When Dreams Meet Reality
A company does not grow through good ideas alone. It grows because people believe in those ideas. During the Piramedia years, I met many exceptional people. Some traveled with us for only a short part of the road. Others became an important part of our story. Each brought their own talents. Their own expectations. Their own dreams. I have always believed that a company becomes stronger when people with different qualities bring their knowledge together.
That is why I never tried to do everything myself. Quite the opposite. I looked for people who knew more than I did in areas where my own knowledge was limited. I had always worked that way. I never needed to be the smartest person around the table. I simply wanted to bring the right people together around that same table. That was also Piramedia's philosophy. The business experience gained over many years formed one of the foundations of our project.
Marco brought his knowledge of computers and new technologies. Cristina made sure the daily organization continued to function even when we were completely absorbed in developing a new project. Alongside them, programmers, graphic designers, and technical specialists worked with us. Each person contributed an indispensable piece of the great puzzle we were trying to assemble. Sometimes everything seemed to move forward almost by itself. At other times, different ideas collided.
That is inevitable when passionate people try to create something new together. I have never believed that a good team consists of people who all think alike. Quite the opposite. Very often, it was precisely our differing opinions that ultimately led us to the best solutions. But in my eyes, one condition always remained essential. Respect. We could disagree. We could debate vigorously. We could even conclude that one of my ideas was not the right one.
But we always did so with respect for one another. That is the attitude I have tried to embody throughout my life. I still remember meetings that lasted far longer than expected. Not because we argued, but because no one was satisfied with a superficial answer. Everyone wanted to understand. Everyone wanted to contribute. That gave me confidence.
As time passed, however, I began to understand that a growing company brings not only more opportunities, but also more and more obligations. In the beginning, we were carried mainly by enthusiasm. But enthusiasm was no longer enough. Professional demands kept increasing. Deadlines. Financial reports. Contracts. Commitments. Responsibilities. Our dream now also needed structure and discipline. That was, of course, entirely normal.
But little by little, the atmosphere began to change. Not because the enthusiasm had disappeared, but because the pressure increased every month. I absorbed much of that pressure within myself. When a customer had a problem, I wanted to solve it immediately. When a factory asked a question, I tried to answer it the same day.
When one of our colleagues was going through a difficult period, I wanted to help. It was particularly hard for me to say no. That quality had often helped me in life. But it also made me vulnerable. I carried many worries in silence. Not because anyone demanded it of me.
But because I believed an entrepreneur had to protect the people who worked with him. Perhaps in this way I ultimately carried far more on my shoulders than one man should ever carry. Looking back today, I understand that leadership does not mean only walking in front. It also means daring to trust others. Setting limits. And sometimes having the courage to let go.
But I had not yet learned that lesson. I wanted to support everything. Solve everything. Hold everything together. Because I sincerely believed we were building something exceptional. And that conviction was genuine. No one worked only for themselves. We were working together toward a future. A future we hoped would permanently transform the ceramic world.
But life teaches us that even the most beautiful dreams are tested when they meet reality. Not necessarily to destroy them, but to reveal the strength of the foundations upon which they were built. For us, that test was slowly drawing closer. Not abruptly. Not with a great crash.
But almost without our noticing it. The pressure increased. The worries grew. And at first, we still told ourselves:
"It will pass."
Only much later did we understand... that the storm had actually already begun.