The most interesting career transformations often happen when we least expect them. For Zuzka Pelechova, it wasn’t a carefully plotted five-year plan that led her from politics to tech – it was trusting herself and taking a leap of faith through Czechitas, a non-profit that opens up the world of IT to women and youth in the Czech Republic.
Now, at Apify, Zuzka’s in her element. “It’s like a never-ending puzzle! And I still love solving them,” she says enthusiastically about her work. This natural fit between her problem-solving mindset and tech’s challenges shows why the industry offers such exciting opportunities for career changers – it rewards curiosity and fresh perspectives from many backgrounds.
From politics to tech
Before her tech career, Zuzka worked in an entirely different world. She spent nearly a decade in politics as a regional manager for a major political party. Her daily responsibilities ranged from managing databases to planning events and creating PR campaigns – a foundation that gave her a unique perspective when she eventually made her career change.
However, the political landscape was changing in ways that made her reconsider her future. “I thought I might leave the country,” she reflects about the Czech Republic’s political direction at that time. Looking abroad for options, she considered Germany. “I knew English, but I wanted more options than changing bedsheets,” she says. It was this concern about finding meaningful work abroad that ultimately pointed her to a new path in technology.
Choosing the right course
While weighing her options, Zuzka started noticing targeted ads for tech education programs. After trying several short courses, she landed on Czechitas, a digital academy that would change her career trajectory forever. Their three-month intensive program stood out from others on the market.
Czechitas was refreshingly different – they went beyond just teaching. Instead of narrow technical training, they truly prepared people for the whole journey of changing careers. Their approach balances the hard skills with the human side. They help with interviews and connect people to a supportive professional community. What’s more, their graduates actually get hired, proving that with the right preparation, career transitions can be both accessible and successful.
Learning the lingo
Three months of intensive learning guided Zuzka’s career path. The digital academy at Czechitas immersed her in an entirely new world with its own language – data cleaning, primary keys, ETL processes, for loops, and joins – concepts that would soon form the foundation of her daily work. As graduation approached, it was time to put her newfound skills to the test.
Among the many companies that partnered with Czechitas, Apify interested her immediately. “I was drawn to Apify because they used their technical skills for non-profit projects like Hlídač shopů and Hlídač státu,” she explains. While interviewing with several companies, a café meeting with Jakub Balada, Apify’s co-founder, sealed the deal. The connection was immediate – after a Friday interview, she started work the following Monday.
Early days at a smaller Apify
The company had just 16 people then – a big difference from today’s 130+ Apifiers. “I remember when we all fit into one room,” she says. The early days were all about constant motion. As one of the earliest team members, she helped with many things – handling customer support calls, working on marketing strategy, and making product decisions.
Initially, she took charge of Hlídač shopů, a price tracker that helps Czech shoppers spot fake discounts and find genuine deals. “For the first half year, I was completely devoted to it,” she recalls. This was just the beginning, and her role quickly expanded beyond that single project.
There was no such thing as “not my department” when they were building from scratch. It’s pretty different these days, as Zuzka points out: “What’s interesting now is that we have much better-defined roles. Before, we needed someone who could help with everything. Now we can be specific – we need customer support here, a developer there.” While the specialized structure works better for Apify today, those early days of doing it all gave her a unique perspective that still shapes her leadership.
Leading Apify Store
Zuzka now heads Apify Store, the marketplace for web scraping, automation tools, and AI agents. Apify Store is home to thousands of Actors built by developers from all over the world, and Zuzka has steered it toward becoming a core part of the Apify ecosystem.
Looking back, Zuzka says: “When I started and was asked which Actors we should use to demonstrate how Apify works, I would say: use one of these two; these are the only ones that work,” she says. “Then we reached a point where I could say, ‘Use any Actor except these two; they aren’t working at the moment.’ Today, I say you can use any Actor you want.”
Apify Store thrives on its community, which Zuzka has actively supported over the years. When Instagram launched Threads on a Friday, she saw it in action: “We had the first community Actor that same Friday, and two more over the weekend.” With Actors tackling everything from scraping data from social media to Google Maps and more. The marketplace’s speed, size, and variety show her knack for leading a dynamic platform.
Today, Zuzka is excited about how Apify Store is evolving beyond its initial purpose. “We built it for web scraping and automation, but now it can serve other use cases, like AI agents. It’s becoming a platform where people who’ve built software can share it with others and earn – even if it’s not their primary income source.”
Balancing tech and family
Zuzka manages her tech career and family life with a practical setup: two days in the office and three at home. She chooses her office days to line up with her family’s schedule, keeping everything on track. “Remote work makes it much easier for parents,” she says. “I wouldn’t be able to do it without this flexibility.”
She’s noticed something interesting about her work patterns, too. When she’s in the office, she’s rarely sitting at her desk – it’s all about connecting with colleagues, spontaneous discussions, and meetings. Home days have a completely different rhythm, perfect for tasks that need uninterrupted focus. “I’m not doing the same things in different places,” she explains. “I’m doing completely different types of work.”
Finding your place in tech
For anyone considering a switch to tech, Zuzka offers practical advice based on her experience:
“Start with small courses to see if you actually enjoy the work. Choose courses with live sessions over pre-recorded ones – you want to build connections. Networking is really important for finding jobs later. Work on a personal project before job hunting, and talk to friends or relatives you know in tech – anyone!”
— Zuzka Pelechova, Apify
Zuzka’s move from politics to tech shows how any background – teaching, social work, or something completely different – can kick off a new career. As Apify has grown, she’s taken the lead in shaping Apify Store, a clear sign that career changers can make waves in tech.
Got talents from another chapter in your life? They’re welcome on the Apfiy team. Come help us build tools that democratize web data for developers, businesses, and researchers who need better access to information.
