Why this persona fits the audience
She is the founder of a cybersecurity startup in Dublin with exactly three people total: herself, one security engineer, and one sales lead. The company is serving a handful of mid-market clients, and she is focused on incident workflows, demos, and customer trust.
- Age: 37
- Location: Dublin, Ireland
- Occupation: Founder
- Income: €92k draw
- Education: M.S. Computer Science
- Company size: 3
- Years in role: 2
“The real strength of our solution isn't just the technology; it's the unwavering trust we build with our clients, knowing we're there when the worst happens.”
Mabel Stehr, 37, is the driving force behind a nascent cybersecurity startup operating from Dublin. Her journey into entrepreneurship wasn't a sudden leap but a calculated progression, stemming from a deep-seated fascination with systems and their vulnerabilities, cultivated during her Master's in Computer Science. After several years in senior security roles at larger tech firms, she identified a critical gap in how mid-market companies managed incident response workflows – a complexity often overlooked by enterprise-focused solutions. This observation, coupled with a desire for greater autonomy and impact, led her to found her own company two years ago. With a lean team of three – herself, a dedicated security engineer, and a sharp sales lead – Mabel is intensely focused on building a product that is not only technically robust but also fundamentally trustworthy. Her days are a testament to her high conscientiousness, meticulously balancing the demands of product development, customer demos, and strategic fundraising. She operates on a modest draw of €92k, a conscious decision to prioritize reinvestment into the company's growth and talent acquisition. Her personal life is characterized by discipline and a focus on well-being; she finds solace and mental clarity through climbing and historical documentaries, interests that reflect her analytical mind and appreciation for complex structures, whether natural or man-made. Mabel is acutely aware of the pressures of startup life, particularly the constant need to prove value and secure future investment, but her resilient nature and clear vision for her company's role in bolstering digital defenses keep her focused. She recently made the critical decision to double down on refining their core incident workflow automation features, turning away from a potential expansion into broader threat intelligence to maintain focus and deliver exceptional value to their current client base, a move that underscores her commitment to diligence and clarity.
Background & daily life
A day in their life
Mabel's typical weekday begins around 7:00 AM with a quick scan of overnight security alerts and industry news over a strong black coffee. After a brief yoga session, she heads to her home office, often joined by her engineer and sales lead via video call. The morning is usually dedicated to client-facing activities: refining demo scripts, responding to pre-sales inquiries, or participating in calls with existing mid-market clients to understand their evolving incident response needs. Lunch is a quick affair, often eaten at her desk while reviewing technical documentation or competitor analysis. The afternoon might involve strategic planning, reviewing financial projections, or working on investor pitch materials. She aims to wrap up by 6:30 PM, though urgent client issues can extend her day. Evenings are for decompressing, often with her partner, or a quick session at the climbing gym.
Lifestyle
Mabel shares a compact but well-organized two-bedroom apartment in Dublin's Portobello district with her partner, a graphic designer. They balance their busy professional lives with a shared appreciation for quiet evenings, cooking together, and occasional weekend trips to the Wicklow Mountains for hiking. Mabel is disciplined with her finances, maintaining a modest draw to reinvest in the company, and prioritizes her physical and mental well-being through regular exercise, including bouldering at a local gym twice a week. Her social circle is small but deeply valued, consisting of her partner, a few close friends from university, and her co-founders.
Work life
Mabel's days are a whirlwind of strategic planning, client engagement, and operational oversight. As the sole founder with a tiny team, she wears multiple hats, from product vision to investor relations, though her primary focus remains on refining incident response workflows and ensuring client trust. She spends significant time preparing for and delivering product demos, translating complex technical capabilities into tangible business value. Her small team means constant collaboration; she relies heavily on her security engineer for technical depth and her sales lead for market insights, fostering an environment of open communication and shared responsibility.
Relationships
Mabel's closest relationship is with her partner, who provides unwavering emotional support and a grounding presence. She maintains a strong professional bond with her two co-founders, built on mutual respect and shared ambition. Her parents, retired academics, instilled in her a deep appreciation for learning and critical thinking, though they don't fully grasp the intricacies of her startup world.
How they decide
Mabel approaches decisions with a blend of analytical rigor and pragmatic consideration. She meticulously gathers data, consults with her team, and weighs potential outcomes, but ultimately trusts her intuition honed by experience. She is not prone to impulsive choices, preferring to deliberate thoroughly, especially when significant resources or client trust are at stake.
How they sound
Mabel speaks with a clear, measured cadence, her voice carrying a quiet authority. She avoids jargon where possible, preferring precise language to explain complex technical concepts. Her tone is generally calm and professional, even when discussing high-pressure situations, but can convey a subtle intensity when passionate about a technical solution or a strategic vision. She rarely uses slang and maintains a formal yet approachable demeanor.
Personality traits
- analytical
- resilient
- independent
- detail-oriented
- strategic
- methodical
- calm under pressure
- principled
Goals
- Achieve Series A funding within 18 months to scale the engineering team.
- Establish the company as a trusted leader in incident workflow automation for mid-market enterprises.
- Develop a sustainable work-life balance that doesn't compromise company growth.
- Contribute meaningfully to the cybersecurity community through knowledge sharing.
- Maintain personal integrity and ethical standards in all business dealings.
Problems & frictions
- Balancing the urgent demands of client support with long-term product development.
- The constant pressure to secure funding while demonstrating consistent growth.
- Recruiting and retaining top cybersecurity talent in a competitive market.
- Managing the psychological toll of dealing with security incidents, even vicariously.
- Ensuring clear, consistent communication across a small, distributed team.
Values
- trust
- diligence
- discretion
- clarity
Interests
- cybersecurity news
- climbing
- history
- coffee
Media habits
- The Irish Times
- podcasts on security and tech
- climbing blogs
- industry whitepapers