The buyer is also selling, and the seller is also buying?
Marina Kolesnik
Speaking to some business people with limited M&A experience, I realized that they don’t fully appreciate that as a buyer, you're not just presenting an offer; you're selling the promise of a future. You have to convince a founder of the company you want to buy that you are the right partner to take the keys to their business.
And the seller? They aren't just cashing out. They are buying into your vision. They are making a deeply personal decision that goes far beyond the financial terms on a sheet of paper.
They are asking themselves questions that a financial model can’t fully capture:
- Will you be a true partner during the earn-out period and beyond?
- Will you take care of their team and clients?
- Will you provide their people with new opportunities for professional growth?
- Will you protect their legacy and make them proud of the company they built?
The most successful buyers understand this dual dynamic. They know that to buy the company, they first have to be bought as a partner. It’s the human side of the deal that ultimately makes it a true success.
M&A lawyers: The Unrecognized Architects of Business Reality
Tim Kogan
I've been reflecting on how much I admire truly exceptional M&A lawyers I've had the privilege to work with over the years.
These rare individuals aren't merely legal practitioners - they are demiurges of new business realities building them from logical models and verbal constructs.
While average lawyers operate within existing legal frameworks, these exceptional minds use legal structures as raw material to sculpt entirely new business paradigms. They don't just interpret legal boundaries and document the deal - they transform them into foundations for creation.
From Chile to India: DataArt's Strategic Expansion and New Horizons
Marina Kolesnik
The recent acquisition of ACL in Chile has significantly boosted hashtag#DataArt's capabilities in the region. With over 500 talented IT professionals joining our team to deliver innovative solutions, DataArt is now 1000 people strong in Latin America. Building on this momentum and our strengthened global presence, we are now strategically exploring new horizons.
India, with its dynamic tech landscape and an exceptional talent pool, is on our radar as a strategic frontier. I have been involved in business in India for 20 years now and have a large professional network of founders and entrepreneurs from Indian companies. This year, I'm particularly keen to connect with professionals within this vibrant Indian tech ecosystem to exchange insights on market trends, investment opportunities, and potential collaborations.
From Service to Strategy: The Indian IT Talent Transformation
Marina Kolesnik
When a leading Indian IT firm laid off 12,000 employees in July 2025, it revealed an uncomfortable truth: single-skill coding jobs are becoming extinct. But it also unveiled an opportunity that smart companies are already seizing.
Recently, I met with an innovative Indian tech company that's thriving precisely because they rejected the traditional outsourcing model. Their secret? They hire versatile technologists who think like product owners, code like architects, and strategize like consultants. These professionals don't just execute tasks - they solve complex business problems that AI can't touch.
The Indian tech ecosystem is undergoing a profound transformation. While anti-globalization policies and AI automation threaten traditional service models, they're also catalyzing a shift toward higher-value, diverse talent. Forward-thinking companies are already pivoting to new markets, with some experiencing explosive growth by serving regions beyond the US. The message is clear: in an AI-dominated future, human creativity, adaptability, and cross-functional expertise become the ultimate differentiators.
The question isn't whether Indian IT will survive - it's how quickly it can evolve.
Great momentum between ACL and DataArt teams - inspiring to see the partnership between both teams translating vision into action — driving meaningful innovation in data and AI across Latin America
Marina Kolesnik
“Wrapping up an incredible week filled with learnings, experiences, and fresh ideas that keep inspiring us to grow. It’s been a week full of meaningful conversations, new opportunities taking shape, and above all, great moments shared with amazing people — talented professionals, generous with their insights and full of positive energy.
This shows the strong commitment and drive from DataArt and ACL to advance technology, AI, and data across Latin America.
Big thanks to everyone for making it an amazing experience — and to all who traveled to be part of it!”
Ignacio Portus
CFO & COO at ACL
Poland’s Quiet Revolution – Why I’m Paying Attention PL
Marina Kolesnik
Over the past few years, I’ve had more and more conversations with founders in Central Europe - and Poland keeps coming up. Quietly, it’s reshaping its economy in ways that are hard to ignore.
On a purchasing-power-parity basis, hashtag#Poland’sGDP per capita has nearly caught up with Japan’s - roughly $49K vs $50K (IMF 2024). That means the average Pole can now buy almost as much as the average person in Japan. Ten years ago, that would’ve sounded impossible.
You can feel the momentum: €45 B in EU SAFE loans for defense, a new offshore wind project, €1B+ in e-health, and steady 3.9% GDP growth. The IT sector alone is projected to hit $31.6 B in 2025.
For founders, this isn’t just data - it’s an invitation. Poland combines world-class talent, competitive costs, and a stable, forward-looking economy.
I believe the next wave of scalable IT growth may start not in Silicon Valley, but in Warsaw.
