Jiří Koleňák: My name is Jiří Koleňák and welcome to the Úspěšní (Successful) podcast, where my guests and I explore the principles and habits that drive their success. Let’s dive in. My guest today is Sebastian Pachman, an entrepreneur who is redefining the approach to real estate, architecture, and construction development. Sebastian brings extensive experience in brand development, real estate, and modular construction sales. He streamlines the process of building new structures using innovative methods and is a proud alumnus of Newton University. Hi Sebastian, welcome to the podcast.
Sebastian Pachman: Hi, thank you for having me.
Jiří Koleňák: Sebastian, I always start by asking my guests what brought them the greatest joy in recent days. What was it for you?
Sebastian Pachman: For me, it was initiating a restructuring of our business. We are onboarding new team members who share our vision and see the exact same potential in what we do. Getting that clear, positive alignment has been fantastic.
Jiří Koleňák: During your studies, you specialized in Marketing and Brand Management. What led you to that field?
Sebastian Pachman: At the time, it was a very captivating topic. During my introductory open day at Newton, the lecture focused on brand archetypes. It fascinated me because it combined psychology with sales—it was engaging and had a broad spectrum of practical application. That lecture convinced me to enroll.
Jiří Koleňák: How does that specialization connect with your business operations today?
Sebastian Pachman: As an owner and entrepreneur, I don't need to know the technical specifications of every single bolt, but I must articulate our value, sell the concept effectively, and give the brand a soul. I bridge technical construction with design and brand narrative.
Jiří Koleňák: You launched your business while still studying. What triggered that decision?
Sebastian Pachman: I grew up in an entrepreneurial environment—my father worked in corporate executive management, and my mother turned her hobby into a thriving business. I realized early on that I was essentially "unemployable" in a traditional job because I naturally push back, challenge authority, and constantly generate new ideas. I decided to turn one of those ideas into reality.
Jiří Koleňák: What was the hardest part of turning that initial idea into your first commercial offerings?
Sebastian Pachman: In modular construction, the hardest part was securing those initial contracts. As a brand-new, unknown company, very few clients are willing to hand over 5 or 6 million CZK and say, "Go ahead and build." Convincing those early clients was a massive hurdle.
Jiří Koleňák: What were the first operational steps of your business? Do you remember your very first contract?
Sebastian Pachman: Yes. We had our first three manual labor workers, and through a partner firm, we secured an assembly job in Germany—a 7.5-hour drive away. That was our very first job and our initial revenue, even though it was brutally far from home.
Jiří Koleňák: What key lessons did you learn during those first few months or years?
Sebastian Pachman: First, we decided to focus exclusively on the domestic Czech market because it was far from saturated. Second, I learned that verbal promises mean nothing; agreements must be documented, anchored in contracts, and actively managed. Running a company requires far more structured oversight than the romanticized versions depicted in movies.
Jiří Koleňák: How did you respond to those lessons?
Sebastian Pachman: I dug deep into business operations—studying management styles, process planning, and organizational structures. I systematically applied those principles to transform our early operations into a structured company.
Jiří Koleňák: Looking at your firm's beginnings versus today, what are the main differences?
Sebastian Pachman: Early on, funding the business with our own initial capital felt smooth, but rapid growth quickly threw us into cash flow bottlenecks that we had to carefully navigate out of. The biggest cultural shift is scale: today, we have employees I address formally and team members whose names I can't immediately match to a face, whereas early on it felt like a small family circle.
Jiří Koleňák: What drew you specifically to modular construction?
Sebastian Pachman: The initial spark came from my father, who co-owned a firm producing modular units—though 99% of their output was basic construction site cabins. I realized that globally, modular technology was being used for sophisticated industrial architecture—building residential homes, schools, kindergartens, and offices. I proposed founding a project-driven company that would design modular structures, outsource manufacturing and assembly, and manage the complete process. Within three months, however, we ended up acquiring our own production line and hiring our first dedicated staff.
Jiří Koleňák: What was your overarching vision when starting out?
Sebastian Pachman: To introduce an innovative building approach to the Czech market—bringing modular technology to retail clients building family homes, as well as municipalities needing rapid construction of schools or kindergartens. Conventional masonry builds often cannot be completed within a single municipal election cycle, whereas modular construction delivers fast, high-quality results.
Jiří Koleňák: Building a distinct brand is critical in construction. How do you approach brand building in modular development?
Sebastian Pachman: It's very nuanced because we serve both B2C retail customers and B2B commercial clients. We intentionally position ourselves as a approachable, family-rooted business. We emphasize being friendly, transparent, and communicative. We never want to look like a distant corporate developer who just hands over a key and avoids personal dialogue.
Jiří Koleňák: How do you select new team members to maintain that company culture?
Sebastian Pachman: I prioritize personal interaction and cultural fit over polished CVs. Technical prerequisites are necessary, but personal connection is decisive.
Jiří Koleňák: How do you evaluate if a candidate is the right fit?
Sebastian Pachman: When a scheduled 30-minute interview naturally extends into an hour and a half because we connect effortlessly. I look for individuals who open up, discuss topics beyond work, and demonstrate an innate ability to build authentic interpersonal relationships—which aligns with our core internal ethos of friendliness.
Jiří Koleňák: Can you share an example of how that friendly culture acted as a game-changer during a crisis or major deal?
Sebastian Pachman: When you build genuine relationships with clients beyond a transactional supplier-buyer dynamic, their approach shifts when unforeseen issues arise. If a problem occurs on-site, we address it transparently. Instead of issuing financial penalties or demanding extra costs right away, clients actively collaborate with us, saying, "I understand the issue, let's solve it together."
Jiří Koleňák: What are the near-term plans for Smart Modul?
Sebastian Pachman: We are currently executing a comprehensive structural reorganization to separate the ownership level from daily operations. Our goal over the next 24 months is to install full-time Managing Directors across both operating companies. This will allow the founders to transition fully into strategic, visionary roles rather than handling daily job-site troubleshooting.
Jiří Koleňák: How are you structuring that transition to executive leadership?
Sebastian Pachman: We brought in an interim management consultant to guide the process. Over the next 24 months, their directive is to establish standardized operational processes, programmable decision-making frameworks, and formal reporting lines, preparing the company for professional corporate management.
Jiří Koleňák: That’s a classic challenge in family-led businesses—high trust, but informal processes.
Sebastian Pachman: Exactly. It can be a bit "punk" at times, but that informal nature also creates an extremely dynamic, high-energy environment that I enjoy.
Jiří Koleňák: How do you personally define success?
Sebastian Pachman: Success isn't purely measured by financial metrics. It's measured by leaving a meaningful legacy, earning a comfortable living while maintaining genuine joy in your daily work, and ensuring your business positively impacts your personal life rather than consuming it.
Jiří Koleňák: Do you feel successful?
Sebastian Pachman: I'm getting there. We have intense moments where I wish things were smoother, but overall, we feel successful both as an organization and as individuals.
Jiří Koleňák: What was the single biggest challenge you faced while scaling the firm?
Sebastian Pachman: Cash flow management. In our industry, a project typically takes three to four months to complete, with the majority of capital received upon final delivery while operational expenses accrue continuously. Managing cash flow through a period where our company doubled its annual turnover was our toughest hurdle to date, but we have brought it under tight control.
Jiří Koleňák: How do you handle entrepreneurial stress?
Sebastian Pachman: Maintaining a distinct personal life outside of work. Having personal hobbies that completely shift your mental focus is essential. After neglecting that balance for the past two years, I set a deliberate goal to build structured, fulfilling personal activities that allow my brain to recharge.
Jiří Koleňák: Can you recall a major setback and the key takeaway it provided?
Sebastian Pachman: We've faced several—unpaid invoices due to client disputes, or hiring an executive director who handed back their keys and quit after just one month. Those experiences taught me that assumptions are dangerous. You must maintain continuous situational awareness, build dynamic problem-solving capabilities, and maintain formal crisis management protocols for unexpected shifts.
Jiří Koleňák: Can you share a major mistake that ultimately propelled the business forward?
Sebastian Pachman: Recently, scheduling miscalculations forced us to execute three-quarters of our annual project volume within a single quarter. Constrained by physical facility space, labor limits, and management capacity, we made a conscious choice to lean into the chaos—using that high-pressure bottleneck to immediately implement formal management structures, rigorous scheduling tools, and standardized tracking processes. That high-stress experience accelerated our operational maturity significantly.
Jiří Koleňák: Do you have a business role model?
Sebastian Pachman: Years ago, I read Delivering Happiness by Tony Hsieh, the late founder of Zappos. His philosophy—that you aren't merely selling a physical product like shoes, but delivering an emotional experience and happiness—deeply inspired me. He transformed organizational culture and customer service. Whenever I need fresh inspiration, I revisit that book.
Jiří Koleňák: How do you translate that philosophy into your company?
Sebastian Pachman: We cultivate open communication and transparency continuous across the organization. Many of our employees take genuine pride in the brand because they are kept fully informed and engaged, far more than in typical construction firms.
Jiří Koleňák: How do your site teams respond to process innovations?
Sebastian Pachman: Construction trades carry a traditional mindset, so introducing new methods to craftsmen who have done things one way for 20 years requires hands-on leadership. Instead of arguing, we research the method, step onto the job site ourselves, and demonstrate how the new tool or technique works in practice. Leading by example eliminates objections—showing rather than telling is the key to driving operational change.
Jiří Koleňák: How do you recharge your personal energy?
Sebastian Pachman: A while back, realizing my personal life lacked dedicated focus, I decided on a whim to earn my skipper's sailing license. Within two months, I paid for a course, spent a week at sea, and passed the exams. I fell in love with sailing immediately. Now, I regularly disconnect from my phone, spend quality time with my family, and step back from work to maintain mental clarity.
Jiří Koleňák: Do you actively support your team in preventing burnout?
Sebastian Pachman: Yes. We maintain open dialogue. If a team member requests time off or a few days to decompress, we support them fully. Overworking yields negative returns in the long run.
Jiří Koleňák: What are your long-term growth plans for the business?
Sebastian Pachman: We are evaluating establishing a holding structure. We plan to focus primarily on the Czech market, as modular trends from abroad are still arriving here. We aim to launch internal property development projects—taking a personalized, design-led approach to commercial and residential development rather than mass-producing generic catalog buildings.
Jiří Koleňák: What would a dream development project look like for you?
Sebastian Pachman: Developing a space with real architectural soul and purpose—a place I would genuinely want to live or work in myself. Rather than acting as a volume developer building identical housing tracts, I want to create unique, design-forward community living spaces or multifunctional architectural hubs that stand out in the Czech Republic.
Jiří Koleňák: What is the future of modular construction in the Czech Republic?
Sebastian Pachman: The shift is happening right now. While conventional "wet" masonry construction is declining overall, modular construction continues to grow year-over-year. The Czech market is maturing, following the trajectory of timber-frame buildings. Eventually, we will match markets like Germany, where municipal buildings, schools, and kindergartens are routinely constructed using modular technology due to its speed, efficiency, and demographic adaptability.
Jiří Koleňák: What are your personal goals for the next 5 to 10 years?
Sebastian Pachman: To step away from operational management while retaining high-level oversight. I want the mental bandwidth to focus on long-term strategy, vision, brand development, and marketing—guiding the macro direction of the business rather than managing daily construction logistics.
Jiří Koleňák: What field do you want to master next?
Sebastian Pachman: High-level strategic corporate leadership. Having mastered project execution and production management, my focus is now on leading an entire enterprise through people—driving strategic momentum without letting daily operations run my life.
Jiří Koleňák: What defines feeling successful in today's world?
Sebastian Pachman: Many people obsess over public recognition and social validation. True success, however, means being genuinely happy with your work, maintaining strong personal relationships, and receiving genuine feedback from peers who respect what you build.
Jiří Koleňák: What advice would you give someone considering starting their first business?
Sebastian Pachman: Prepare yourself mentally, plan carefully, and audit your personal network to identify trusted advisors you can turn to for guidance. Early on, unexpected hurdles like VAT filings, payroll, and corporate accounting can feel overwhelming. Having experienced mentors to consult over lunch is invaluable.
Jiří Koleňák: What advice would you give young people dreaming of business success?
Sebastian Pachman: Let go of irrational fears. What's the worst that can happen? If the business fails, you can always take a standard 9-to-5 job. Pursue your vision with genuine passion. Building something of your own, on your own terms, is extraordinarily rewarding.
Jiří Koleňák: How often do you map out your future vision?
Sebastian Pachman: Every six months, I sit down to draw mind maps and visual cycles. I evaluate my personal life, company, and family goals—marking what worked, what didn't, and adjusting my written targets. Circumstances change rapidly, so reviewing goals bi-annually keeps me aligned.
Jiří Koleňák: How do you advise people to overcome the fear of taking the first step?
Sebastian Pachman: Visualize the absolute worst-case scenario. Growing up doing dance and acrobatics, whenever I attempted a dangerous stunt, I asked myself: "What's the absolute worst that happens? I break a leg, spend three months in recovery, and then I'm back to normal." You won't die. Frame setbacks as minor stumbles along the path rather than catastrophic failures, and take the leap.
Jiří Koleňák: Sebastian Pachman, thank you very much for joining us and sharing your story and insights.
Sebastian Pachman: Thank you very much for having me, and see you next time!
Jiří Koleňák: To our viewers, thank you for watching. Please leave a like, comment, and subscribe. See you next time with more inspiring guests!
