Uncapped was founded in 2019 and, in those short 4 years, has repeatedly developed, changed and iterated. While our mission of supporting founders remains the same, we look vastly different from the company we were in those earlier days. 

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One thing that has remained consistent, however, is our immovable, unflappable and out-and-out legend, Kamil ‘Rudy’ Dobrzynski, who is part of Uncapped’s DNA, joining the company in the Autumn of 2019 as one of Uncapped’s first hires. 

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We look different. He looks different. His role looks different. And all in all, there have been a multitude of changes both as a company and the world we live in. 

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So we sat down with Rudy to find out a little bit more about his history, what he is currently doing in his role of Director of Engineering, and what excites him about the future of Uncapped.

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So tell us what you were up to before Uncapped?  

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"The common thread throughout my career has been the financial services industry and have been working in financial companies for over a decade. 

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From the private banking sector and fintech startups all the way up to Poland’s biggest B2C lender, I have seen it all in the finance space and have been making tools that improve the finance space for customers as a developer and engineer."

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So what brought you to Uncapped and what attracted you to the company? 

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"I remember it so well. It had just gone the 1st October 2019. I was around 30 years old and had just experienced the first failure of being in the startup space. I really wanted to pursue another opportunity in the startup world as I had a feeling it would be my last opportunity to dedicate myself to a ‘risky’ role without any form of safety net. 

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Back then, I set myself the challenge of applying to different companies every year to examine the market as well as stay sharp as nothing challenges you like being examined in this way. 

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I would always apply to three companies. 1 big, 1 medium sized and 1 small. In 2019,as coincidence would have it, the small company I applied to just so happened to be Uncapped. 

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I was happy where I was but after speaking with the CEO and founder, Piotr and hearing his passion and plans for the business, I was won over and decided to join the small but talented team."

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So it’s been 4 years since then. How has the company developed since you started?

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"In a word: dramatically. 

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When I started, we had 6 people. Four in Warsaw and two in London. As is the story with a lot of early stage startups, we each wore a lot of hats and each played the part of three or four people. We were scrappy and would often have to get highly creative to make our ideas come to life.

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Today, we have grown in size and now have much better coverage across disciplines that ensures work is of the highest quality. 

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We now have 70 talented people based around the world. And while that scrappiness hasn't left the DNA of the company, we today feel like a very mature organisation and are prepared to face and overcome any of the challenges that we face through exceptional hiring and processes designed for this next stage of our journey."

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And how has your role developed since you started? 

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"As I said, we were a team of 6 when I started and I was one of the few with developer capabilities so it fell to me to code the entire Uncapped system. It was a completely new project for everyone so a lot of research and groundwork was needed in those early days. 

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But through this early work, we made many decisions that are with us today so it really felt like we helped to create the framework that still exists to this day. 

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Since then, we have brought in more developers and engineers so thankfully it isn’t just me anymore but as we have done so, I have worked my way up in the company and now operate in a more managerial role rather than an execution role. I now enjoy empowering my team and helping to ensure everything is in place to enable them to execute to the highest standard possible and ship expert work. 

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It has been a big shift in managing my time to managing the time of tens of people but I have enjoyed developing professionally and personally to be able to effectively tackle problems, propose solutions and achieve results that drive the business forward."

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What has been your favourite moment working at Uncapped?

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"It is hard to narrow down just one as there have been so many moments I cherish. The first customer. The first time a customer onboarded using our platform. The first company retreat. Awards. Series raises. All of them had something different and each indicated another big step for the company on our journey of growth."

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What excites you for the future of Uncapped? 

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"I think what excites me the most is the market opportunity for Uncapped. It’s huge! For example, every quarter, banks issue hundreds of billions of pounds in SME lending in the UK alone. 

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Most of it is done with a tremendous amount of paperwork, unfavourable processes, rates and terms for founders and growing businesses. Not to mention a whole lot of wasted time. 

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With Uncapped vision to simplify things and provide our customers with best in class service we could really save them hours as well as a whole lot of headaches thereby allowing them to focus on what they do best; changing the world around them.

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We are such a young company, already achieving so much and with more groundbreaking announcements coming soon. The future is really exciting."

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What advice would you have for new starters? 

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"Do not look for instructions, look for advice and try to figure out things on your own. There will always be guidance available but often innovation, as well as a great deal of learning, will happen when you have a go at something first."

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Our 'Meet The Exec' series

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So there you have it. Words of reflection, prediction and wisdom from a true Uncapped OG. 

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We will be sitting down with other members of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) over the coming months and getting their insight and opinions on the industry, company and future. 

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But until then, as Rudy says, the future of Uncapped is looking hugely bright and we are always on the lookout for ambitious individuals to join us on our journey to revolutionise the world of startup lending. 

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So check out the open roles here and come learn from some of the best in the business like the legend that is Rudy.

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