Bootstrapped and Better: A Tech Startup Journey with Athena CRM

Years of working across HR and recruitment technology gave Karen Somal a clear view of where existing systems were falling short. In Season 4 Episode 3 of Tech Startup Stories, she joins Natalie Binns to discuss how that experience led her to build Athena CRM, a recruitment CRM and ATS designed to adapt to the individual needs of its customers rather than forcing businesses into a one-size-fits-all approach.

Karen reflects on the experiences that shaped her decision to build Athena, including lessons from previous business decisions and the importance of staying close to the people using the product. She shares how customer relationships have influenced the development of the platform, why she chose to bootstrap the business and how that decision has allowed her to maintain control over its product vision.

The conversation also explores what it means to build a SaaS business from deep industry experience, from balancing customisation with scalability to understanding what customers genuinely need from their technology. Along the way, Karen offers an honest look at the challenges of building and growing a recruitment technology company while remaining closely connected to its purpose and customers.