This is one of the most important moments in msalamon’s history.

Almost from the day I started the msalamon blog, I have had one goal: to build the best possible Polish electronics engineers. Not through quick shortcuts, not through “magic” solutions, but through solid foundations. The embedded world is more complex today than ever before. Datasheets and reference manuals run to thousands of pages, tool ecosystems grow year after year, and the barrier to entry for beginners keeps rising. If we want the Polish electronics industry to be truly strong, we have to start at the base – with people who understand the fundamentals.

For almost six years I have been consistently creating online courses, videos and articles that introduce complete beginners to the world of microcontrollers and embedded systems in a structured, professional way. My job isn’t just to pass on knowledge. My job is to give someone a stable start in an engineering career, or a wonderful lifelong hobby if they would rather do something else for a living.

Today I can say that this road has brought another important milestone. msalamon has officially been accepted into the ST Partner Program in the Training category. I don’t treat it as a goal in itself. If I did, I’d have to wrap things up already 😅

I treat it as a sign that this whole journey – from the first blog posts to today’s courses – wasn’t a shot in the dark. That what I have been building for years really works and translates into the growth of the people who use these materials.

It proves to me that the direction I chose six years ago bloody well made sense!

So for the first time I can officially and legitimately use this badge 😎

Here’s the partnership page on the STMicroelectronics website: https://www.st.com/content/st_com/en/partner/partner-program/partnerpage/msalamon.html

How did it all actually start?

It started very simply. I was learning STM32 at the time because I wanted to change jobs, and I was missing good materials in Polish. The documentation was extensive and there were plenty of foreign sources, but there was no place that would guide you step by step in our language.

I had a lot of experience with AVR microcontrollers, and that helped me make the move to STM32.

So I started writing the blog mainly for myself – to organise the knowledge I was gaining and to keep it from “slipping away”. I didn’t want it to be knowledge kept just for me. I wanted to share it.

Over time it turned out there were more people like me. Junior engineers, students, people switching careers – they were all looking for a structured way into the world of microcontrollers. The blog started to grow, the first course appeared, and then more followed.

For almost six years I have been consistently developing these materials, updating them as tools and libraries change, and refining the way I explain difficult topics so they make sense from the ground up.

Over these years, around 1500 people have gone through my courses. Altogether, my courses now contain around 250 hours of edited material. When I look at these numbers, what I mostly see is time and consistency. Things like this aren’t built by accident.

Today I’m no longer doing this alone. I have built a team that looks after the courses and takes care of their quality on the visual and organisational side. The technical content is still entirely in my hands. The foundation has stayed the same: a structured introduction to the embedded world for people starting from zero. And that’s exactly what brought me to where I am today.

The start of the collaboration and the road to partnership

My collaboration with the Polish branch of STMicroelectronics began before my first full course existed. I was writing a blog about STM32, developing materials, and at some point I got in touch with them to show them everything I was creating. I simply wanted to build a relationship – since my content is based on their solutions, it felt natural to me that we should be talking.

Over time that collaboration grew step by step. We talked, exchanged information, and I consulted them on some technical matters. Trust was built, along with a mutual understanding of the direction in which I was taking the blog and, later, the courses.

Only after a while did I ask whether it would be possible to join the ST Partner Program. From the very beginning I heard that what I do makes sense and that this direction is in line with the vision of building an ecosystem around ST solutions. The local team supported me through the formal, global qualification process. Without them, and especially without Karol Płocha, it wouldn’t have happened.

The process took more than three years. It had multiple stages and required showing that this isn’t a one-off project, but something built systematically over years. It’s not only about creating content, but about consistency and taking responsibility for education. I also had to prove that creating courses in Polish adds real value for our Polish embedded community.

We’re a small team, which means the standard we’re building has to speak for itself – and that, in my view, is exactly what this verification confirmed.

Only 33 companies worldwide

At the time of writing, there are 33 companies worldwide in the Training category of the ST Partner Program. That’s a really small number on a global scale. For me it’s a clear signal that the direction I chose years ago was the right one.

For me this is a very important moment. Not because a partner logo appears, but because it confirms that what I do is right. It absolutely doesn’t change the direction of my work. If anything, it’s a signal that it’s worth sticking to this path and continuing to grow.

What does this mean for people who are just starting?

If you’re starting your journey with STM32, or more broadly with microcontrollers, this is simply the right place to start. Not because I say so, but because for years I have been building materials precisely with people starting from zero in mind.

A few years ago I was in that exact place myself. I know what the chaos at the beginning looks like: too much information, too little context, no structured path. That’s why from the start I have been creating the blog and the courses so that they lead you step by step – from the absolute basics, through your first projects, all the way to more and more advanced topics.

The fact that today I’m part of the ST Partner Program in the Training category simply means that this path makes sense not only to me and to the people who have already gone through the courses, but also in a wider, industry context. So if you start here, you’re starting in a place that is genuinely rooted in the world you want to enter.

What does the partnership actually change?

Being a partner in the Training category doesn’t mean access to some “secret” materials or magic shortcuts. It means something much more practical. I get earlier information about changes and new releases, access to additional webinars and direct technical support. Thanks to this, the materials I create can stay up to date and in line with the direction in which the ST ecosystem is heading.

I can also prepare materials in advance, so that content is available, for example, for the launch of a new tool or a new microcontroller family. My biggest obstacle lately is time, but I’ll find a way around it. If you’ve been following me for a while, you know I like to focus on what’s new.

In the embedded world, being up to date matters. Tools change, libraries evolve, new approaches appear. I have closer contact with the manufacturer and get to grips faster with what’s changing and why. For people who are learning, this may not be visible at first glance, but in the long run it makes a difference.

The blog in English and going beyond Poland

One of the conditions for joining the ST Partner Program is that the partner’s main website must be available in English. And that makes sense. The programme is global, and the idea behind it is simple: training content should be understandable and accessible, not just locally. That’s why I translated the msalamon blog into English.

And although at first it was a slightly inconvenient programme requirement (because I had to translate all of it 😅), I quickly saw something more in it. Since the materials are now in English, it naturally opens the door to reaching people outside Poland – without changing who I am or who I primarily create for. My focus is still on Polish engineers and people starting from zero. But now the same content can work a bit more widely.

So if one day I decide – we’re going global – it’s already a bit easier. Online courses are a slightly different story, but AI tools for transcription, translation and cloning my voice are now advanced enough that I may not have to re-record a whole course in English. Maybe it will be enough to rework it with those tools. But these aren’t plans for the near future. It’s simply an open door for growth, and I’m just thinking out loud.

As of today, I have several new, smaller courses planned, still in Polish. Adding a global launch in English on top of that would only make a mess of things for me.

Summary

In the end, it all comes down to people. To those who are sitting over their first STM32 project today, trying to understand why something doesn’t work. To students wondering whether embedded is a good direction. To people who want to get into this industry but don’t know where to start.

From the beginning my goal has been one thing: to build the best possible Polish embedded engineers. Engineers who understand the fundamentals. Who can think for themselves. Who don’t have to chase anyone, because they set the bar themselves.

Joining the ST Partner Program is another milestone on that road for me. Not the finish line. Not a reason to stop – oh no, no! Rather a confirmation that the direction makes sense and that it’s worth continuing to raise the bar.

Because if we want a truly strong electronics industry in Poland, we have to start with solid foundations. And those are built from the very first step.

And that’s what I keep focusing on.

Finally, I want to thank everyone who is part of this journey. The blog’s readers. My students. The people who believed in this project back when it was just a handful of articles.

Special thanks to those who bought my first courses “blind”, not yet knowing what it would all look like. That was huge trust. And without it, this project wouldn’t have got to where it is today.

It’s thanks to you that I can keep doing this and… keep doing it better and better.