From Prague to China, Dubai and Back

When I wrote my very first line of iOS code back in 2011, I couldn’t have imagined the journey ahead. All I knew was that I loved mobile technology, and as a longtime Apple fan, becoming an iOS developer felt like the most natural step.

That passion took me around the world. I spent two years in China, more than a year in Dubai, and while I learned a lot from those experiences, I always knew I wanted to come back home to the Czech Republic. What I didn’t know then was that one day, I would return to help build something new with Paylocity.

In November 2022, I joined Paylocity as a Senior Engineering Manager—employee number 39 in the Czech Republic. The mobile team had just 12 people at the time, five of whom I had already worked with before. That made the transition seamless, but what made it special was how quickly I felt at home. Paylocity wasn’t just hiring me; they were trusting me with a mission that was as bold as it was exciting: take a mobile app that no longer met modern standards and transform it into a fully native experience for millions of users.

That trust was never one-sided. From day one, I felt supported—by colleagues in the Czech Republic, by leadership, and by our product partners in the U.S.. Together, we navigated the technical challenges, learned the ins and outs of the HCM industry, and built relationships that lasted.

Less than a year later, in October 2023, we launched the brand-new Paylocity mobile app. That moment is still one of the proudest in my career. And it didn’t stop there: since then, we’ve rolled multiple new native functionalities and redesigned some old ones. What started as a single team of 12 is now three teams with 31 incredible engineers. Today, over 4 million people use our app every month, and our rating in the app stores is now one of the best in the industry. We ship code, fix bugs, and sometimes create new ones. 

And while our product has grown, so have I. Leading in Paylocity has stretched me in ways no previous role had—it’s been about more than just engineering. It’s been about building culture, empowering people, and seeing the direct impact of our work on millions of lives. That kind of growth only happens when you’re in a place that gives you room to take risks, make decisions, and truly own what you build.

Of course, this story isn’t just about me. Paylocity’s Czech organization has grown alongside our mobile efforts. From fewer than 40 employees when I joined, we’re now more than 150 strong—and still growing. Onboarding new people sometimes feels like speed dating: “Hi, I’m Tomas, let’s build something amazing.” We’ve built our own HR and TA functions and even have our own dedicated End User Computing (EUC) colleague. On top of that, we partner with great local initiatives like Czechitas and Femme Palette, because we believe in giving back to the community and helping the next generation of talent grow. 

Even though we’re remote-first, many of us choose to come into the office—not because we have to, but because we actually enjoy spending time together. Somewhere along the way, colleagues became friends. (When I joined, we could all fit around one table. Now we’d need a whole restaurant. And yes, we still leave for lunch at 11:30 sharp.) And it’s not only about lunch. Somehow, four of us even ended up at a 7:15 a.m. Body Pump class on Wednesday mornings. I’m still not sure if that’s dedication or just poor life choices.

And while the work we do is world-class and impacts millions of people, Paylocity’s culture makes it possible to also have balance. I still find time for the things I love outside of work—cars and go-karts, golf, hiking—and trying to play beach volleyball with my girlfriend. I’m terrible at it, even though she swears I’m not. That’s probably love—or a very good lie.

Looking back, I’m proud of how far we’ve come. I’ve grown alongside Paylocity, and I know the journey is just getting started. What excites me most is not only what we’ve already built, but everything that’s still ahead.