The Name
Our name came about while I was working in Panama City, Panama for a large multinational corporation. Ever since I graduated from university a decade earlier, I had dreamed of creating a web agency and started to visualize what it could become.
I wanted a name that would be memorable, work in multiple languages, and evoke vibrant colors, nature, and speed. It also needed to be short and easily recognizable.
During a weekend trip to the nearby jungle, I spotted a stunning keel-billed toucan and knew I had found the perfect name. The name also holds personal significance as my daughter was born there, making it a nice nod to that period of our lives.
We adopted the Hungarian spelling, Tukán, which helped with domain acquisition and made it quite unique, as toucans are rarely seen in Europe!
The Origin
After spending 12 years traveling the world for a multinational company and settling down in Budapest, Hungary with my wife and our then 3-year-old daughter, I knew it was time for a change. My dream had always been to become an entrepreneur, driven by my passion for digital innovation and creating opportunities for others to work on what they love. I wanted to eliminate the hassles of long commutes, poor equipment, slow internet, and long decision making from large clients. The idea took root while I was based in Panama and came to fruition after two years in London, where I spent more time on planes than at home.
So, in the summer of 2014, a week after relocating, I launched Tukan. I had always hoped it would surpass the three-year mark, which was an optimistic goal for a passion project. My love for digital technology, website creation, and helping others leverage the web was the driving force behind it all. Here we are, 10 years later, with a team of eight dedicated to designing and delivering exciting projects for satisfied clients while continuing to grow Tukan and maintaining the joy we find in our work.
The Journey
Entrepreneurship is not for the faint-hearted. It demanded countless hours (nights, weekends, and holidays with no breaks), high levels of stress, family strain, and the financial burden of not paying myself to ensure the company could grow and the team could earn their livelihoods. Yet, I would do it all over again. The experience has been incredibly liberating, motivating, and fulfilling, leaving no doubt that I would choose the same path.
Along the way, I’ve met some amazing people (students, freelancers, prospects, clients, and of course – Los Tukanos – our team members) and learned so much! Coming from a corporate background with clearly defined roles, the startup environment was a complete contrast. I had to wear many hats, from forecasting financials to translating copy, project managing, and coding. Everyone has a crucial role, and it’s rewarding to see both the outcomes and the journey. Our growth happened organically, with our team recruiting like-minded individuals and clients referring us to their networks. For me, this is proof that we are doing something right. Ironically, as a digital agency, we haven’t done any marketing!
And Now What?
We’re about to launch our very first webshops based on new technologies to future proof the main shop window of many of our clients. We’re excited to share it with you once it goes live!
So, what’s next for Tukan? Growth, of course! We’re currently recruiting and have just launched our new site. Finding the time to design and deliver it amidst our workload, even in the summer, was challenging, but we did it! It took us a year though as we started with the concept in summer 2023 and made progress only when the phone stopped ringing!
Stay tuned as we have some fantastic projects lined up for the end of 2024. We are fully committed to doing great work, so watch this space!
