How We Grew from One Person to a Family, Then a Sports Team, and Finally to a Special Forces Unit

In my previous post, I wrote about our success with clients — how we rapidly grew on the client side by consistently delivering high-quality services. Our team remained relatively small for a long time, fluctuating between five and eight people, with typical team transformations along the way.

During the company’s early years, there were only three or four of us, and one of them could even be considered more of a friend than an employee. It was challenging to draw the line between who was a coworker and who was a buddy. We strived to build personal, deep connections with each team member, sharing problems openly, discussing solutions, and even supporting each other through personal matters and challenging times.

This spirit continued as we grew to six or eight people. Some of our best teambuilding moments happened then — evenings spent by the Kaunas Lagoon after boat rides, eating pizza, and enjoying a few drinks. Those moments created a bond of family, friendship, and camaraderie — the kind often seen in small companies. We were like a close-knit crew: together in everything, with similar mindsets, and seemingly all happy.

This feeling of family extended into small traditions, like Christmas gifts. I tried to surprise employees with thoughtful presents — something they needed or dreamed about, but maybe didn’t dare to try or couldn’t afford. My American work experience heavily influenced this culture.

One example: We had a colleague with a child, and every Christmas, I ensured the employee and her child received a gift that brought joy and created lasting memories.

However, hiring friends or classmates — mixing friendship with professional relationships — eventually created challenges around responsibility and boundaries. Some team members struggled to take ownership of their work or understand how their actions impacted the whole team. After a misunderstanding and conflict within the company, we, as a team, decided it was time to move away from the “family” ideal.

Because you can’t tell a family member, “You must work properly, avoid mistakes, and take full responsibility.” Even if you try, a family member often assumes, “Nothing will change”, and continues with their old habits.

The transformation happened in a single evening, during a shared team dinner, when we asked ourselves: “What should we be instead?”

We all agreed: we would be like a basketball team, where every player must score points and deliver results while still playing together.

This new mindset opened Pandora’s box: it became clear that we would need to part ways with some employees, no matter how hard it was. It meant raising expectations for others and balancing good times with real work results.

One unexpected consequence was employee turnover, which I wasn’t emotionally prepared for. I took every departure personally, wondering if I had failed—if people were leaving because of something I did wrong.

But this phase also sparked a more profound desire to grow. Growth came not only through countless trainings every year but also through reading.

Jocko Willink’s Leadership Strategy and Tactics was one book that profoundly shaped my leadership thinking and continues to influence it today.

I found powerful examples of leadership in that book. Our developing company values align closely with its military-inspired teachings and Ray Dalio’s Principles motto of “strict but fair.”

Willink’s book became the foundation for our internal culture.

Take our company, PrestaRock’s internal culture document: we clearly state that our mission is to meet client expectations, help them earn money, and master the seemingly impossible balance between speed and quality.

Two conflicting demands — but exactly what forces you to learn, improve, and never stand still.

It reflects my personal belief in constant growth and transformation.

And who best embodies that? Special forces units like ARAS, SWAT, and others, where only the best are accepted, trained to perfection, entirely focused, and responsible for storming into action. In our case, we build e-commerce stores faster and better than anyone else while fully satisfying client expectations.

Another key takeaway from Leadership Strategy and Tactics was the principle of extreme ownership:

Whatever happens in the company, I am responsible.

If an employee is unhappy, it’s my fault. I hired them. If they were poor hires, I failed in the hiring process.

If an employee makes mistakes or doesn’t achieve results, it’s because I didn’t properly train them. I failed to act quickly if I kept an unsuitable employee for too long.

If a project failed, it was because I didn’t create the right processes, train the team correctly, or oversee execution as I should have.

It’s my responsibility both from an HR perspective and a client perspective.

Why?

Because extreme ownership leads to preventive ownership — the ability to foresee and prevent problems before they arise.

The desire to maintain friendly bonds stayed alive despite changing the company structure.

For example, employees still receive personal gifts. I remember one Christmas when I gave everyone a simple, easy-to-read book, The One Thing. On the front page of each book, I wrote a personal wish connected to their career journey.

It symbolized knowledge and personal growth—something they might discover years later and remember, “This is where my career started.” Or maybe it would be the key to their future success.

Teambuilding also continued, but as the team grew, I no longer expected everyone to participate or feel the same close bond as before.

Everyone now carried their private struggles — and that was okay.

Still, my philosophy for the team (even today) remains:

We must be the best-trained team, trust each other so profoundly that no one needs to look over their shoulder, and be confident that if I’m doing my best, my colleague is too.

One surprising outcome?

Not everyone is suited for a special forces team.

And not everyone wants to be.

Today’s widespread promotion of soft, easygoing cultures and mediocrity makes it harder to find employees willing to push one step further — to move fast, learn a lot, and be ambitious.

Many are simply looking for a cozy place to hide — something big corporations offer best, where you and your results are invisible, and you’re hired just to “be there” and “do work.”

I will write more more about that in my future posts.