right moment can lead to a fulfilling and successful career.
Below are the highlights of the interview:
Overcoming Challenges with a Strong Team
When Janez embarked on his entrepreneurial journey, he and his team courageously ventured into the business world without prior knowledge of crucial aspects like marketing and accounting. Moreover, they established their selling and distribution channels without the support of venture capitalists. Janez acknowledges that setbacks and challenges have been, and continue to be, an integral part of their startup journey. However, he firmly believes that with self-confidence and unwavering trust in one’s team, there are no insurmountable obstacles. Janez emphasizes that the key to success for any startup lies within the team, and everything else can be replaced. This entrepreneurial spirit and reliance on teamwork have been pivotal in Janez’s journey to overcome challenges and pursue success.
Navigating the Telecommunications Sector with Innovation
At INTERNET INSTITUTE, Janez and his team offer a diverse range of product lines and support services. Their expertise spans various areas, including mobile performance and quality metrics development, mobile system testing, benchmarking, quality monitoring, and SLA assurance. They also excel in the design, deployment, and operation of robust 5G infrastructures, ensuring connectivity services in critical communication sectors. INTERNET INSTITUTE caters to telecommunications, corporate, and vertical industrial sectors, providing services such as performance monitoring, SLA assurance, benchmarking, and end-to-end validation of communication infrastructures and services. Additionally, they offer on-site critical communications, smart sensing, and intervention monitoring services customized for public safety and critical infrastructures.
Janez’s research and innovation (R&I) background keeps the company constantly searching for disruptive concepts to find innovative solutions for the telecommunications sector. He firmly believes that in a rapidly evolving industry, staying at the forefront requires ongoing improvements to existing solutions and expanding into new business areas.
His vision for the company centers on continued growth, underpinned by a foundation of advanced technological know-how and portfolios that position them ahead of competitors. Janez recognizes that R&I efforts are vital for maintaining a competitive edge, allowing INTERNET INSTITUTE to develop and enhance products and services sustainably.
He proudly notes that their successful establishment of strong international partnerships in 2020 and 2021 sets the stage for future growth. Their priorities include building a reliable and dedicated team with strong ethics and moral values, along with a portfolio of innovative products and solutions that incorporate cutting-edge knowledge. Janez acknowledges the competitiveness of the industry but firmly believes that courage and innovation are rewarded in the ever-evolving landscape of telecommunications.
Academia to Entrepreneurship
Janez’s path to becoming the CEO of INTERNET INSTITUTE marked a significant transition, one that required him to leave behind a 15-year academic career. Throughout this journey, he invested immense energy and hard work into academia before making the bold decision to start anew.
As CEO, he shoulders the responsibility of overseeing every aspect of the company while maintaining high team morale and motivation. Janez highlights that a majority of their current employees are co-owners of the company, a dynamic that naturally fuels motivation. The team’s shared understanding revolves around the idea that their collective strength and success are amplified when they work together. This cooperative ethos is deeply embedded in their organizational culture, with team members exhibiting strong ethics and a sense of professional responsibility. They are keenly aware that, as co-owners, their contributions of time and energy directly shape their own employment and daily realities.
When reflecting on his most significant professional achievement, Janez takes immense pride in his role in assembling a motivated and skilled young team during his tenure at the university. What makes this accomplishment truly remarkable is that, even after many years, the team remains united, continually building their story and pushing it beyond the horizon.
Love and Business
Janez’s journey from academia to entrepreneurship not only transformed his professional life but also played a pivotal role in his personal life. It was during his tenure at the university that he found the love of his life, and their relationship has been deeply intertwined with his career.
In a unique twist, Janez’s wife happens to be one of the founding members of INTERNET INSTITUTE, making their private and professional lives closely interconnected. This shared involvement in the business world has created a profound understanding between them. They are both well aware of each other’s professional commitments and business obligations, which grants them the flexibility to seamlessly integrate their personal and work lives into their daily schedules.
This mutual understanding not only allows them to efficiently manage their respective workloads but also nurtures their personal growth and enriches their time together. Janez and his wife have found a way to strike a harmonious balance between their individual pursuits and the joys of their shared life.
Strategic Vision for Industry Expansion
Janez and his dedicated team at INTERNET INSTITUTE have set their sights on expanding their services across various sectors, with a strong emphasis on logistics, critical infrastructures, the factories of the future, and public safety systems. These sectors represent significant areas of growth and innovation for the company.
Recognizing the transformative power of emerging technologies, Janez and his team have identified 5G, Cloud computing, IoT (Internet of Things), and AI (Artificial Intelligence) as the key drivers that will shape the future of industries. They believe that these technologies will have a profound impact on how businesses operate and deliver services in the coming years.
To stay at the forefront of these advancements, INTERNET INSTITUTE has made substantial investments in establishing robust international partnerships and fostering a development ecosystem. This strategic approach aims to facilitate the growth of a larger and more skilled team while proactively cultivating advanced expertise in the core technology fields mentioned earlier. By doing so, the company is positioning itself to lead the way in harnessing the potential of these transformative technologies and driving innovation across industries.
