About
feronovak
Managing Director, Ringier SlovakiaAI Builder
I run Slovakia's #1 media company and build with AI after hours. Not because someone asked me to, but because I need to know what's real and what's hype. Some of it worked. Some of it didn't. I write about both.
The MD
Leading Slovakia's largest media company
I run Ringier Slovakia - 2.5 million monthly users, 267 million page views, Aktuality.sk, Azet.sk, and half a dozen vertical brands. I've been here twelve years. I know every product in this portfolio because I built or ran most of them on the way up.
I pushed for Aktuality Navyse when it was just a donate button. I initiated the Google partnership that became AIWA. I made calls on products that took years to pay off, and some that didn't pay off at all. That's what running a company looks like when you don't manage from a distance.
Ringier is a Swiss media company. Slovakia is one of its key CEE markets. I've run the local operation through every phase - from community platform to digital media group to AI-first publisher.
The Entrepreneur
Building before managing
Before Ringier, I built car marketplaces, property portals, travel services, and a dating product for a New York City startup. Hard technical problems, no AI, no low-code shortcuts.
I haven't started many companies. I've shipped a lot of products. That's the kind of entrepreneur I am - someone who builds things that work, not someone who pitches things that might.
The Builder
Code before companies
I wrote code professionally before I ran anything. That changes the conversation with engineering teams. I can read a pull request, argue about architecture trade-offs, and call out when something is over-engineered.
I still build things. Not because an MD needs to code, but because the fastest way to understand a technology is to ship something with it. That's how I push AI adoption at Ringier. I try it first, then bring what works to the team.
Connect
Speaking, advisory, or just a question?
I'm open to conversations about media, AI, and building products. If you have something specific, even better.