At Datamole, we’re always striving to learn from other fields and industries. Whether it’s the Air Force’s discipline, Athletics’ teamwork, or Academia’s critical thinking, these environments offer valuable insights that can help shape how we grow as a company. Our colleagues are athletes, came from academia and some of them were in the army as well. This article explores the cultural similarities, differences, and yes, some funny moments, from these fields to see what Datamole can apply (or avoid) as we continue to evolve. Our colleagues Michal Nemec, Juraj and Kai, discussed this topic in one of our regular Knowledge sharing sessions.‍

Curiosity Leads the Way

The question “What is on the other side where the grass is greener” sets the tone for our exploration. At Datamole, we’re naturally curious—especially our scientists who are always peeking over the metaphorical fence, wondering what others are doing better (or worse). This curiosity drives us to explore how the Air Force, Athletics, and Academia operate, and whether we can borrow some of their best practices.

Kai Sato shared about his Air Force “grease monkey” aka Tactical Aircraft Maintainer experience, Michal Nemec discussed his athletic past as a track team coach, and Juraj Paterek, PhD candidate, shared his experience with academia.

Military integrity: Core Values and Funny Differences

Similarities:

• Core Values: From the Air Force’s mantra of “Integrity First” to Athletics’ drive for excellence, one thing is clear—these fields emphasize values that align closely with Datamole. Our own commitment to integrity, teamwork, and continuous improvement mirrors these sectors. “You need to collaborate together in order to survive,” Kaito summarizes his experience in basic military training. “The leave no man behind” rule expresses the commitment to never abandon any team member, whether alive or dead, on the battlefield - or in the meeting room. Plus, our scientists are committed to integrity, even when they’re busy grumbling about the latest experiment that didn’t go as planned. “Excellence in all we do” is another Air Force core value that resonates with Datamole culture.
• Family-like Environment: Both Athletics and parts of Academia build a strong sense of community and camaraderie. We also value this at Datamole, where we’re building a culture that embraces creation of bonds that go a little bit deeper than between colleagues in a regular company.

Differences:

• Hierarchy System: The Air Force thrives on a strict hierarchy, where orders flow from the top down. Meanwhile, at Datamole, we prefer a flatter structure. You cannot go knocking on the US president's door - but you are welcome to pop into our CEO office.
• Work-Life Balance: Let’s face it—there’s a stark contrast between the Air Force’s military precision and Datamole’s life-work balance. We might have our deadlines, but no one’s shouting at us to drop and give them 20 push-ups when we miss a meeting3. The balance of responsibility and freedom is the key.
• Lunch Time: At Datamole, lunch is a sacred time. In contrast, the Air Force and Athletics might view it more as a “refueling” moment to keep moving. We, on the other hand, enjoy using lunch to debate scientific theories, complain about slow servers, and recharge for an afternoon of innovation. “Random lunches” are a great way to meet everybody and anybody.
• Level of transparency: “Don't ask questions” rule of the military is in Datamole replaced with the principle “truth rules”, encouraging everybody to question, think, and give honest feedback.

Athletic Spirit: Fun, Motivation and Competition

Athletics is where things get interesting. While athletes are all about finding their  limits in physical and technical abilities, there’s also a lighter side to the game. A little fun here and there goes a long way in building  team cohesion in a sport where you compete as an individual. Also, the feedback in this sport is brutally honest when you compete with others. Michal learned to enjoy cooperation with athletes winning medals at national championships as well as those whose primary motivation was to spend meaningful active time with their friends.

Michal explains: “I see amateur sport as a great playground where you can learn many important lessons and habits that are easily transferable into your life. How to find motivation within yourself. How to deal with pressure. How to receive feedback so that you grow your skills fast. How to enjoy hard work without seeing any immediate effects. How to overcome setbacks. Anybody interested in learning these concepts was welcomed to join and everyone was valued the same.”

At Datamole, we value this spirit. We might not have relay races on our to-do lists, but we understand the importance of breaking away from the grind and having a laugh. It’s about fun over medals, as our resident athletes put it. Our awards might come in the form of intellectual breakthroughs, but we don’t forget to have fun in the process. After all, the path to data-driven innovation is long and winding—especially when you have to fix bugs along the way!

Stodulky Praha track club was founded in 1989 and helps kids from the neighborhood to learn and practice track and field. Talented kids hone their skills and are able to join top clubs later on. Michal Nemec started in this club as a talented kid to return later as a coach. “My biggest mistake in the beginning was to focus on the medals, on results versus the process,” remembers Michal Nemec. Then I got inspired by the work of basketball coach John Wooden (Greatest Coach of the 20th Century by ESPN), who says: “The best competition I have is against myself, to become better.”

“Funnily enough, the results came naturally as soon as I switched my focus more towards the process - creating an enjoyable and challenging daily routine. I also learned to  strongly prefer a small set of baselines over strict rules with harsh punishments over time. And to appreciate what we have achieved and where the team is now instead of being constantly dissatisfied because it (always) can be better - those are other lessons I got from my 20 years as an athlete and coach,” concludes Michal. 

Challenges: From Instant Gratification to Structure

In both Athletics and Datamole, we face the tension between instant gratification and iterative change. It’s easy to want quick results, but sometimes the most meaningful innovations take time. Our scientists know this all too well, even if their frustration mounts when things don’t happen overnight. In fact, Michal made the Mindset book by Carol Dweck as a mandatory reading for his track team so they could easily overcome the fear of failure.

Similarly, the challenge of establishing structure and leadership is a recurring theme. In both Athletics and Datamole, defining clear roles without stifling creativity is a balancing act. At Datamole, we’re continually working on fostering leadership that’s authentic and grounded in vision, not just titles. It is also crucial that the leadership group shares the same vision and collaborates instead of fighting each other.

The Academia Vibe: Where Scientists Thrive

Now, here’s where Datamole and Academia align most closely—especially when it comes to the grumbling. Academia is known for its long hours, complex theories, and never-ending quest for knowledge, all of which make it a natural breeding ground for disgruntled intellectuals. They left or are leaving the academic world and are asking, as is our nature, curious questions: How certain can you be that you have created something valuable - in the lab, or in the software business? How does the financing impact our work as scientists - and software developers? How deep is the detachment of your project from the actual daily work? Those are only several of many questions that our scientists discussed during our knowledge sharing session.

Process vs. Results

Academia, like athletics, often struggles with balancing processes and results. Our scientists at Datamole might not be running laps, but they’re certainly competing with their own past discoveries, always looking for better, faster, smarter ways to approach data challenges.

But with this comes frustration. Much like in Academia, where getting results can take years, Datamole’s teams are no strangers to setbacks. When the servers crash or an algorithm doesn’t yield the expected results, the disgruntled sighs can be heard across the office (or Google Chat).

Datamole’s Culture

In the end, learning from the Air Force, Athletics, and Academia helps Datamole evolve. We strive for precision and discipline like the Air Force, the team spirit and fun of Athletics, and the critical inquiry of Academia. But most importantly, we need to remember to laugh along the way—whether it’s dealing with disgruntled scientists or managing the chaos of a demanding data project.

By embracing both the serious lessons and the humorous quirks from these fields, Datamole can build a culture that’s resilient, innovative, and just the right amount of fun.