Coaching that changed everything
It was a completely normal coaching session. A talented developer sat across from us and said something that stuck with us: “I want to develop myself further. But I don't want to take on a leadership role.”
No job interviews. No salary negotiations. No personnel responsibility. Just continuing to do what he loved: developing, tinkering, getting better.
But that was precisely the problem. As a senior developer, he was at the end of his career. Not because he wasn't good enough. But because there was no way up – except into leadership.
At that moment, we realized that in many companies, careers end where leadership begins. Those who want to grow professionally hit an invisible ceiling.

We wanted to change that.

A box of Lego bricks and an idea
We began to visualize career paths. In a very analog way. With Excel and a box of Lego bricks.
Each brick represented a skill. Each color represented a level. This is how the first Skill Tower was created—tangible, colorful, understandable. A model of what development can look like without hierarchy becoming a necessity.
It worked. People could suddenly see where they stood and where they could grow.

The bigger picture
Over time, we realized that this problem exists everywhere.
Annual reviews become a compulsory exercise. Managers rush through the corridors shortly before the appointment to collect feedback. Further training courses come to nothing because no one knows what they are actually relevant for.
It's not a lack of will. It's a lack of clarity.
Companies often don't know exactly what skills they really need. Employees don't know how they can grow. And both sides talk past each other.
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The encounter
We met again at a trade event – Mirko and Oliver. Two people from different worlds, but with the same conviction.
Mirko, with his passion for people, corporate culture, and development.
Oliver, with his experience in agile organization, technology, and scaling.
We philosophized about the Lego towers. About how much potential the idea had. And at some point, the sentence that changed everything was uttered: “Actually, you should build this as software.”

From one night to a platform
That one night turned into a project. The project turned into mySkilltower.
Today, it is a platform that makes career development transparent, measurable, and inspiring—for employees, teams, and entire organizations.
No more Excel spreadsheets. No more analog Lego bricks. Instead, a digital tool that shows that growth is possible. For everyone. At every level.

​Our mission
Make development visible.
Give everyone the chance to grow—without having to bend over backwards.
Because careers shouldn't end where leadership begins.