2023 asked us for growth. 2024 asked us for resilience. 2025 asked us to go further.
This was the year we stopped wondering if we were ready and simply began. We took ideas that had lived quietly among us and gave them voice. We traveled to cities that had only existed in our minds. We wrote a book we never planned to write. We launched The Thunder Way because we trusted what we felt stirring.
We said yes more often to collaboration that stretched across borders, to partnerships that felt right, to students still finding their way, and to new teammates who became a part of who we are. We gathered people around tables, in spaces built for ideas to grow louder together.
And somewhere in all of it, we learned that the line between who we are and what we build grows thinner when you stop waiting for certainty. That momentum comes not from having everything figured out, but from showing up fully, believing in what you're creating, and trusting that the people around you will meet you there.
This is the gift of 2025. Proof that when you move toward what matters, when you step in with your whole heart, the path rises to meet you.
Behind the work Every piece of work carried the trust we placed in each other and the daily decision to show up fully, to care about both the work and the people we share it with.
On the development side, our colleagues stepped into complex systems, unfamiliar technologies, and higher expectations with a strong sense of self-leadership. They moved through the work with care and intention, understanding that quality is something you take responsibility for. Time spent thinking before building paid off, and many of the best solutions came simply from asking the right questions and doing the work with purpose.
Reflecting on the year gone by : Lead yourself through the work. Take ownership beyond your tasks, hold your standards high, and build with intention. Create work that carries value beyond yourself.
On the marketing side, our focus moved closer to people. We were reminded again that while digital presence has its place, real connection still happens soul to soul. Being part of our community meant being present, listening, and organizing events where ideas grew stronger simply because they were shared. Through these moments, our marketing became more human, our stories more grounded, and our relationships even richer.
From this year's path : Show up where people are. Pull chairs to the same table, invest in gathering together, and build community the timeless way, close by, present, and reminding one another we're in this together.
A year shaped by collaborations 2025 opened doors to something we've always believed in: collaboration. We connected with companies here in Cluj that share our vision: RebelDot, BitStone, and Linnify. And honestly, it feels right. We've never bought into the idea of competition. To us, it's always been about coming together and contributing to a community worth being part of, side by side.
What touched our hearts was seeing these companies invest in students' growth. They chose to support young people who are still finding their way, still becoming, by purchasing tickets for The Thunder Way. That kind of faith in the next generation gives students trust, wings, and the courage to chart their own path.
New Yoooork I still can't get Alicia Keys’ "New Yoooork" out of my head. It was the soundtrack to our days there, echoing through the streets, becoming part of the rhythm of everything we experienced.
Our collaboration with Linnify took us even further. We had the joy of working with Patricia Zavacky, whose dedication and relentless involvement shone through every detail. Working with her was a true pleasure. Together, we brought two events to life in New York:
AI beyond the BUZZ featuring Matei Puiu (VP of Delivery for Banking and Capital Markets Services at Endava), Andrei Negrau (Co-founder & CEO of Siena AI), Raul Popa (CEO & Co-founder of TypingDNA), and Alejandro Manzocchi (CTO Americas, Endava).
Romanian tech leaders and business owners with Simona Vasile (BDO Tax Principal), Andrei Papancea (CEO and Co-Founder of NLX), Gabriel Păunescu (CEO of Naologic), and Cris Pop (founder and leader of Thunder).
Being there, in that electric city, connecting with people who are building and creating at such a scale, it lit something up in us. And seeing what our fellow Romanians are accomplishing abroad was deeply inspiring. We soaked up every conversation, every insight, and every story. We can't wait to return.
These events also sharpened for us the need to stay deeply connected to the tech communities we’re part of. Technology doesn’t evolve in isolation, and neither should the people building it.
We want to be more involved, sharing what we’re learning, contributing where we can, and staying close to the conversations happening across the ecosystem.
Teatrul Nației Another collaboration we’re grateful for has been with Dragoș Pătraru. A few months ago, we were present at the opening of Teatrul Nației, a cultural hub brought to life by his vision, designed to give voice to ideas and the stories that shape our society. Over the past year, we’ve worked closely on building the platform that allows them to broadcast everything happening there.
It’s been an honor, honestly. To build a tool that amplifies culture, that helps ideas reach further, and to play a part in what Dragoș is creating. Seeing the space come alive, witnessing how the platform hosts a web of enriching events and not only, it reminds us that the work we do is only as meaningful as the people it serves.
The Thunder Way: Ordinary people Our first major event, The Thunder Way, took place at Cinema Florin Piersic, but its story began long before that.
For more than a year, the idea lived quietly among us. There was a shared desire to put something into the world that would serve people even more, paired with doubt, questions, and the feeling that it might be too big. This year, instead of waiting for certainty, we chose to begin. We gave the idea a voice. And that was enough.
The Thunder Way was born from a line that we keep following: before a path exists, there is always a pulse. You just have to listen to it, and step in fully, body and soul.
We brought together voices that reminded us what it means to be a beautiful, ordinary human. Dragoș Pătraru inspired us through simplicity and responsibility toward each other and what we're building for those who follow. Andra Pintican brought warmth and clarity, reminding us that work doesn’t have to hurt to have meaning, it can be built with love and enthusiasm.
From resilience and inner freedom with Marius Balo, to curiosity and authenticity with Alexandra Crăciun, we explored what it means to wear many hats and remain true to yourself. And through Cris Pop, we were reminded that when you lead with belief in others and a commitment to service, you lift a vision that carries the weight of many hearts and minds.
Now that we've taken this leap, we want to let you in on what's stirring in our hearts for 2026. The year feels full of possibility. We're planning to bring an event to Bucharest in June because we've been wanting to meet and connect with the people there for so long, and then we'll gather again in Cluj come November. We're buzzing with excitement over here, and we really hope you feel it too.
Events for people, by people Looking back, we loved creating space at Thunder Talks for voices beyond our team. We wanted the conversations to stretch wider, to include the people whose work we admire and whose stories carry lessons we're still learning from.
We explored collaborative entrepreneurship and the power of honest communication at work with Tudor Ciuleanu. We took a visual journey with Cristina Frei, learning what it means to draw your own path, literally and metaphorically. With Tünde Macarie, we slowed down and reflected on how saying less but meaning more can lead to deeper human connection. And through Mădălina Hotca, we were reminded what it takes to trust yourself and fight for your vision, especially when no one else does.
Through it all, Cris contributed to each conversation with his own stories and struggles, always seeking the next layer of truth and searching for the questions that would take us all deeper.
Our final event of the year came through a collaboration with Cluj Startups, at the opening of their new space, Founders Hive. There, we returned to a question that has shaped so much of our work: what does leadership look like before it has a name? Cris guided that conversation too, drawing from our book and from years of learning what leadership looks like when it's stripped of the polish.
Our Bookclubs continued to be a space where people came thirsty for meaning and left feeling less alone. This year, Marius Balo joined us, sharing his story directly from his book “Păturica roz”. Hearing it from him, in his own voice, was powerful and deeply moving. It reminded us why stories matter and why we want to keep bringing book authors closer to our community in the future.
And, of course, we kept showing up for students. Too often, the education system leaves young people standing at the edge of the real world, unprepared, unsure, carrying knowledge that doesn't quite translate into the life waiting for them. That's why we pour our hearts into these events.
Preparing them for careers just feels hollow compared to helping them understand who they are and who they're capable of becoming. Helping them see their own potential, trust their own voice, and step into the world knowing they're not alone. That there's a community here, ready to support them, believe in them, and walk alongside them as they grow.
Leadership before it has a name Who would have thought? Certainly not us when we first sat down to put our thoughts on paper.
It started as a simple guide, really. We wanted to capture our philosophy, to articulate what leadership actually looks like to us when you strip away all the polished theories. But as we wrote, the words kept flowing and before we knew it, we were holding a book in our hands.
Leadership before it has a name.
It's a proof, one we'll carry with us always, of how essential humanity is in everything we do. How easy it is to get caught up in the doing, the building, the achieving, and lose sight of the being. This book calls us back home. Back to our core. Back to who we are beneath all the roles we play and the masks we sometimes wear.
It's a promise to ourselves that no matter how far we go, no matter what we build, we'll never drift too far from the people we are and the people we're becoming. From the truth that leadership is not about titles, nor about authority. It will always come back to showing up, fully human, fully present, and leading from that place of authenticity.
And now, it exists. A piece of our hearts, out in the world.
Thunderometer Some things can’t be measured in numbers, but they still need attention. Over time, we felt the need for a shared way to check in with ourselves, with each other, and with the work we put into the world. That’s how the Thunderometer came to life.
It’s a set of principles we return to when things feel unclear, heavy, or rushed. We use it to stay honest with ourselves. To notice when we’re drifting away from our values, when the pace gets louder than the purpose, or when good enough starts replacing care. It helps us realign through awareness and intention.
In our relationships, the Thunderometer reminds us to lead with trust, to listen with intention, and to uplift one another. In our work, it keeps us grounded in craft with meaning, decisions made consciously, and responsibility for what we leave behind. And on a personal level, it invites self-leadership through owning our choices, our energy, and the standards we hold.
More than anything, the Thunderometer is a compass. It doesn’t tell us what to do, but it helps us sense when we’re moving in the right direction. Toward work we’re proud of, relationships that feel real, and a way of being that stays true, no matter how fast we grow.
New Thunders Our year wouldn't have been complete without welcoming new hands to share the work and new hearts to enrich our culture. Through the AI web internship, two incredible humans found their way to us, Mălina and Sabina.
Mălina came to us ready to grow, and watching her unfold has been something special. She's dedicated, the kind of person you can count on when it matters most. There's a warmth to her presence, a positive energy that just makes everything feel lighter. A human you want in your corner, someone you can talk to openly and connect with easily.
Sabina walked in with a fire for tech and a hunger to learn that's rare and beautiful. She wants to become a professional in the truest sense. Months ago, she surprised us. She wrote about her journey before the internship, during it, and what it felt like to be here with us. Her words? They were profound, honest, and moving. We saw her soul on the page.
Mălina and Sabina arrived as two, but worked as one. The way they leaned on each other and challenged each other raised the bar for everyone around them.
Journeys made together We began the year by starting fresh in the mountains. A winter escape where we chased the slopes, warming them with skis and snowboards, while soaking in the views, the quiet of nature, and the adrenaline that only cold air and movement can bring.
From there, the year carried us to Amsterdam, an adventure that felt effortless and playful. We rented bikes and explored both the city and its quieter village edges, moving through the streets like kids from the block, open to whatever came next. We wandered, we discovered, and we even took to the water, renting a boat to see the city from another angle. It felt light. It felt dreamy.
New York City followed, a journey we’re deeply grateful for. Being in a city so electric, so alive, was something entirely different. Walking among towering buildings, recognizing places we’d only known from films, and feeling like we were inside a movie ourselves, whether crossing Central Park, standing in Times Square, or simply moving through the streets, was unforgettable.
We closed the year in a quieter way, gathered in a cabin near Cluj-Napoca. A moment to slow down, reflect on what the year had given us, and sit together with what’s still unfolding, the year ahead.
2026, here we come We’re stepping into 2026 with a simple hope: more collaboration, deeper connection. We want to meet the humans who see the world the way we do, and those who are brave enough to challenge it. The ones who act. The ones who believe change is something you build together.
So far, the year is beginning to take shape with events in Berlin, The Thunder Way in Bucharest and Cluj-Napoca, one stop in Zurich, and plans to make our way back to the United States.
We’ll continue organizing Thunder Talks, likely fewer, two or three, but with the same depth and intention. We’ll keep creating spaces for students and investing in their growth. We’ll keep hosting Bookclubs, feeding one another with ideas, stories, and lived experiences. And we’ll keep saying yes to experiences that help us grow.
We’re deeply grateful to everyone who stood beside us in 2025. We hope to meet you again in 2026 and to keep moving forward, shoulder to shoulder, building the possibilities we dare to imagine.
Yours,
The humans from Thunder
.png)
.png)