Anđelo Brzoja: Serious results come only from complete focus

In Lider, we recently published a ranking of the 40 most successful Croatian entrepreneurs under 40 years old, and in the coming days, we will bring individual stories of each of them. Next up is Anđelo Brzoja, founder and CEO of Margins, a Zagreb-based AI company that last year ranked 11th on Deloitte’s list of the 50 fastest-growing technology companies in Central Europe, with a revenue growth of 1,660 percent over a four-year period.

The company was founded in 2018, currently employs 37 people, and according to Fina’s data, total revenues in 2025 amounted to 1.72 million euros, representing a growth of 24.57 percent compared to the previous year, with a net profit of 44,200 euros, an increase of 16.58 percent.

Although he had previously gained experience in entrepreneurship, the real shift towards what Brzoja is building today did not come from a sudden decision but from recognizing the same patterns that were repeating across different industries while working with clients on AI implementations.

– The key moment was the transition from project-oriented work for clients to developing our own software solutions. After a series of complex AI implementations for numerous clients in various industries, it became clear to us that similar problems, patterns, and constraints were continuously repeating – and that the greatest business value lies precisely in systematizing that knowledge into our own products – explains Brzoja.

When recommendations become confirmation

Brzoja did not conclude that he was heading in the right direction from any awards or media visibility (which is often not far away), but from the fact that new clients began to come without him actively seeking them.

– The first real confirmation for me personally was when a good number of new clients started coming through recommendations from existing clients. This was a clear signal that the market recognizes value. Additionally, this effect intensified when the implemented AI solutions began to have a concrete and visible impact on our clients’ businesses – emphasizes Brzoja.

Focus as a prerequisite, not as advice

When asked what he would do differently, Brzoja does not respond with clichés but with something he learned from his own mistake, which in the early stages was the belief that it is better to be present in multiple opportunities simultaneously than to fully dedicate oneself to one.

– Today I understand much more clearly how crucial focus is – and how important it is to sometimes say no even to some good opportunities that can distract attention. In the earlier stages of my entrepreneurial journey, I believed there was a certain advantage in being involved in several different opportunities, but over time I realized that this is not actually the case. Serious results come exclusively from complete focus on one opportunity and one thing. In the technology industry, which is very competitive and where you compete with the best in the world, 100 percent focus is a necessary prerequisite – emphasizes Brzoja.

Platform, not agency

His Margins today combines consulting, engineering, and implementation services through its own AI platform, and the targeted clients are non-technology companies that want to automate business processes, a segment that Brzoja believes will be one of the fastest-growing in the coming years precisely because the pressure for digitalization is penetrating deeper into traditional industries. The company currently selectively chooses whom to work with, which Brzoja explains as a need to keep the quality of delivery stable before moving into more serious scaling.

– In the next few years, our goal is to position our AI platform as one of the leading global platforms for enterprise companies. Through our AI platform, we actually combine consulting, engineering, and implementation services to help non-technology companies automate business processes using artificial intelligence. Currently, we are very selective about whom we work with, which allows us to maintain the quality of delivered solutions at a very high level – said Brzoja.

– I believe that by the end of this year, the integration of AI into business will become something that is absolutely necessary even in traditional, non-technology companies. However, the key to success will not be just the technology or platform itself – but a combination of the platform, consulting, and engineering services, along with a deep understanding of the specific business processes of clients in various industries. This is precisely what we have been building at Margins for years and plan to scale seriously in the coming years – concludes Brzoja.