Michal Bürger, CEO of eM Client – Interview Series

Michal Bürger has served as CEO and co-founder of eM Client since January 2015, after previously acting as CTO and co-founder from January 2006 to December 2014. Before co-founding eM Client, he worked as CTO at Smartcat from January 2005 to May 2007, focusing on custom web applications and intranet systems.

eM Client is a cross-platform productivity application providing email, calendars, tasks, contacts, and chat functionality for Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android devices. The platform supports all major email services, integrates features like message translation, encryption, quick actions, and AI-powered tools, and is positioned as a unified solution for both personal and enterprise use. Founded in Prague, the company emphasizes simplicity and intuitive design while delivering enterprise-capable collaboration features.

You co-founded eM Client nearly two decades ago, long before AI entered the mainstream conversation. What inspired you to build a communication platform at that time, and how has that original vision evolved?

When we founded eM Client nearly two decades ago, our goal was to build a true alternative to Microsoft Outlook, which, at the time, was virtually the only email management solution available, particularly in business environments. Many users had a “love-hate” relationship with Outlook due to its complexity and reliability issues, and we saw an opportunity to create something better. Our mission was to design a tool that was not only feature-rich and powerful, but also intuitive and enjoyable to use. We wanted to turn email, calendar, and contact management from a chore into a pleasant and productive experience.

eM Client began as a powerful desktop email client focused on productivity and design. How did you approach balancing advanced functionality with simplicity and user trust?

Striking the right balance between advanced functionality and simplicity has always been at the core of eM Client’s philosophy. We rely heavily on user feedback, in-depth interviews, and complex telemetry data (collected only with user consent) to understand real-world usage patterns. Our guiding principle is the 80/20 rule. We prioritize the features that 80% of users need most, keeping the interface clean and approachable, while placing more specialized tools a layer deeper. At the same time, users who want more control can easily tailor the experience through customizable layouts, toolbars, colors, shortcuts, macros, and behavioral settings. This balance, along with consistent design across all platforms, has become one of eM Client’s most appreciated attributes. Above all, our relationship with customers is a two-way street. Their feedback shapes everything we build.

AI is now transforming the way people write and respond to messages. When did you first recognize the potential of AI to enhance everyday communication, and how did eM Client begin integrating it?

We began exploring AI and deep learning technologies more than five years ago, experimenting with features such as automatic email labeling in our lab. While we chose not to release those early prototypes, the potential was clear. Over the past two years, we’ve accelerated our AI development, introducing features like AI-assisted replies and text editing tools to boost productivity. Our upcoming version updates will go even further, offering chat-style message composition, custom prompt-based replies, contextual assistance based on selected emails or external data sources, natural language search, conversation summaries, and other advanced AI-driven capabilities, all designed to make communication smarter and faster without disrupting workflow.

There’s growing talk about “communication intelligence.” How do you define this concept, and how is it different from the earlier generation of autocomplete or smart reply tools?

To us, communication intelligence is all about context. The more context an AI model has, the more accurate, relevant, and human its responses become. While earlier tools focused on simple autocomplete or smart replies, true communication intelligence understands the nuances of the conversation, like the relationship, tone, and purpose behind a message. Enhancing this contextual understanding is our top priority as we continue refining our AI implementation.

Many AI systems risk over-automating, removing human nuance. How does your team ensure that eM Client’s AI features enhance tone, empathy, and context rather than replace them?

Our goal is never to replace human expression, but to enhance it. eM Client’s AI tools include fine-tuning options that allow users to control tone, formality, and communication style. With upcoming updates, we’re taking this even further by enabling the AI to adapt to each user’s natural writing style over time. The result is assistance that amplifies empathy and clarity while preserving authenticity in every message.

eM Client competes in a space dominated by tech giants like Microsoft and Google. How do you differentiate through design, privacy, or AI-driven innovation?

As a smaller, independent company, our biggest advantage lies in flexibility. We can adopt new technologies faster, take creative risks in design, and deliver features that larger corporations might hesitate to prioritize. Our design and development teams work as one across all platforms, ensuring a seamless and unified user experience, something quite rare in our industry. Most importantly, we don’t monetize user data. Unlike many tech giants, we believe our users should retain full ownership and control of their information, and we have no access to their personal data.

What ethical considerations come into play when you’re designing AI that assists with personal communication—especially around data privacy, bias, or emotional tone?

Ethical design and data privacy are at the heart of our AI strategy. Currently, we integrate business-grade OpenAI models that are built with strong privacy guarantees. Looking ahead, future updates will give customers even more flexibility, including the option to choose or deploy their own AI models, tailored to their specific use cases or data requirements. This approach ensures transparency and empowers organizations to maintain control over how AI interacts with their communication data.

Looking ahead, what role do you see AI playing in the future of focus and collaboration? Will communication tools become more invisible yet more intelligent?

AI will undoubtedly become an ever-present companion in the communication process. Intelligent agents will manage routine interactions, summarize threads, and even anticipate user needs. This has tremendous potential for productivity and collaboration, but it also brings challenges. Over-automation could lead to bias, shallow responses, or “AI noise” that obscures meaningful communication. The key will be maintaining balance: using AI to enhance focus and understanding, not to replace human connection.

As both CEO and a long-time technologist, how do you personally use AI in your daily workflow, and how has it changed the way you lead or create?

In my own workflow, AI has become indispensable. I use it to quickly gather complex information, summarize content, and save time on everyday tasks. It’s an excellent partner for proofreading, translation, and even prototyping new ideas. Beyond personal efficiency, AI has also changed the way I lead. It enables faster decision-making and helps me focus on creativity and strategy rather than routine processes.

Finally, as someone who’s been building in this space since before the AI boom, what advice would you give to entrepreneurs designing tools for the next era of human-machine communication?

My advice to entrepreneurs developing the next generation of communication tools is simple: focus on people, not just technology. AI should serve real human needs by saving time, reducing effort, and improving the quality of life. Too many companies build advanced technologies without a clear understanding of how they truly help users. The most successful innovations will always be those that start with empathy for the customer and a deep understanding of their everyday challenges.

Thank you for the great interview, readers who wish to learn more should visit eM Client.