Meet our Premium Member Pablo Pfister – Co-Founder and CEO of 5w155

Please give a brief description of your startup.

Back in 2017, we were working on our first startup: a mobile application motivating people to be more physically active. We started outsourcing part of the development to Eastern Europe, but faced many issues, like lack of transparency, lack of control and constant negotiation for any subtle modification. 

That’s when we decided to start 5w155 SA, a company aiming to make working with talents from Eastern Europe more transparent and controllable. Our team now encompasses software engineers and on-site HR managers to support startups and SMEs in the recruitment and management of developers, designers and project managers.

In concrete terms, we function as your HR partner, helping in the tech recruitment space, and providing specific tech profiles for short or long engagements.

Tell us more about your plans for 2023? What is your long-term vision?

2023 is a watershed year for our company, as we are phasing out completely one of the business lines. We decided to discontinue efforts on our custom software development offering in order to focus the team’s efforts on tech recruitment and staffing. With this transition also comes the enhancement of our in-house recruitment and team management technology. This is where, in the long term, our company will bring additional value to our customers. We see our future in helping our clients to manage their team starting from its creation. With a mix of technology and human touch, we believe that it’s possible to find, retain and motivate the right people to make a company an exceptional workplace.

What has been the biggest success that you have achieved in your startup?

Hiring a great team that is passionate and efficient. It motivates me to put all my energy into growing the company, not only for me, but for them too.

If you could do it all over again, what would you do differently? What are your biggest learnings?

5 years down the road, I realise that the main mistakes we made are mostly related to sales. Having a service offering without a specific customer target group, as well as not having an experienced sales co-founder or team member from the start costed the company to some extent inefficiency in its growth. 

What motivates you to continue your business every day?

My exceptional team and seeing that every day we help startups deliver results. I feel like I’m able to participate in many startups at the same time and help them achieve their dreams.

One piece of advice for someone who is just starting out with their startup?

Choose the right partners as they have a direct impact on your motivation and success. Interests, priorities and expectations change, therefore expect change in your team along the way.

What does it mean to you to be a member of the Swiss Startup Association?

To be recognized as a contributor to the startup ecosystem in Switzerland and to be able to advise new founders on how to achieve their objectives by learning from my experience. Professionally, it’s a community that can expand my business.

Would you recommend joining the Swiss Startup Association? 

Yes, because of the list of offers for startups.

Find 5w155 and Pablo on LinkedIn