How it all started
We started Graffino about 10 years ago. The web was young back then. We were too. A bunch of dreamers who worked well together and wanted to change the world.
We were going through various names and designs until I stumbled onto “Graffino” due to a misheard name on a call with Marius.
Late 2009, after a lot of debates, sleepless nights and tinkering we went online:
This is how our story started. And here we are … this is our “there and back again”.
What defines us
Last year, we decided to revisit our identity and website, as it was high time for a change. We went though a rebranding roughly every five years. Yes, that’s twice in our lifetime, with a little “dark age” in the middle.
I think we always loved our first logo, because its warmth, its smooth lines and the sense of perfection it enshrined. With this iteration, we wanted to go back to that feeling, that essence that’s so quintessential to us. Marius helped us figure out who we really are, and how we changed along the way.
We’ve gone back to our roots and it’s like we’re starting again. But this time, we’re shaped by our past experiences and knowledge. It’s time for us to bloom again.
The website mirrors our environment: the colors are a copy of our code editor color scheme, as is the beautiful Inconsolata Monotype font. The black and gold combine to create a luxurious look, that embodies the value that our work creates.
A lot of work went into the small details of the website, the custom calendar and small animations. All work in concert to represent who we’ve become.
What does it take to build a successful company?
This is a question we receive a lot, and everyone expects a simple answer. The answer is that there is no simple answer. There is no formula for building a successful business, you just have to put in the work and try to learn from your past mistakes. Time is a good provider of experience.
What did work for us:
Coding our DNA
It took a lot of time to define who we are, how we work and what we want to achieve. Figuring what your core values are, your purpose and vision is hard. Find them and code them into your company’s DNA.
Your company has to have a vision, core values, and purpose. If you don’t have them, you’re just like everybody else.
Building our dream team
Each one of our employees is valuable to us. We encourage them to speak freely and we invest a lot of time and work into developing them. They have a say in the direction of the company and we share our revenue with them. New employees are vetted by everyone because they will be the ones working with him/her. Each of them is unique and they often complete each other.
Our team is our most valuable asset. Their failure is our failure, and their success is our success.
Create value
We treat our client’s business as our own. We take a pragmatic approach, analyze the business and requirements, then focus on solving the most issues where we can have the biggest impact. In fewer words, what we deliver has to convert. If a client wants a website just for the sake of having a website, we won’t do it. If the application we’re tasked to build, has no clear later application or value, we simply will not build it.
We analyze, build, measure and correct. If you cannot measure the impact of your project, then you’ve failed.
Your work has to create value for your customer. If it does, his business will grow and he will bring in more business for you. It’s that simple.
It’s been a hell of a ride till now, and I can’t wait for the next ten years. Lastly, I want to extend our gratitude to Constantin, Marius, and Nick, without them, we wouldn’t have made it. Thanks to our friends at NTT Data Romania and Agile Freaks for staying with us through rough times, and helping us grow.
Special mention to Andra Zaharia for perfecting our website copy, and to all of our clients and friends, that contributed to our success.