In 2007, I co-founded my first company with a friend, Till Carlos. We started small — just two people doing web design and coding jobs. But in 2009, we landed a pitch with the Wacken Festival and built a custom platform to manage staff, artists, and press during the event. That win led to the founding of empuxa, a name we chose because it means “to push” in Galician. And that’s what we wanted: to push things forward. Ideas. Code. People. We grew fast.

Our team in 2011.

But momentum doesn’t always mean longevity. In 2013, after a few intense years, my co-founder and I couldn’t find common ground to move forward — and so we shut empuxa down. The assets moved into my holding, Marco Raddatz GmbH, and I continued working solo. I enjoyed having time to focus on the projects, rather than dealing with HR topics.

Fast forward to 2019: My projects were growing, clients became larger, and I started building a team again. But something didn’t feel right. Operating under Marco Raddatz GmbH no longer matched the reality. It wasn’t just me anymore — and none of the brand names we explored resonated. Until we returned to the beginning: empuxa still felt right.

So in 2021, I brought it back — as a brand, a company, a mindset.

What I had to learn the hard way

It took me too long to accept something simple: I’m not a salesman. I’m a builder. A product lead. A strategist. I can’t sell things I don’t believe in — not to clients, not to my team, not to myself.

When I saw ideas that wouldn’t work, I spoke up. I challenged assumptions. I argued against features if I felt they would harm the product — even if it meant losing a deal. Some clients appreciated that. Others didn’t. It depended on their personality.

That got even tougher once a team relied on my decisions. Every “no” meant risk. Do I accept a bad project to cover salaries — or turn it down and risk jobs?

I’m a ENTJ personality and would always try to convince my clients, who I see as partners, of the best solution—not in terms of coding, but what’s best for business operations. That’s what clients either love or hate about me.

I only commit to ideas I believe in. That’s not always profitable, but always honest.

I tried to balance both. For a while, it worked. But deep down I knew: Trade-offs like that? Not my thing. Never were. I’m not a managing director at heart. If this were a public company, I wouldn’t want to be the CEO — I’m the CTO, the CPO. Someone who shapes products, not pipelines.

We wanted to be seen as an agency, rather than a software development company. We just didn’t know how to pull it off.

When history repeats

In 2022, empuxa lost a major client. A competitor approached us with an acquisition offer. We entered talks, made plans — and in 2023, it all fell apart. I lost a significant amount of money. It felt like history repeating itself — ten years after a similar experience with FORVM, who promised to acquire us after securing their Series A but failed to receive funding. It wasn’t just disappointing — it was exhausting.

That was the moment I knew: I can no longer lead a company where I carry the full weight. It compromises the clarity I need to do great work. It pulls me away from what I’m actually good at.

My focus is on the project

I don’t enjoy running a company. I enjoy building products — and when I do, I want to give it 100%. That leaves no time for sales, which is fine when I’m alone, but not when a team depends on it.

So I pulled the plug. Again.

Where I stand today

Shutting down empuxa for the second time felt final — and freeing. I’ve co-founded a few companies and held shares in others, but empuxa was always the most personal. Will I revive it a third time? Highly unlikely. But I still love the name, and since my email runs on it… it’s not going anywhere.

So here I am. Not as “the agency,” not with a sales pitch — but as someone who’s spent 15+ years building, breaking, and rebuilding software and teams. A product lead. An interim CTO. A sparring partner who’s not afraid to say the uncomfortable thing when it helps the product.

If you’re looking for clarity, energy, and someone who gives a damn — let’s talk.