How learning by doing creates lasting business success

Bootstrapping a company from a startup in Croatia to a global platform is not an easy task. When my cofounder Izabel Jelenić and I created Infobip, my parents gave us a modest loan of about $28,000, and we had to find ways to use that investment strategically until we could raise external funding.

Over the past 20+ years, we have learned valuable lessons along the way as our company evolved. We have developed newer versions to keep pace with the fast-moving digital world where businesses need to connect with customers quickly and in ways that feel personal. And what we’ve found is that these four strategies worked during the startup phase of our company and are still central to our growth and success today.

1. The power of persistence and learning

In the early 2000s, I worked on projects enabling group communication over web, email, and SMS. It became clear that the existing technology couldn’t handle the scale and complexity businesses required. This challenge ignited our mission to build a better platform. That involves a lot of trial and error, and learning to experiment quickly, embracing failure, and continuing to iterate. This “learning by doing” mindset shapes everything we do.

But persistence and learning only get you so far. Solving real customer problems must be the focus of development. We’ve always believed that the most meaningful innovations happen when we build with our customers, not just for them.

Our work with Uber is a perfect example of our co-creation mindset in action. Together, we developed the Number Masking API to quickly address a regional safety concern and protect both drivers and riders. We also collaborated to create a WhatsApp-based ride-booking experience tailored to local language users in India. These solutions didn’t emerge from assumptions. They grew from open dialogue, shared problem-solving, and a commitment to understanding what Uber’s customers truly value. That is the power of co-creation, and it’s at the core of how we innovate at Infobip.

2. Stay current with changing customer expectations

Over the past two decades, customer expectations have changed dramatically. Consumers now want real conversations—not one-way messages—on channels they use with family and friends. Research shows that 71% of Gen Z prefer messaging over phone calls for customer service and expect businesses to keep up. This shift requires companies to move beyond simple texts to rich business messaging via chat apps, RCS, and email. For us, it meant evolving from SMS to a full omnichannel platform that supports seamless, two-way engagement across channels.

Generative AI is also rapidly changing customer expectations, and by extension how companies design products and services. Integrating AI into platforms allows brands to provide personalized, conversational experiences at scale—improving customer satisfaction while cutting operational costs.

Some businesses have seen a fourfold increase in conversion rates and a 30% reduction in support costs after adopting conversational AI. These numbers tell a powerful story: AI isn’t just futuristic tech; it’s a practical tool that transforms how companies connect with their customers right now.

Looking ahead, 2026 will be a breakthrough year as generative AI and omnichannel communication converge to redefine customer engagement and digital ecosystems. We are particularly excited about agentic AI, autonomous agents that can orchestrate smarter, more personalized customer journeys across channels.

However, real differentiation comes from a human-in-the-loop approach, where AI handles scale and speed while human expertise steps in to resolve complex scenarios and continuously train, guide, and optimize agents themselves.

Retail and eCommerce are already leading the way with hyper-personalized experiences, while healthcare and finance are rapidly adopting AI-driven solutions to enhance patient care with trust, security, and compliance. By embedding generative and agentic AI alongside human oversight into our platform, we help businesses transform at scale without losing empathy, ensuring their customers continue to see them as trusted, innovative leaders in their fields.

3. Build agile, customer-centric teams

Innovation isn’t about tech alone. Small, cross-functional teams that work closely with customers across industries like retail, finance, healthcare, and telecom have advantages. Being close to customer challenges allows teams to deliver tailored solutions and anticipating future trends. Staying close to the customer provides an inside look into the complex regulations, cultures, and technologies that matter most to them. When you prioritize security, privacy, and compliance—all of which customers tell us are important—you build loyalty.

4. Partner with startups and industry giants

Growth is often measured in numbers. But we have found it’s just as important to consider impact too. Supporting startups and partnering with the industry’s biggest companies allows all of us to innovate in ways that enrich communities and empower people more than any one of us could on our own.

KEY LEARNINGS FROM OUR JOURNEY

The key lesson from our journey: technology alone won’t solve problems. Start with real customer needs. Listen constantly. Move fast but thoughtfully. Build scalable, secure systems. Above all, keep the human connection at the heart of communication.

The technology, tools, and channels will keep evolving. But the need to build authentic relationships is forever. The best innovations help us do just that—better, smarter, and at scale.

Silvio Kutić is the CEO and cofounder of Infobip.