"If your smart lock fails once, you'll never trust it again" | Interview with Grzegorz Chuchra
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Ahead of his appearance at The Smart Home Summit 2025, we sat down with Grzegorz Chuchra, Co-founder of Tedee, to discuss the evolution of smart locks from gadgets to guardians, the challenge of reliability, and why the mission must be worth the pain.
From Vision to Digital Reality
For Greg, the journey into smart home security didn't start with technology, it started with a partnership. "The idea actually came from my business partner, Artur," he explains. Artur owns GERDA, the largest traditional security brand in Poland, producing doors, locks, and mechanical protection systems.
"Back in 2019, he saw the first real spark of interest in smart-lock technology and realized the industry was about to change." Artur was looking for someone who could help turn that vision into a digital reality. "That's where our journey began."
The Journey of People, Not Just Products
When asked about the most defining moment in his entrepreneurial journey, Greg's answer is refreshingly human. "Being part of a fast-growing company is always a challenge. In the end, it's never just the company's journey, it's the journey of the people who share the same vision."
Growth demands evolution. "Growth forces every one of us to adapt, to learn, and to evolve. That process, seeing individuals and the team stretch beyond what seemed possible, brings both joy and frustration."
From Gadget to Guardian
The smart home market overflows with "cool gadgets," but Greg's session at the Summit focused on something more substantial: guardians. So what marks the real turning point?
"The real shift is already happening," he states. "Smart-lock technology has become reliable enough to move from the 'smart home' shelf to the security ecosystem. It's no longer a gadget, it's a guardian."
The evidence is in the industry's recognition. "Today, smart locks are the only smart home devices regularly showcased at security exhibitions. The turning point came when major security brands began integrating them alongside CCTV cameras and intrusion sensors. That's when the industry stopped calling it 'a gadget' and started calling it 'a component.'"
The Reliability Challenge
As technology becomes more integrated into how we protect our spaces, new challenges emerge. For Greg, one stands above the rest: "Reliability - that's the biggest challenge for smart locks."
The problem is fundamental. "Existing doors and locking systems were never designed to be intelligent, quite the opposite." Add fragmentation of standards, manufacturers, and installation types, and creating a truly universal product becomes extremely difficult.
"But universality often comes at the cost of reliability," he warns. "And in this category, failure is not an option because if your smart lock fails once, you'll never trust it again."
Bridging the Trust Gap
Many users still hesitate to fully trust connected security devices. Greg acknowledges this reality: "Society still assumes that smart locks aren't reliable or secure enough. We're in the early-adopter phase - the technology already works, but the perception needs time to catch up."
Trust, he notes, is earned gradually. "Trust in security products is earned slowly and proven in use. I'm convinced that within the next 3–5 years, smart locks will cross that line from curiosity to standard - because adoption is accelerating fast."
The Future: One Identity, Seamless Access
Looking 5–10 years ahead, Greg sees convergence as the key. "The smart home industry is finally converging on common standards - Matter for communication and Aliro for authorization and authentication. That means the two biggest adoption blockers -interoperability and trust - are being solved right now."
The vision is compelling. "Within the next three years, most devices will operate under a single digital identity and a unified authentication model. You'll use your phone or watch to open your door, manage devices across ecosystems like Apple HomeKit or Google Home, and switch between them seamlessly - all through one secure identity."
Advice for Innovators
When asked for advice for the entrepreneurs looking to build tech that people truly trust, Greg doesn't sugarcoat it: "It's a long, painful road and the odds are terrible."
His guidance is simple but profound: "So before you start, make sure the mission is worth the pain. If it isn't - don't start."
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