Our software renewal was in progress. With Curious we built a future-proof foundation, renewed our product development practices, and made AI a natural part of everyday work.
I am Terhi Hirvikorpi, Business Director at Lining Oy. At Lining we specialise in technical solutions for clean water and wastewater lines and facilities. The work we do is critical for society to function.
Where we started: An unfinished renewal and fear of falling behind
Our work with Curious began when we had a software renewal underway. We quickly saw we needed deep expertise to make the system genuinely future-proof. We did not want to build something that might already be outdated the day it shipped.
We looked for outside help and found at Curious an experienced architect who thinks in terms of the whole picture. Soon we realised it was not only about code. Our entire product development way of working needed renewal.
More than code: processes and AI woven into daily work
Although AI was a big part of the picture, Curious first helped us get the fundamentals right. We renewed our entire product development process: roles, decision-making, and a sprint-based operating model.
Together we also decided to use agent-based AI to help us scale. The change happened surprisingly fast because it was so well justified. Curious did not push anyone into change. They showed, with practical examples, how AI solves hard problems that had bothered us for a long time. We led with benefit, and people adopted the new tools with enthusiasm. AI quickly became a natural part of our daily work. It has noticeably sped up our work without creating chaos.
Concrete outcomes: calm and quality in how we work
If I had to name the single biggest change, it is this: everything has calmed down. We now plan, discuss, and deliver in a controlled way. The process works, and we have a clear view of when things will be ready. Many people join sprint reviews and we genuinely build things together. This is not only about isolated technical improvements, but a shift in the whole organisation's culture. Hierarchy has flattened and people now work in a more self-directed way.
Support and safety for leadership
For me as a leader, Curious has above all been support and safety. It is remarkably reassuring to put any difficult topic on the table, whether that is kick-starting sales, a complex migration, or preparing for an ISO 27001 security audit. With the Curious team we always quickly get a clear plan and execution.
Our collaboration is very strategic in nature and built on blunt honesty on both sides. It has also been an important forum for me for personal sparring and mentoring. We can talk about things by their real names.
