Nicola Filzmoser is the Co-Founder and CPO of Happyr Health. She has a background in entrepreneurship (University of Cambridge), product design (Imperial College London) and communications. Working in different industries, from sports to regulation, taught Nicola to quickly adapt to different needs and work with a broad variety of people. These skills are essential in managing Happyr’s diverse team (from clinicians to software developers) and adapting to user needs. She says, “Cornelius and I met working at a young start-up company in Austria that by now has grown into a team of >30 people.”
Nicola and her co-founder, Cornelius, struggled with severe pain, which brought Happyr to life. Cornelius had been suffering from persistent stomach discomfort since he was a youngster. Cornelius’ everyday life, schoolwork, and social relationships were all significantly impacted. Nicola has lived with migraine for as long as she can remember. She still experiences migraine attacks regularly. She states, “Both of us went through an often desperate and frustrating journey to find the right treatment. We are dedicated to changing this for future generations. Acquiring access to pain management is a human right (Ecclestone et al. 2020). With Happyr, we will make it available to everyone.”
Below are highlights of the interview:
Describe who you are as a person, inside and outside of the workplace.
One of my core values is supporting others. This applies to both my work and personal life. The value of sharing experiences and helping each other to reach their full potential is immense. Everyone deserves the opportunity to be themselves and grow into the person they wish to be. This is what I encourage in my personal life and at work. Happyr is all about supporting our future generations on the challenging path of living with chronic pain. With the right help, we can empower them to live the life they deserve.
What has been your biggest learning since becoming an entrepreneur?
As an entrepreneur, you will be overwhelmed by an abundance of tasks and opportunities to pursue. The challenge will be to prioritise and find the path that will bring you closer to your vision. There is most likely no one-size-fits-all solution; it is a process that will be unique to each entrepreneur. Yet, I believe that there are two essential elements to it:
- Put the user first. In the end, all that matters is how you can improve people’s lives with what you are building. At Happyr, it is our utmost goal to improve the quality of life of our future generations. This is our starting point to guide big decisions. Will it support the wellbeing and resilience of young people with chronic pain? If so, follow that path.
- Talk about your ideas. Not only with mentors or investors. But also with your family, friends, or random strangers. The more you explain what you are doing, the more you’ll learn how to narrow your idea down to what really matters.
How do you motivate people to go the extra mile?
Openly sharing my life-long experiences with chronic pain is what not only drives me but also anyone we work with. Transparency and openness lie at the core of Happyr. By making everyone we work with feel like part of the team and allowing them to contribute their ideas and experiences, we can empower people and make them feel heard. This is what I believe inspires them.
What gets you up in the morning? What motivates you?
There are many aspects of life and of my work that motivate me. One of the most touching parts, however, are the conversations and interactions I have with others who live with chronic pain. Getting to know all these amazing and powerful people is inspiring. I love to listen to their stories and support them in any way I can by sharing mine. What gets me up in the morning really is the knowledge that, even with a short but honest and caring conversation, you can already change someone’s life.
What sort of characteristics in employees contribute to success?
“Their ability to contribute their own thoughts and ideas.” While you might have different perspectives as a founder, it is invaluable to let your employees share their ideas.
What is the best way to build a great team?
By looking at a combination of skills and personal fit. Hiring only based on CVs, years of experience, or awards might get you a very skilled employee, but will eventually not enhance the team dynamic. Of course, there are differences between start-ups and large corporations in how to build teams. From our experiences at Happyr, putting equal value on team fit as we put on skill level has led us to a dedicated, highly creative, and diverse team.
What does “performance culture” mean to you?
I’ll start with what it does not mean to me. Performance, for me, does not mean working 24/7. It does not mean powering through the night just to deliver on something.
Performance culture, for me, is about understanding the ideal workflow of each team member and allowing them to act on it. Of course, there are KPIs, goals, and milestones that have to be set. However, these work only in combination with openness to different work styles. with the understanding that work performance is strongly linked to your and your employees’ physical and mental wellbeing. Something that will be lost in companies where performance is equalled with work hours.
Kindly describe how you will specifically know what success looks like for you.
I could see a significant change in myself in terms of how I deal with chronic pain and emotional challenges in my life. When I see that Happyr can bring this positive transformation to others, that’s when I know I am successful.
What is some of the advice you give to aspiring women leaders who sees disability as a career barrier?
Disability is definitely a challenge in navigating your career, which you might have imagined differently. My advice is to surround yourself with others who live with a disability, to empower each other and to understand that you are not alone on this journey. Nowadays, we are put into categories and certain structures about what a ‘perfect’ career should look like. Yet, I believe that it’s not us who have to shape ourselves to fit this path. Together, we can shape the path.
What are your future plans to sustain Happyr’s success?
Continued collaboration will be a core element in our success in the future. Collaboration not only with business or research partners. But with people who live with chronic pain. With our team, with volunteers, with patient organisations. We have built and will continue to build the ‘Happyr family’, a network of dedicated individuals and organisations who all strive to improve the lives of our future generations. Nourishing that vision and sharing it is what will ensure Happyr’s future success in helping young people.
Website: https://happyrhealth.com/
