In this episode of Founders Future, Laura Skinner speaks with Laura Close, co-founder of Included, an AI-native solution for people analytics. Laura shares the founding story of Included, which began with a mission to simplify the complex process of gathering actionable insights from HR data. She discusses how her team, comprising experts in big data, customer analytics, and data-driven human capital management, built a platform that helps companies make real-time, data-driven decisions about their workforce.
Laura explains the challenges of entering the HR tech space, where companies struggle to efficiently use their HR data. She highlights how Included differentiates itself as an AI-native platform, unlike many existing tools that only use AI as an add-on. Their goal is to democratize insights and provide immediate, practical solutions for leadership teams.
The conversation also delves into the company’s growth strategy, focusing on brand recognition and customer acquisition, particularly targeting forward-thinking HR leaders and people analytics teams. Laura emphasizes the importance of strategic customer acquisition and the need to avoid scaling too fast without the right foundation.
The episode wraps up with Laura’s advice for founders: while hustle is important, true success comes from making strategic, repeatable decisions that lead to long-term growth.
