Mario Ciabarra is the founder and chief executive of Quantum Metric, a platform for firms to capture and analyse user behaviour.
In this week’s Founder in Five Q&A, Ciabarra discusses why startups should never assume things will go according to plan, preventing staff burnout with a healthy dose of empathy and why business leaders should not assume stapling generative AI onto their platform will solve anything.
What advice would you give to a first-time founder?
My two biggest pieces of advice are to embrace change and put people first. Startup life is full of constant shifts, whether in team size or funding and market conditions. Resisting that only slows you down.
Instead, anticipate change, adapt quickly and focus on what matters most by continuously reprioritising. A leader’s purpose is to empower their team with clear priorities and the freedom to make decisions, so you can grow quickly and confidently together. I still take the time to interview everyone joining Quantum Metric, it’s important to me to stay in touch with my team and understand their needs and motivations….
