Start Pill
How did you end up as a CEO? What was your route to this position?
Early on, we did not feel it was necessary to assign titles as everyone in the team had clearly defined areas. I gradually took on more the public-facing tasks (growth, events, investor relations), so it made sense to add the CEO title. Even if you avoid titles internally, they can be helpful for example in sales.
Why are you the right person to be the CEO of your company?
I would describe myself as empathetic and outgoing, two traits that can be very helpful in this role.
What gets you up in the morning?
Learning something new! We’re in the lucky position to be building an exciting product in a very dynamic market, together with a fantastic team and our beta users.
Who helped you get to where you are today?
I was fortunate to meet many inspiring people in my previous roles, helping to build companies in fintech and mobility as well as bootstrapping my first startup together with my co-founder Jack.
What is the best or worst business advice you have received and from whom?
Don’t hire someone for a role before you haven’t really understood the role and gotten your own hands dirty. A good example are roles in growth or sales. Many startups try to hire someone to take care of “growth” without properly defining what that means.
If you could go back in time to when you were a teenager, what life advice would you give yourself?
I would tell my 12 year old self to learn how to code
What are the most important values you demonstrate as a leader?
I try to demonstrate values that I expect others to uphold: respect, ownership, empathy & loyalty
How can a leader fail?
Probably in many ways, but one of the most painful ways is by hiring great people and then micro-managing them or not empowering them to do their best work
What does the next five years hold for you?
I hope to keep learning something new every day, to stay curious and excited about what we’re building
Mentorship is a big business in the west, do you have any experience with it?
In my experience, the best mentorship is often free and provided by people who genuinely want to help and have no (short-term) monetary incentive. Try to help others whenever you can and it doesn’t cost you much and it will pay off in the long run.
If people want to reach out to your or your business, what is the best way for them to go about doing that?
Drop me a message on LinkedIn, happy to connect!
