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.
Above all, founders should lead with empathy and foster a strong, supportive culture. To me, this means allowing employees to make mistakes and learn from them openly, as resilience grows through persistence, not perfection.
What’s a common mistake that you see founders make?
Expecting the best-case scenario. I used to make decisions assuming that things would go smoothly. But startups are rarely smooth sailing: plans shift and problems come up unexpectedly.
Success came when I learned to hope for the best but always plan for the worst. This type of grounded thinking leads to smarter decisions, better risk management, and more resilient teams. Founders who stay grounded are better equipped to navigate uncertainty and build something that lasts.
How do you prevent burnout?
Preventing burnout isn’t about quick fixes; it’s embedded in how you operate. For example, by putting people first and creating a healthy, diverse culture where everyone can thrive.
For me, empathy is central to this approach. We care deeply about our team, not just as employees but as individuals – it’s crucial to recognise that everyone has a life outside of work. Our teams are incredibly passionate about the work they do and to maintain that its important to take time to reset and recharge.
This is why after three years with Quantum Metric, we offer three weeks of consecutive time off – no checking Slack or email. We want each person to take the well deserved time to travel, take on fun projects and spend quality time with their family and friends.
It’s also critical that you don’t take every moment at work too seriously. I always say if we aren’t going to have fun and laugh, I’m not coming.
What’s the most misunderstood technology?
Generative AI is one of the most misunderstood technologies today. Many business leaders assume that implementing it will solve their challenges, without realising the foundational work required.
The truth is, generative AI is only as effective as the data it’s built on. Without clean, well-structured data and a deep understanding of the customer journey, it often produces surface-level insights or reinforces existing gaps.
To truly benefit from generative AI, businesses need strong measurement frameworks and clear visibility into what’s happening across their digital experience. AI can be incredibly powerful, but only when it’s built on a thoughtful, insight-driven foundation.
Excluding your own, what’s a sector that’s ripe for disruption?
Customer support solutions, including the contact centre are experiencing major disruption in the face of new generative AI opportunities. These experiences were once dependent on customers to drive its success, leaning on them to repeat information and have the right details to achieve a solution.
AI is shifting this, allowing agents and other CX teams to be proactive in not just offering helping, but offering a solution before a customer has explained anything. We’ve been lucky to see how this is impacting major brands from airlines to financial services, reinventing how brands build relationships with customers.
The post Quantum Metric founder: Plan for the worst appeared first on UKTN.
