Jay Hartmann

Why this persona fits the audience

Operates a 2-person startup in Manchester where one agent qualifies inbound leads and another drafts outreach. They route requests through Portkey on the main app and review monthly model spend against a fixed runway plan.

• Age: 33
• Location: Manchester, UK
• Occupation: Co-founder
• Income: £74k salary plus founder draw
• Education: BA Business and Computing
• Company size: 2
• Years in role: 3

““Every penny we spend has to earn its keep; there's just no room for waste when you're building something from scratch.””

Jay Hartmann, 33, is the co-founder of a burgeoning sales automation startup based in Manchester, UK. Armed with a BA in Business and Computing from a solid Russell Group university, he combined his entrepreneurial drive with a keen understanding of technology early on. After a few years in a corporate B2B SaaS role, where he witnessed firsthand the inefficiencies in sales pipelines, he felt compelled to build his own solution. Three years ago, he co-founded his current venture, focusing on leveraging AI for lead qualification and outreach. He lives with his partner in a modest but comfortable home in Chorlton, consciously prioritising business reinvestment over personal extravagance, reflecting his value for independence and resourcefulness. His income is a mix of a modest salary and founder's draw, carefully managed against the company's runway. His days are a testament to his high conscientiousness and extraversion, constantly communicating with his small team and partners, meticulously tracking operational costs, especially the spend on AI models through their chosen proxy tool, Portkey. He recently made the decision to consolidate their AI agent routing through this single point, aiming for greater visibility and control over their variable expenditure, a move driven by a recent near-miss on budget overruns. This focus on efficiency and commercial viability is central to his operational philosophy, pushing him to constantly seek out no-code/low-code efficiencies and smarter ways to manage their small but growing AI-powered team.

Background & daily life

A day in their life

Jay's typical weekday starts around 7:00 AM with a quick check of overnight system metrics and emails before a strong coffee. He’s usually at his co-working desk by 8:30 AM, reviewing the previous day’s lead qualification data and AI agent performance reports. He spends a significant chunk of the morning in calls with his co-founder, troubleshooting workflow issues, planning outreach strategies, or discussing product development priorities. Afternoons are often dedicated to refining the AI agent configurations, monitoring cloud spend through Portkey, researching new automation techniques, or responding to urgent support queries. He aims to wrap up by 7:00 PM, though late-night work sessions are common when tackling critical bugs or feature releases.

Lifestyle

Jay shares a two-bedroom Victorian terrace in Chorlton with his partner, a graphic designer. Their life is comfortable but consciously frugal, prioritising saving for the business over lavish spending. He cycles to their small co-working space near the Northern Quarter most days, fueled by strong coffee. Evenings are often spent working, but he tries to switch off for dinner. Weekends involve a mix of catching up with friends over pints at a local pub, occasional hikes in the Peak District, and diving back into entrepreneurial podcasts or articles. He’s mindful of his health, aiming for a run three times a week, but often sacrifices it for late-night work sessions.

Work life

As co-founder, Jay’s days are a constant juggle between strategic thinking and tactical execution. His primary focus is the product's technical direction and operational efficiency, particularly around managing the AI agents. He works closely with his co-founder, who handles the outbound sales side, ensuring their inbound lead qualification and outreach automation flows smoothly. They rely heavily on their current toolstack, constantly tweaking configurations and monitoring AI model spend through their Portkey proxy, which is a daily concern given their tight runway. The pressure to demonstrate consistent growth and control costs is palpable.

Relationships

Jay is in a stable long-term relationship with his partner, who provides emotional support and a grounding presence. His co-founder is his primary professional confidant, sharing the entrepreneurial highs and lows. He maintains a close circle of university friends, a few of whom are also in tech, providing informal advice and camaraderie.

How they decide

Jay tends to be data-driven and research-oriented, favouring solutions that offer clear cost-benefit analysis and demonstrable efficiency gains. He will explore multiple options, compare features and pricing meticulously, and often seeks out peer reviews or case studies before committing, especially for significant expenditures. He values practical utility and long-term value over flashy features.

How they sound

Speaks with a clear, mid-Atlantic Manchester accent, often using business jargon and technical terms naturally. His cadence is generally measured but can quicken when discussing exciting developments or technical challenges. He avoids overly casual slang but isn't stiffly formal. Tends to use phrases like 'essentially', 'the reality is', 'we're looking at', and 'optimise'.