How to Web & Showpad Host Tech Builders Meetup in Bucharest—Eastern Europe’s Innovation Powerhouse

The Tech Builders are the ones fast-forwarding the future with their vision and skills. At the latest gathering organized by How to Web and Showpad, technology leaders and innovators came together to share experiences and insights about building successful tech companies in Romania.

The gathering brought together engineers, CTOs, product managers, and entrepreneurs to explore how Romania is becoming a strategic location for global R&D centers. The event highlighted both the challenges and opportunities while showcasing how international companies like Showpad are investing in Romanian talent.

💡 Main Takeaways from the Tech Builders 

The event kicked off with Răzvan Căciula sharing the journey that led him to join Showpad as well as Showpad’s evolution. As he explained: “”In the early days, a media agency was tasked by a European company to develop an iPad app for showcasing their products at trade shows. This idea eventually became the foundation for what is now Showpad (hence the name!). As the app gained traction and proved successful at various trade shows, the founders decided to spin it off into its own product and platform, expanding to Web, iOS, Android, and Windows. Over time, the platform evolved into a comprehensive enablement solution that empowers sellers to engage buyers effectively and deliver revenue-driving experiences. Since then, Showpad has grown into a global company, securing significant funding, including a $70 million Series D round. Always innovating, Showpad is now expanding further with the development of an R&D center in Bucharest.”

Having scaled tech teams at Adobe Romania and now at Showpad, Răzvan Căciula shared practical insights about transitioning from service-based operations to product development. He emphasized how Romanian tech talent can leverage their technical expertise to drive global product innovation while addressing the cultural shifts needed to succeed in product-focused organizations.

The event revealed Bucharest’s unique advantages: strong technical talent, excellent multi-language skills, and a deep understanding of both Eastern and Western business cultures. Showpad’s choice of Bucharest for their R&D center validates the city’s potential as a hub for global product development.

As Showpad continues to build their presence in Bucharest, they’re looking for product-minded engineers and more roles to contribute to shaping the future of sales enablement technology. The Bucharest team will already reach 15 people at the beginning of January 2025 and plans to grow significantly in the coming years.

The conversation also showcased Showpad’s unique company culture, particularly their weekly engineering meetings. As Răzvan described: “Every Friday, we have an engineering meeting where teams present demos, showcasing cool stuff to their colleagues. At the end, there’s a roast section with funny jokes, making it a great time. What makes it even more fun is our Master of Ceremony—a humorous potato character—who introduces the demos. It’s actually one of our real colleagues, who used to work for a TV station in Belgium. With all the laughs and insights, it’s definitely worth joining!”

Pushing Regional Tech Forward through Tech Meetups

These meetups serve as crucial platforms for several reasons. As Răzvan emphasized, “Beyond hiring needs, we are also interested in meeting people with similar challenges and interests to exchange best practices.”

Romania has significant advantages in the tech sector, as one of the participants pointed out: “In Romania, you have some advantages: the language, you can find great tech people who speak other foreign languages, plus the work power. The work ethic is also extremely good.” This was reinforced by discussions comparing other regional tech hubs such as Bulgaria and Poland, where Romania emerged as a strong contender due to its combination of technical expertise, work culture, and talent quality.

Join the Tech Builders Community

Want to be part of Bucharest’s evolving tech scene? The next Tech Builders Meetup could be your opportunity to connect with global companies building innovation hubs in Romania. 

Stay in touch with our How to Web channels to be the first one to know about the next get-together 📲