In this Q&A, Romanie discusses lessons learned, the challenges faced, and how to balance growth and profitability.

If you could go back in time, what one piece of advice would you give your pre-startup self?

Don’t confuse storytelling with strategy. As a CEO, crafting a narrative is key to driving investment and sales. But falling too in love with the future vision can blur the reality. The balance between telling the story and staying grounded is vital – crossing that line leads to delusion.

What is one failure you experienced during your startup journey, and what did you learn from it?

Despite my recruitment background, I made poor hiring decisions in my previous startup. I was too focused on impressive CVs rather than startup grit. Now, I’m more aware of that bias.

What specific market gap or customer pain-point inspired your startup's inception?

For George, our founder, it was personal – his mum had dementia, and her iPhone was too complex. That’s how Chatsie, designed for cognitive simplicity, was born.

Did you make any assumptions about your market that turned out to be incorrect?

When customer profiling, we initially thought daughters would drive Chatsie purchases, as they often lead in caregiving. Surprisingly, sons are leading most of the purchases so far.

How did you pivot?

While the product stayed the same, our marketing shifted from a caring tone to one more focused on technical specs, responding to what resonates with sons versus daughters.

Describe a moment when you thought your startup might not succeed. How did you overcome this?

Securing a hardware partnership took over a year and was full of setbacks. We questioned whether we’d ever get off the ground. Eventually, we found the perfect partner, but it was a long road.

How did you approach creating an authentic company culture, and what unique aspects of your culture do you think have contributed to your success?

In the early days, it’s about modelling values. George and I care about the team, expect excellence, and hire ambitious, low-ego players. It creates a great environment where people feel safe but challenged.

What crucial skill do you wish you had developed more before starting your business?

The ability to park my ego. It’s useful for leadership, but detrimental when facing adversity. You need to listen, stay calm, and remove emotion from decision-making.

How has your initial vision for the company changed over time? What piece of conventional wisdom about startups do you disagree with?

Hard work can’t fix a bad strategy. No matter how many hours you put in, if the strategy is off or the market isn’t ready, it’s time to reassess instead of pushing harder.

How do you balance the tension between growth and profitability?

We’re aligned that strong unit economics are non-negotiable. While growth experiments are fine in the short term, profitability has to follow quickly. We can’t rely on endless capital anymore.

What advice do you have for other founders facing a similar situation? What missteps did you make in the early days that you wish you’d avoided? Looking back, what aspects of your journey do you feel you approached in the right way?

Understand venture economics before pursuing VC funding. While ambition is great, not every business needs VC backing. I might have approached my first startup differently if I’d understood that better.

What qualities in a leader inspire teams to believe in the mission of a company?

Confidence, integrity, and positivity. People need to trust in the leader’s ethics and belief system to stay motivated and believe in the vision.

What were the best support systems you’ve relied on throughout your startup journey?

My partner, friends, family, and healthy habits. Any disconnection from those can often act as a red flag indicating that something’s wrong.

For more startup news, check out the other articles on the website, and subscribe to the magazine for free. Listen to The Cereal Entrepreneur podcast for more interviews with entrepreneurs and big-hitters in the startup ecosystem.