Six years of Dialectica!
Dialectica’s journey started in summer 2015 and tomorrow, July 9th 2021, we are celebrating our 6-year anniversary full of milestones, proud moments, and fun times to remember. But how did we get here? With some help from our Co-founders and first employees, we are taking a look at the history of our team and how we grew from a handful of people to over 400 Dialecticans spread in four international locations.
Let’s start from the basics — why was Dialectica founded? The idea originated from our co-founders’ previous working experience in the financial sector and expert network industry respectively. George Tsarouchas and Fred Corkett realized the need for a trustworthy and credible information services solution that would help businesses make well-informed decisions and reduce risk, while saving valuable time and money. Thus, in 2015, they joined forces to create an information services startup with the aim to innovate how business professionals share knowledge and gain access to primary research worldwide. How so? By helping Dialectica achieve unparalleled customer recognition as the most trusted and innovative knowledge-sharing platform in the world, while building a truly great organization that attracts and cultivates top talent.
“Six years, four locations, two continents and 400 team members later… No matter how much we believed in our idea, how well-prepared we were and how much we worked on it when we started, all this exceeds my expectations, hopes and dreams. Thank you team for making Dialectica an organization to be so very proud of. Cheers to the next six and many more years ahead of us.”
George Tsarouchas, CEO and Co-founder
Dialectica’s name draws inspiration from Socrates’ dialectical method; a form of cooperative argumentative dialogue between individuals, based on asking and answering questions to stimulate critical thinking and to draw out ideas and underlying presuppositions. Guided by the industry’s need for real-time accurate information and speed in customer service, Dialectica’s consultation works like the Greek philosopher’s dialectical method; the client and expert try to underlie presuppositions through dialogue.
“When you embark on an entrepreneurial journey with just a handful of people working together from a living room, you can never imagine that just 6 years later, you will be working with a global team of 400 talented members from 4 different international locations. It is the efforts, the hard work and the accomplishments of each and every one of our people that made Dialectica a great success story with many chapters still to come.”
Fred Corkett, Managing Director and Co-founder
Dialectica’s connection to Greece doesn’t stop there, as the first office of the company opened in summer 2015 in central Athens, Greece. Soon after a second office in London was launched. In the first months, Dialectica’s team counted just a handful of people that were working really hard on building a truly industry-leading organization. By the end of 2019 that team had grown to 135 employees and the small startup that helps businesses and investment professionals make smarter decisions, explore new opportunities, and navigate the future with confidence started to attract more international attention.
“In my very first feedback session — which took place in a poorly lit kitchen — our Co-founders, George and Fred, told me that they were happy with my performance and that at some point they could maybe see me managing my own small team. Six years and a team of over 50 people later, I am happy to have proved them right!”
George Fragoudakis, Vice President
Dialectica soon became a success story, but this is not simply because of its global recognition or the fact that our team works with some of the top businesses and experts in the world. Our success is built upon our talented people, their growth within the company, our team spirit and unique company culture. Since day one, we wanted to create a truly great place to work. With input from all employees, Dialectica’s team created a set of values that defined who Dialecticans are and who they wanted to be in the future. It’s due to Dialectica’s workplace environment, career growth path and team culture that the startup received recognition as a Best Workplace in 2020 and in 2021 for its continued commitment to investing in its employees’ development and fostering a culture of trust and open communication. And it is thanks to each and every one of our employees that we were named Europe’s Fastest-Growing Expert Network by the “FT 1000: Europe’s fastest-growing companies” report.
“I joined Dialectica fresh out of uni and I never thought that I would stay with this tiny startup for over a year, nor that I would change my education and career plans to grab the development opportunities it offered me. I also never imagined that 6 years later, we would be an international 400-employee organization. It’s insanely addictive to be part of such growth!”
Eleanna Sfyra-Ragkousi, Head of Business Development
Within the last couple of years, Dialectica has also grown vertically, by expanding to North America and opening two new offices in the States and Canada; the first one in Montreal in September 2020 and the second one in New York in January 2021, with more offices to follow in the months ahead. Despite the global effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dialectica’s team in Montreal currently counts more than 50 people and as of June 2021, we employ over 400 members internationally.
“Seems like ages ago since I joined Dialectica — back then we were just a handful of people based in a small apartment. Six years later, I still cannot realize how fast we’ve grown and I can’t really imagine where we will be in six years from now (most probably in more international locations and occupying the entire Ermou St. in Athens)! I’m very lucky to be part of this amazing team and I look forward to the exciting years ahead!”
George Sardis, Vice President
It has definitely been a fun and unexpected ride and we cannot wait for the many more glories in the years to come, starting from achieving our goal to become a team of 1,000 within the next five years. Thank you, #teamDialectica, as without each and every one of you none of this would ever be possible!
