What does it really take to go from writing code to running a company in the fast-moving world of IoT? What happens when a seasoned embedded engineer decides to build a company from scratch? In this episode of The IoT Podcast Show, host Tom White sits down with Bartek Kling, CEO and founder of NeedCode, a company specialising in embedded software services for connected devices. Bartek shares his journey from being a hands-on embedded engineer in the automotive sector to launching and scaling his own successful tech startup. He opens up about the reality of stepping into a leadership role, the unexpected importance of sales and marketing, the art of building long-term client relationships and how NeedCode has carved out a space in a competitive market by focusing on Bluetooth Low Energy and full-cycle product development. Whether you're building the next big IoT product or just want a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to lead in this space, this episode delivers real insights, lessons learned, and a forward-looking view of the industry. Chapters... 00:00 Introduction to Bartek Kling and needCode 03:43 Bartek's Journey from Engineer to CEO 09:19 Transitioning from Freelancing to Founding NeedCode 12:24 Challenges of Being a Founder and CEO 14:39 Differentiating NeedCode in the Market 16:36 Plans for Scaling NeedCode 19:09 Capabilities and Offerings of NeedCode 23:35 Common Customer Pain Points 26:44 Building a Talent Network for Growth 30:03 Future Trends in IoT 34:24 Security and Privacy in IoT Devices 37:09 Conclusion and Where to Find NeedCode The episode is live on all major listening platforms now! Listen here: https://linktr.ee/theiotpodcast Connect with our guest… https://www.linkedin.com/in/bartek-kling/ About needCode needCode is a European IoT development company that specialises in creating smart product solutions, embedded software, and AI-powered IoT systems. They help businesses design, secure, and optimise connected products while offering strategic support and staff augmentation to bring innovative ideas to market. Find out more: https://needcode.io/ SUBSCRIBE TO THE IOT PODCAST ON YOUR FAVOURITE LISTENING PLATFORM: https://linktr.ee/theiotpodcast Sign Up for exclusive email updates: https://theiotpodcast.com/get-exclusive-access/ Contact us to become a guest/partner: https://theiotpodcast.com/contact/ Connect with host Tom White: / tom5values