Since launching Víkonnekt less than 6 months ago, my life has been a whirlwind of new experiences, new people, and new challenges. Sometimes, we are so busy moving forward that we forget the value of looking back, too. So, with this in mind, I will be taking a little trip back in time, and I would like to share the story of how Víkonnekt was born.
My name is Safa. Originally from Tunisia, I moved to Iceland in 2018 looking for a new adventure in a totally new place. I had never been to Iceland before, had never met an Icelandic person before, and I certainly didn’t speak Icelandic. But I was not going to let that stop me.
It was during my time working as a project manager that the idea behind Víkonnekt came to me. It became increasingly clear to me that the demand for software developers in Iceland far exceeds the supply – especially since Covid. And it’s not surprising! The vast majority of companies these days are becoming digital entities, even if their products are not software-related. You will struggle to find a company that does not even have a website or a social media platform to manage. It is simply inevitable that in order for a company to get traction in their industry they will have to engage with digital media in one way or another. I suddenly realised that I was in fact uniquely positioned to be able to address this unmet need. Having grown up and gone to university in Tunisia, I had a wide network of exceptionally talented peers, all of whom were eager to take on exciting projects and perform. I was also in contact with a large number of companies in Iceland that were in need of software engineers. I could see how much value I could create by filling this gap. And just like that, Víkonnekt was born.
I wanted Víkonnekt to be a place where solutions are created by finding the right talent, with the right skill set, in order to help companies achieve their digital goals. But of course, I didn’t have all the answers to begin with. But I did have the vision, and that was key. And so, I set out on a journey to equip myself with as much information as I could to make Víkonnekt the best that it could be. I devoured books and podcasts on leadership, team management, and generally how to become a better person. I let myself become obsessed with my new passion. In preparation for the launch of Víkonnekt, I did my best to have as many meetings as I could with professionals working in my field just to find out exactly what companies want, need, and value. It was through this process of listening and learning that I was able to adapt my own product and service solutions to best meet the needs that I was seeing in the industry.
To be continued….