11/05/2026
Most organizations donโt struggle because they lack strategy.
They struggle because they over-index on ex*****on.
Last week at Stripe Bucharest, together with Anne Dumitrache, we hosted the seventh event, part of the โUpskilling the Romanian IT Industryโ pilot series, called ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐น๐ณ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ฝ & ๐ฆ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ด๐ถ๐ฐ ๐ฉ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป.
A big thank you to Stripe and Aleodor Tabarcea for hosting us and for supporting conversations that challenge how we think about leadership, contribution, and impact in the Romanian tech ecosystem. ๐
One of the core ideas discussed throughout the evening was that strategic thinking is often misunderstood.
We tend to associate strategy with hierarchy: something created โat the topโ and executed elsewhere.
But in reality, ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ด๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด๐น๐ ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ผ๐ฝ๐น๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ผ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ธ ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ด๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐น๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐น, professionals who understand context, make intentional decisions, prioritize effectively, and connect their work to broader business outcomes.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ฒ๐ป๐ด๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ถ๐บ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐ฎ๐๐๐๐บ๐ฝ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป: ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ด๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ผ๐ป๐น๐ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ๐ฝ-๐ฑ๐ผ๐๐ป. ๐๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐ฎ๐น๐๐ผ ๐ฏ๐๐ถ๐น๐ ๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐๐ผ๐บ-๐๐ฝ.
A few ideas particularly resonated with the audience:
๐น Strategic thinking starts long before a leadership title
๐น The difference between ex*****on and strategy often comes down to perspective, not seniority
๐น ๐ข๐ฟ๐ด๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐บ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐น๐๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ป ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ผ๐ฝ๐น๐ฒ ๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ผ๐ป๐น๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ ๐ฑ๐ผ, ๐ฏ๐๐ ๐ช๐๐ฌ ๐ถ๐ ๐บ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐.
๐น Self-leadership means taking ownership not only of tasks, but also of direction, prioritization, and impact
๐น In fast-moving environments, the ability to zoom out becomes just as important as the ability to deliver
Because when everything feels operational, there is little room left for reflection, long-term thinking, or intentional prioritization.
And yet, those are exactly the capabilities increasingly required from future leaders.
On stage, the discussion was guided by:
๐๏ธ Aleodor Tabarcea - Engineering Manager @ Stripe
๐๏ธ Anne Dumitrache - Trainer, Coach & Organizational Psychologist
Perhaps the strongest takeaway from the evening was this:
๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ณ๐๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐น๐ผ๐ป๐ด๐ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ผ๐ป๐น๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ผ๐ฝ๐น๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ผ ๐ฒ๐
๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐น๐น, ๐ฏ๐๐ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ผ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ผ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ฏ๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐
๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐
๐, ๐ผ๐๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ฝ, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป.
More events, discussions, and learning experiences are being prepared by Anne Dumitrache as part of the โUpskilling the Romanian IT Industryโ series, bringing together leaders, practitioners, and communities willing to challenge how we work, lead, and grow in the AI era.
Stay tuned for the next editions. ๐
Entrepreneurially yours,
Andra Ghibuศiu & Grรฉgoire Vigroux
