Learning when to ask for help and when to step in

When people think about a software company, they usually imagine developers, testers, or architects. But every company is built not only on the people whose work is most visible, but also on those whose work rarely makes it into the spotlight. In this #YonderPeople story, we step into Finance. Not to talk about numbers, but about what happens when growth creates opportunities long before anyone feels completely ready for them.

From structure to autonomy

When Andra joined Yonder in 2014 as a Financial Analyst, she was coming from a multinational, corporate environment, used to clearly defined processes, global policies and well-established ways of working. Decisions followed rules. There was usually a prescribed path.

Yonder felt different. Yes, there were guidelines and central policies, but the space between them was wider than anything she’d experienced. People were trusted to make decisions, take ownership, and help shape the road ahead rather than simply follow one. As part of Total Specific Solutions, Yonder combined the stability of an international group with the autonomy of local teams.

“It felt like a very interesting combination – being part of an international organization while still having the freedom to make decisions locally was new to me. Rather than waiting for direction, people were encouraged and trusted to operate with a high degree of autonomy.”

It took some adjustment. But it also opened the door to a different way of working and growing.

Learning as you go

Over the following years, Andra moved through several roles, from Financial Analyst to Manager Finance and Control. As the wider group expanded by acquiring software companies across Europe, Yonder’s Finance team became involved in evaluating those companies before they joined the group and later in helping integrate them into the organization. For Andra, it was completely new territory.

“The biggest opportunities rarely come with a label attached. More often, they look like difficult projects or unexpected challenges. The key is being willing to step forward when they appear. That’s one of the things I believe defines Yonder and the group we are part of.”

For her, growth never came from feeling completely ready. It came from saying “yes” first and learning along the way. The organization, she explains, doesn’t always look for the person who already has all the experience. Sometimes it just looks for the person who’s willing to figure it out. “It gives you the space to learn as you go,” she explains.

Missing the bigger picture

Over time, part of Andra’s role expanded into the world of M&A, including financial due diligence – a detailed investigation of a company’s financials, risks, and everything that might look different up close before deciding whether to move forward with an acquisition. It was during those years, while she was working on a large, complex project, that she learned an important lesson.

“There was a point when everything seemed to lead to another question. You’d lift one stone and find something else underneath it,” she remembers. “The deeper I went, the harder it became to step back and see the whole picture. I was so focused on not missing anything that I missed the bigger picture.”

She had taken on the project alone. After successfully leading the financial due diligence and integration of a previous acquisition, she believed she could do it again. So she kept digging, convinced she simply needed to work harder.

“It was a strange feeling. I knew so much about the individual parts that I could no longer see the whole. Like knowing every county and every city but not being able to see the outline of the country.”

At that point, she decided to turn to her manager. The conversation shifted her perspective and that simple act of reaching out made all the difference.

“Years later, I barely remember the financial details of the project. The lasting lesson was that great leaders don’t solve problems for their teams; they help people find their own way through them. Rather than stepping in with answers, I was guided to see the bigger picture, connect the dots, and trust my own judgment. The project moved forward, but more importantly, the experience shaped how I developed as a professional and, later, as a leader myself.”

Carrying the lesson forward

Today, Andra leads a team of her own. And one of the hardest parts of leadership, she says, isn’t solving people’s problems. It’s knowing when and how to step in.

“I find it difficult to balance how long you let someone try to find the answers on their own, and when the right moment to step in is. How long do you let someone struggle? When does patience become neglect? There’s a version of helping that takes the problem away, and a version that helps someone think their way through it. The distance between them can be hard to see in the moment.”

She doesn’t claim to have found the formula. Every period brings different challenges. Different people need different things. But she knows what the goal is.

“To help someone in a way that lets them hold on to the belief that they can do it.”

That’s what she was given. That’s what she’s trying to give.

Looking back on twelve years at Yonder, Andra doesn’t describe her career through promotions, job titles or acquisitions. She remembers opportunities she wasn’t entirely ready for, mistakes she learned from, and the people who trusted her enough not to take the challenge away.