{"id":1089,"date":"2023-05-05T09:32:53","date_gmt":"2023-05-05T09:32:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cake.com\/blog\/?p=1089"},"modified":"2026-02-19T10:12:08","modified_gmt":"2026-02-19T10:12:08","slug":"nenad-milanovic-future-of-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cake.com\/blog\/nenad-milanovic-future-of-work\/","title":{"rendered":"The Future of Work From a Leader\u2019s Perspective: An Interview With CAKE.com\u2019s CEO Nenad Milanovic"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>In recent years, the pandemic has surely changed the way we work and forced many businesses to go fully remote, ready or not. <a href=\"https:\/\/cake.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">CAKE.com<\/a> is one such company \u2014 one of the ready ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>How has remote work affected different industries? Is the pandemic to blame for tech layoffs? (Spoiler alert \u2014 it\u2019s not!) What are the biggest challenges in the tech industry today? And what does the future of work look like?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These are some of the questions we discuss with Nenad Milanovic, CEO at CAKE.com \u2014 a product-based SaaS company that has doubled its growth in the last few years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nenad also shares his tips for would-be entrepreneurs, reflects on his entrepreneurial journey, and reveals the secrets behind CAKE.com\u2019s success as well as the plans for its future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Read on for Nenad\u2019s insights into the current workscape, his predictions for the future of work, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"why-cake-com-continued-to-thrive-throughout-and-after-the-pandemic\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why CAKE.com continued to thrive throughout and after the pandemic<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>CAKE.com \u2014 formerly known as COING \u2014 is a product-based software company that offers solutions to modern business teams. More precisely, 3 products:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/clockify.me\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Clockify<\/a> \u2014 the world\u2019s most popular time tracking and productivity software used by millions,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/pumble.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Pumble<\/a> \u2014 a powerful Slack alternative helping remote and hybrid teams communicate with ease, and<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Plaky<\/a> \u2014 a project and task management platform that makes it easy to keep track of your project progress and access all the relevant task information in one place.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>During the pandemic, when many businesses struggled to make ends meet, CAKE.com\u2019s products experienced a surge in demand.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We asked Nenad to clarify how and why that happened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"during-the-pandemic-your-products-growth-has-skyrocketed-why-do-you-think-that-is-the-case-did-the-growth-surprise-you-or-was-it-a-product-of-careful-planning-and-scaling\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">During the pandemic, your products\u2019 growth has skyrocketed. Why do you think that is the case? Did the growth surprise you, or was it a product of careful planning and scaling?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>No, it definitely wasn\u2019t the product of some planning or scaling. It was absolutely a coincidence that we were positioned in such a way that gave us a boost. Because, in essence, due to the transformation requiring many teams to start working from home, many had to forcefully implement changes in their workflows, and that\u2019s simply what happened to us too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And, we could have easily ended up on the other end of that situation, where we would have had major problems. For example, if we were in the travel industry \u2014 or any other industry that was affected by the pandemic \u2014 we would have ended up the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, basically, we were lucky, and there was no planning there. When the entire world switched to remote work, there was simply an increase in demand for the kind of tools we offer, which are essentially business suite tools.<\/p>\n\n\n    \n    <div class=\"flexible-banner banner-blue-dark flex items-center py-4 pt-10 px-10 mb-8 overflow-hidden md:pt-4\">\n        <div class=\"banner-container w-full\">\n            <div class=\"flex items-center justify-center gap-10 flex-col md:flex-row\">\n                <div class=\"flex-1\">\n                                            <p class=\"font-humansans !text-2xl text-center !leading-tight text-white !mb-6 md:!mb-3 md:text-left md:!text-xl\">Elevate productivity with CAKE.com<\/p>\n                                        \n                                            <p class=\"!text-sm text-white text-center md:text-left md:!text-xs !mb-6 md:!mb-3\">Combine time tracking, team communication, and project management to boost your organization\u2019s productivity \u2014 with the CAKE.com Suite.<\/p>\n                                        \n                    <div class=\"flex justify-center gap-3 mt-4 md:justify-start\">\n                                                    <a href=\"https:\/\/cake.com\/suite\"  class=\"btn btn-secondary !text-xs font-normal px-6 py-2\">\n                                Get started                            <\/a>\n                                                \n                                                    <a href=\"https:\/\/cake.com\/try\"  class=\"btn btn-transparent-no-border !text-xs font-normal px-6 py-2\">\n                                Learn more                            <\/a>\n                                            <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                \n                                    <div class=\"banner-image\">\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cake.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/banner-productivity-suite.png\" alt=\"Elevate productivity with CAKE.com\">\n                    <\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n    \n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"when-the-pandemic-started-to-die-down-the-tech-sector-experienced-a-kind-of-a-crash-after-a-period-of-growth-which-resulted-in-mass-layoffs-why-do-you-think-thats-the-case\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">When the pandemic started to die down, the tech sector experienced a kind of a crash after a period of growth, which resulted in mass layoffs. Why do you think that\u2019s the case?&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>That crash has nothing to do with the pandemic. More precisely, there are only some indirect connections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When the pandemic took hold, central banks started doing something called quantitative easing. In other words, they enabled low-cost access to capital, the interest rates were very low, and there was a sharp increase in money supply, which the US Federal Reserve and other central banks then used to improve market liquidity through various channels. They did that to stimulate the economy so that it could survive the big blow caused by COVID-19.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The current wave of layoffs and the general happenings in the tech sector have little to do with the decrease in demand for pandemic-specific tools. The biggest problem is that most companies operated with a cash deficit, and they were highly dependent on external capital \u2014 be it from investors or banks. In any case, the external capital basically compensated for the cash burn they were experiencing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now that the cost of capital has increased and interest rates are a lot higher, the investors who usually invest in risky assets such as tech startups can achieve a great return on assets that are drastically less risky \u2014 such as government bonds or savings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, if you\u2019re a capital allocator, and you manage some money for your clients, currently, it\u2019s a no-brainer that you should pull out your money from risky assets such as tech startups and redirect that money into fixed-income assets that pay well and yield a pretty good return \u2014 even compared to the annualized return in venture capital, for example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>All of this has led to a shortage of liquidity in our sector, which is the reason why companies are cutting costs and firing people. Due to the liquidity crisis, there\u2019s a decrease in demand, which is why the companies in our sector are faced with 2 problems: one is the shortage of liquidity in the industry, and the other is the fact that it\u2019s much harder to get operating capital. These 2 factors are what has led to the layoffs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"how-has-cake-com-managed-to-escape-that-fate-and-even-continue-to-expand-and-become-a-unicorn-company\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">How has CAKE.com managed to escape that fate and even continue to expand and become a unicorn company?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The reason we\u2019re different and why the current situation hasn\u2019t affected us is the fact that, since the company was founded, we\u2019ve never operated on external capital. Also, any increase in expenses we\u2019ve experienced has been sustainable and financed from our own cash flow.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Basically, we\u2019ve always been cash flow-positive, and we\u2019ve never had problems with obtaining capital since we don\u2019t need any external financing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"remote-work-productivity-and-other-pandemic-induced-challenges\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Remote work, productivity, and other pandemic-induced challenges<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>CAKE.com was not a remote company from the get-go. Like many others, it went remote-first after the pandemic hit.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We wanted to hear Nenad\u2019s view on how the pandemic-induced remote work has affected both his company and companies at large, what have been the major challenges, and whether some challenges still remain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"cake-com-became-remote-first-at-the-beginning-of-the-pandemic-like-many-other-companies-across-the-globe-what-connections-would-you-draw-between-remote-work-productivity-and-the-global-situation-b\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">CAKE.com became remote-first at the beginning of the pandemic, like many other companies across the globe. What connections would you draw between remote work, productivity, and the global situation brought on by the pandemic?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s hard to tell. There\u2019s not enough data. Although it looks like a lot of time has passed since the pandemic started, it\u2019s actually not enough to draw precise conclusions.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the beginning years of the pandemic, there were many different pandemic-related challenges around the world and different policies regarding personal liberties, freedom of movement, and similar. There were different levels of regulations, which spanned from the more conservative to the more liberal ones \u2014 and, currently, a larger part of the planet is in a more liberal stage regarding these regulations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At the beginning of the pandemic, when there was a total lockdown and personal liberties were highly restricted, there wasn\u2019t much fun to do, and we observed that our productivity levels grew dramatically. This was because people simply had nothing better to do. They had to sit at home, and work was probably a way to pass time, so they focused on it \u2014 and their productivity grew.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When governments started easing restrictions on movement, we noticed a slight dip in productivity \u2014 since people could freely do other things apart from work, they were no longer only focused on work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I believe that we\u2019re currently at the late stages of this experiment, and the data set for the following 6 months will show the real productivity levels in remote work, what remote work looks like in normal circumstances, as well as the overall effects of that kind of work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"are-there-any-remaining-remote-work-challenges-companies-will-need-to-solve\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Are there any remaining remote work challenges companies will need to solve?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>A lot of how companies can and will tackle remote work challenges depends on the quality of management. Quality management that focuses on output-based metrics won\u2019t experience any problems.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On the other hand, management that focuses on facetime metrics \u2014 in the sense of micromanagement and tracking attendance \u2014 such companies will face many challenges, and they probably won\u2019t be thrilled with their productivity levels overall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Unfortunately, companies that hire a lot of beginners might face bigger problems. This is probably not applicable to all companies \u2014 but it applies to those that provide professional consulting services, for example.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Beginners need a lot of mentorship, and mentoring is much more difficult in remote work settings. So, companies whose business models rely on hiring a lot of juniors to achieve financial results might face problems \u2014 since there are still no appropriate technologies and methodologies that allow for effective training in remote work conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Anyone who\u2019s seasoned in their work, has a great output in general, and knows what they\u2019re doing will remain productive in a remote setting. But their knowledge can\u2019t simply rub off on their junior coworkers since they\u2019re not interacting in person.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Also, I think the biggest loss companies will experience in remote work is a loss of creativity, as you can\u2019t really control the creative process too much. After all, you can\u2019t effectively schedule creative sessions \u2014 since a lot of creativity happens when we don\u2019t even think about it. So, some things are permanently lost with the remote work model.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"the-future-of-work-from-the-leadership-perspective\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">The future of work from the leadership perspective<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Leaders are usually more far-seeing than the rest of us.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, next, we wanted to gauge Nenad\u2019s perspective on what the future of work will look like and how his leadership role has already changed and developed through remote work conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"the-future-of-work-is-changing-the-very-definitions-of-work-and-the-workplace-are-changing-as-well-as-employer-and-employee-expectations-how-do-you-from-the-leadership-position-see-the-future-of\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">The future of work is changing. The very definitions of work and the workplace are changing, as well as employer and employee expectations. How do you, from the leadership position, see the future of work? What trends do you think will matter in the near future? You\u2019ve touched on some of them.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>We\u2019ll assume that there will be no dramatic advancements in communications technology, video conferencing, virtual reality, augmented reality, and similar, in the next 10, 20, or 30 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I believe that the majority of work organizations won\u2019t be able to go fully remote. They will be either office-based or hybrid \u2014 and the work mode and location will depend on the needs of individual teams and many other circumstances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Also, I think it\u2019s a false premise to assume you\u2019ll be able to achieve maximum efficiency through remote work no matter your line of work or your team structure and organization \u2014 that\u2019s simply impossible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, there will be variations in the way we work. It\u2019s impossible to come to a uniform conclusion since it all depends on individual business circumstances, teams, and even individual employees.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>All in all, I don\u2019t predict any huge changes for now. I can reconsider this reflection when there\u2019s a bigger breakthrough in the field of telecommunication technologies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"what-skills-and-traits-have-you-had-to-develop-as-a-leader-as-cake-com-grew-under-the-difficulties-brought-about-by-the-pandemic\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">What skills and traits have you had to develop as a leader as CAKE.com grew under the difficulties brought about by the pandemic?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>I don\u2019t really think I gained any new skills or traits in these circumstances. I\u2019m a millennial, and millennials were already very well set up to use computers and software for virtually anything.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At CAKE.com, we\u2019ve effortlessly adopted all the technologies that allowed us not to be severely impacted by the pandemic and the remote work mode \u2014 although we\u2019d all worked from the office pre-pandemic, we were already using all the technologies required to swiftly transition to remote work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On the other hand, a bunch of companies hadn\u2019t used any project management or issue-tracking tools pre-pandemic, and they experienced major issues. Or they\u2019d previously relied only on live meetings, phone calls, and in-person communication to manage their workload \u2014 such companies had a huge problem when the pandemic started.<\/p>\n\n\n    \n    <div class=\"flexible-banner banner-purple flex items-center py-4 pt-10 px-10 mb-8 overflow-hidden md:pt-4\">\n        <div class=\"banner-container w-full\">\n            <div class=\"flex items-center justify-center gap-10 flex-col md:flex-row\">\n                <div class=\"flex-1\">\n                                            <p class=\"font-humansans !text-2xl text-center !leading-tight text-white !mb-6 md:!mb-3 md:text-left md:!text-xl\">Effortless communication begins with Pumble<\/p>\n                                        \n                                            <p class=\"!text-sm text-white text-center md:text-left md:!text-xs !mb-6 md:!mb-3\">Enjoy unlimited chat history, threads, public and private channels, high-quality video calls, and more.<\/p>\n                                        \n                    <div class=\"flex justify-center gap-3 mt-4 md:justify-start\">\n                                                    <a href=\"https:\/\/pumble.com\/register\"  class=\"btn btn-secondary !text-xs font-normal px-6 py-2\">\n                                Get started                            <\/a>\n                                                \n                                                    <a href=\"https:\/\/cake.com\/try\"  class=\"btn btn-transparent-no-border !text-xs font-normal px-6 py-2\">\n                                Learn more                            <\/a>\n                                            <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                \n                                    <div class=\"banner-image\">\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cake.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/banner-pumble.png\" alt=\"Effortless communication begins with Pumble\">\n                    <\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n    \n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"and-has-your-leadership-role-changed-in-any-way-since-you-went-remote\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">And has your leadership role changed in any way since you went remote?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>During the pandemic, I turned to transformational leadership, which proved the most effective for me. This is a leadership style focused on carefully considering future events and actively involving your people in the company\u2019s vision and mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, consequently, some things I worked on developing during the pandemic include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A people-centric approach to leadership, with an emphasis on empathy and understanding,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Agility,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>More effective decision-making, and<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>All-around communication \u2014 there\u2019s always room for improvement in that department.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>We actively worked on creating psychological safety for our employees during the pandemic and continue to do so today.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We nurture open communication, encourage transparency, and always think about our people\u2019s well-being. That\u2019s how we build strong relationships based on trust.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Together, we strive toward the same goals \u2014 and loyalty, motivation, and trust are highly rewarded at our company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"in-your-opinion-what-are-the-biggest-challenges-employers-and-employees-in-the-tech-sector-currently-face-respectively\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges employers and employees in the tech sector currently face, respectively?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The biggest challenge for both the employers and employees in the tech sector is definitely more expensive capital, which will slow down the development of a lot of projects.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The problems the employers face are the same problems that will befall the employees \u2014 for example, if they have to cut costs.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This means employers will have to operate within their financial means \u2014 i.e., their investments will depend on their cash flow.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some will have to make difficult decisions. They\u2019ll have to fire people. As a result, they\u2019ll have a much harder time translating their ideas into action, testing, and experimenting \u2014 since they\u2019ll simply lack the people and resources to try out new things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On the other hand, employees will have a harder time finding a job or switching jobs if they\u2019re unhappy with the current one \u2014 since there will be much fewer options.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Furthermore, many will face the risk of their job disappearing or being terminated, so they\u2019ll have a hard time finding another job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>All in all, the biggest challenges in the next 2 years will be macroeconomic in nature.<\/p>\n\n\n    \n    <div class=\"flexible-banner banner-blue-dark flex items-center py-4 pt-10 px-10 mb-8 overflow-hidden md:pt-4\">\n        <div class=\"banner-container w-full\">\n            <div class=\"flex items-center justify-center gap-10 flex-col md:flex-row\">\n                <div class=\"flex-1\">\n                                            <p class=\"font-humansans !text-2xl text-center !leading-tight text-white !mb-6 md:!mb-3 md:text-left md:!text-xl\">Maximize your profit with Clockify <\/p>\n                                        \n                                            <p class=\"!text-sm text-white text-center md:text-left md:!text-xs !mb-6 md:!mb-3\">Clockify enables professional and efficient budget management. Forget about unpleasant surprises and hidden project costs, and take full control of your expenses. <\/p>\n                                        \n                    <div class=\"flex justify-center gap-3 mt-4 md:justify-start\">\n                                                    <a href=\"https:\/\/app.clockify.me\/signup\"  class=\"btn btn-secondary !text-xs font-normal px-6 py-2\">\n                                Get started                            <\/a>\n                                                \n                                                    <a href=\"https:\/\/cake.com\/try\"  class=\"btn btn-transparent-no-border !text-xs font-normal px-6 py-2\">\n                                Learn more                            <\/a>\n                                            <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                \n                                    <div class=\"banner-image\">\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cake.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/banner-clockify.png\" alt=\"Maximize your profit with Clockify \">\n                    <\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n    \n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"how-would-you-define-the-future-of-work-using-one-word-or-phrase\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">How would you define the future of work using one word or phrase?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019d say \u2014 hybrid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"the-personal-journey-of-the-company-founder\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">The personal journey of the company founder<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Nenad\u2019s journey as the head of CAKE.com was not an easy one. It had many ups and downs in the years preceding Clockify\u2019s great success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We asked Nenad to look back at the company\u2019s humble beginnings and share with us the lessons he\u2019s learned since then.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"cake-com-has-existed-since-2009-under-the-name-coing-and-it-went-through-various-business-achievements-challenges-and-circumstances-without-any-external-capital-completely-independent-wh\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">CAKE.com has existed since 2009 under the name COING, and it went through various business achievements, challenges, and circumstances without any external capital \u2014 completely independent. What are some business lessons you\u2019d say were crucial for the company\u2019s growth? And how important for success is choosing the right business model?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If we focus solely on growth, when someone wants to start a business or is considering what kind of business to venture into, I\u2019d advise them not to focus only on what the business will do and the value it will offer \u2014 one of the crucial aspects to think about when considering starting a business should also be the distribution method.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In all this time, whenever we tried to do things that had a manual or outbound distribution approach, we always failed. In essence, that was the biggest issue \u2014 the fact that I focused on business models that weren\u2019t aligned with the principles of product-based or product-sourced growth.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For someone else, that might not be a mistake. Instead of optimizing their product for the search engine, they might focus on optimizing it for outbound sales if this is something they\u2019re good at or if they have great contacts in the corporate world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, my mistake in the past was that I didn\u2019t align my skills and what I like to do with the business model necessary for the success of our products.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I don\u2019t like doing outbound sales and sending unsolicited emails. And, if you don\u2019t like or can\u2019t do that, then you can\u2019t make a product that relies on that model of distribution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As a company, we are huge opponents of unsolicited outreach \u2014 and, if that\u2019s your philosophy, you can\u2019t have products that demand that kind of outreach.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When we started making products that didn\u2019t require unsolicited outreach, when we focused on business models that had product-led growth and a less outbound distribution model, we finally achieved success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"which-personal-traits-or-qualities-do-you-think-a-leader-in-the-tech-industry-should-have-that-are-important-for-the-companys-growth-but-also-the-wellbeing-of-its-employees\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Which personal traits or qualities do you think a leader in the tech industry should have that are important for the company\u2019s growth, but also the wellbeing of its employees?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>There\u2019s no universal answer to that question. Each business is different, and everyone\u2019s circumstances are different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the countries where people live hand to mouth or in poverty, they don\u2019t really care about getting compassion or similar sentiments from their company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On the other hand, if you run a team in an orderly society where everyone has safety and food, and their basic needs are met \u2014 those people have entirely different needs, e.g., they\u2019d like you to send them Christmas cards, pat them on the back, and provide them with some immaterial things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>People who are deprived of basic life necessities appreciate it more if you provide them with financial stability, improve their lives, and help them get better positioned so that they can also help someone materially.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In conclusion, in developed countries, emotional solidarity is at the forefront, whereas in those less developed, it&#8217;s more about material solidarity.<\/p>\n\n\n    \n    <div class=\"flexible-banner banner-blue-dark flex items-center py-4 pt-10 px-10 mb-8 overflow-hidden md:pt-4\">\n        <div class=\"banner-container w-full\">\n            <div class=\"flex items-center justify-center gap-10 flex-col md:flex-row\">\n                <div class=\"flex-1\">\n                                            <p class=\"font-humansans !text-2xl text-center !leading-tight text-white !mb-6 md:!mb-3 md:text-left md:!text-xl\">Join CAKE.com\u2019s Affiliate Program<\/p>\n                                        \n                                            <p class=\"!text-sm text-white text-center md:text-left md:!text-xs !mb-6 md:!mb-3\">Ready to skyrocket your earnings? Promote our products and earn a commission on every purchase made through your referral link. <\/p>\n                                        \n                    <div class=\"flex justify-center gap-3 mt-4 md:justify-start\">\n                                                    <a href=\"https:\/\/cake.com\/affiliate\"  class=\"btn btn-secondary !text-xs font-normal px-6 py-2\">\n                                Sign up now                            <\/a>\n                                                \n                                            <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                \n                                    <div class=\"banner-image\">\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cake.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/banner-affiliate.png\" alt=\"Join CAKE.com\u2019s Affiliate Program\">\n                    <\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n    \n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"the-future-of-cake-com\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">The future of CAKE.com<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Finally, we asked Nenad what the future has in store for CAKE.com \u2014 and got some exciting news.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"what-are-some-plans-for-the-future-of-cake-com\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">What are some plans for the future of CAKE.com?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>We have some exciting things in store for this year. First and foremost \u2014 we\u2019ll be launching the CAKE.com marketplace, which will allow developers to sell their software add-on solutions for our products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Moreover, we\u2019ll introduce the CAKE.com account, which will act as a unified system for easier integration and access to different parts of the CAKE.com ecosystem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the next 2 years, we\u2019ll also try to further develop the 3 products we have and hire as many great people as possible who\u2019ll be able to work independently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, in the following years, we\u2019ll focus on the 3 verticals we cover \u2014 i.e., communication, project management, and productivity tracking technology, through Pumble, Plaky, and Clockify.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s quite enough to focus on. We have a large enough roadmap that we can hire a lot of new people in the next 2 years who\u2019ll always have something to work on \u2014 since there are many things we plan to cover.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Nenad Milanovic, CEO at CAKE.com, shares his insights on the pandemic-induced work changes, the future of work, CAKE.com&#8217;s success, and more.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1185,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[82],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1089","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-thought-leaders"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Interview with Nenad Milanovic, CAKE.com\u2019s CEO<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" 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