Luka Topolovec

It has been several years since Luka Topolovec graduated from the Executive MBA program at COTRUGLI Business School, but when he looks back, the impact of the MBA on his career is still very clear.

“Yes,” Luka says without hesitation. “Even before starting the Executive MBA at COTRUGLI in 2018, I was already running a fairly successful startup called Equaleyes. However, my background was mostly technical.”

As a technically strong founder, Luka quickly realized that there were important areas where he lacked formal knowledge.

“I noticed that while I was good on the technical side, I had several blind spots — finance, business strategy, even marketing. I understood that if I fixed those blind spots, I would become a better leader, and as a result, Equaleyes would become a better company.”

That realization led him to invest in the Executive MBA at COTRUGLI Business School. The program’s modular structure proved demanding, but highly effective.

“Every month, we had a new module that lasted an entire week. It was intense, but I saw noticeable improvements very quickly in how I approached business decisions.”

From Classroom to Real Business Decisions

What made the MBA particularly valuable for Luka was its immediate applicability.

“I remember early negotiations in the company where I consciously applied the decision-making tree that one of the professors explained during a module. Everything I learned, I tried to implement right away in my company.”

Even years later, those lessons remain relevant.

“Now, almost eight years later, I’m still using some of the tools and frameworks I learned at COTRUGLI.”

Learning by Building

When asked which modules had the biggest impact, Luka finds it difficult to single out just one.

“Honestly, all of them. But what really stood out was the final team project.”

Together with his classmates, Luka worked on a simulated startup idea — equipping excavators with smart systems. The project mirrored a real entrepreneurial journey.

“We went through everything: understanding the industry, defining strategy, setting pricing models, validating leads, and thinking through finances. Everything was extremely practical.”

One module, in particular, shifted his mindset around speed and experimentation.

“We actually had to spend real money on Google AdWords and Facebook ads to generate leads for our ‘fake’ startup. It showed us how you can validate an idea in just a few days. That’s a huge mindset shift — you can move very fast and save a lot of money before fully committing.”

Moments That Stay With You

Some of Luka’s strongest MBA memories are tied to teamwork and competition.

“Every time I logged into the COTRUGLI platform and saw good grades on our team assignments, it felt great. We also had real-life negotiation simulations, and I remember feeling very proud when I won some of those.”

Split into groups, participants were given briefs, tasked with preparing proposals, and then negotiating against each other.

“It was dynamic and very realistic; figuring out arguments, pushing for outcomes, and learning how negotiations actually work in real life.”

Community Beyond the Classroom

Staying connected with classmates hasn’t always been easy.

“I’m from Slovenia and in a different industry, so it’s a bit harder. I also had some bad luck; I started in 2018, and halfway through the program, COVID-19 hit, and everything went remote.”

Despite that, Luka remains very positive about the experience.

“Even then, everything continued smoothly, and I was very happy with how the program adapted.”

While no concrete business partnerships have emerged yet, he still sees strong potential in the network.

“All my classmates came from different industries. Even though we haven’t done business together yet, I definitely see long-term value in those connections.”

Balancing MBA, Work, and Life

Balancing the MBA with professional and personal life was challenging, but manageable.

“I liked that there was only one module per month. I could plan around it and fully dedicate that week to the MBA.”

Receiving materials in advance also made a big difference.

“I could study in the evenings when I had more time. The Friday-to-Sunday format worked really well, and I could immediately apply some of the things in my company.”

About Equaleyes

Today, Equaleyes has grown significantly.

“We have around 130 people now. We do software development for large companies — mobile, web, backend, and more. We also have a very strong UX and UI team.”

One standout achievement still makes Luka particularly proud.

“We developed a mobile banking solution for one of the Slovenian banks, and it won four awards for being the best digital bank in Slovenia.”

Leadership, Mentorship, and Growth

While Luka had global role models such as Elon Musk or Ben Horowitz, he learned the most from peers. “Especially founders who were slightly ahead of me. Watching how they grew their companies pushed me to move faster and sometimes be a bit more courageous.”

For Luka, a successful leader is defined by balance. “A truly successful leader has a profitable company with motivated employees and stable clients, but also low stress, time for family, and time for hobbies. In short, living a good life.”

Advice to Future Leaders and MBA Candidates

For first-time leaders, Luka offers three clear pieces of advice: “Invest heavily in education. Learn English if you want to operate internationally. Stay informed about technology trends like AI. And most importantly, learn how to forgive yourself. You will make mistakes, sometimes costly ones, but you must move forward.”

To those considering an MBA, his message is equally clear. “Even if you already have a strong academic background, as I did in computer science, an MBA helps you understand business blind spots that are otherwise very hard to learn. You gain knowledge, perspective, and a powerful network.”

For Luka, the Executive MBA at COTRUGLI Business School was not just an educational experience, it was a strategic investment in leadership, clarity, and long-term growth.