Meet the Talent: Fabio Ugolini, Ceo & Co-Founder TrueScreen
Place of residence: Lugo, Ravenna, Italy
Position: CEO & Co-Founder TrueScreen
Please describe a day in your life
My days are very varied, and it depends a lot on my agenda. Typically, I wake up early in the morning and take the train to go to the office. I take advantage of the train ride to plan the day and possibly manage the most urgent emails, as well as listen to many music or podcasts. I stay in the office until late afternoon, dividing myself between meetings with the team or meetings with clients or partners. I try to have lunch with different people each time to learn new things every day. When I go home in the evening, I play basketball or do some exercises in the gym, and then I have dinner and relax at home.
How many projects are you currently working on? Please describe them
At the moment, the main project I am dedicating myself to is creating a structure of people, skills, and processes that speed up TrueScreen’s internationalisation. Determining new processes is particularly interesting because it forces us to rethink every business activity from scratch, taking into account everything we have learned to date and, above all, the evolutions that will inevitably occur. It is an exciting but also very complex period because we are making decisions that will have long-term impacts.
In your opinion, who is the most influential person/company in the world of technology these days?
It would be easy to answer Sam Altman or Elon Musk for the things they do, and that have an evident impact on the topics we deal with daily. There are then many other mainstream names that I could mention and that are important references for us in the sector. However, I think that to have an impact on technology, you do not need to be exclusively a technician, and this is why I think that contributions sometimes related to philosophy or sociology have profound impacts on technological issues. This is why I really appreciate authors like Luciano Floridi or Yuval Noah Arari. I am also particularly fascinated by the topics on the future of nuclear energy discussed by Stefano Buono, founder of Newcleo,
If you could pick one product/project existing now that you wish you were involved in, what would it be?
There are so many interesting projects and products in the world today. I really couldn’t choose. Actually, I know: it’s TrueScreen.
How do you see technology evolving in the next ten years?
I think there are exponential trends underway that we will see evolving ever more rapidly, and that concern the mix of all the technologies that we have already begun to learn about today, with artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and nuclear energy at the forefront. As human beings, we are not used to thinking exponentially because our reasoning is often linear. So, making projections is very complex and has often turned out to be an exercise that is not very useful. What I think is useful is trying to establish principles to keep firm during this inevitable and exponential evolution. I am not realistically able to make predictions, but if we can maintain firm principles that will allow us to guarantee a sustainable future (mainly from a social and environmental point of view), the future that lies ahead is truly fascinating and full of opportunities.
What are the three characteristics you have that make you successful in tech?
I think they are curiosity, non-specialisation and creativity, intended as the ability and enjoyment of starting from scratch to create something. They are three characteristics that are very similar and certainly interconnected. I was not born as a specialised technician in my field, but I got there thanks to a strong curiosity regarding the gaps that I see in the world around me; when I find these gaps, I like to think that they are opportunities and that perhaps I can try to seize them, starting a creative process to try to solve them and build a structure around these solutions.
What is the most challenging thing you had to deal with during your career?
Surely, the most complex thing has always been and always will be to question one’s own beliefs. It is very easy to become very opinionated on some topics, and the risk you run is to become the main blocking element with respect to the great revolutions that are increasingly occurring. There is only one way to solve this problem: surround yourself with exceptional people you trust blindly, who are more competent than you in some subjects and complementary to your role. In this way, each idea is more of a process than a belief and does not start with biases that very often stratify within us.
What is your greatest achievement up to now?
I think the greatest success achieved is having created credibility, a network, a team and resources to be able to give space to the new ideas we have. Starting from scratch is never easy, and basically, every day, you start from scratch. However, today, I can say that we are surrounded by all the ingredients to do great things, and I am very proud of this.
What are the three most important lessons you have learned so far in your career?
We do not all think the same way, and we must embrace diversity if we want to grow. You need to surround yourself with exceptional people if you want to achieve exceptional results. The only real failure is not trying
If you could say something to your younger self, what would it be?
Dare more
What tips do you have for people wanting to start in the tech world?
The only real advice is to start. Start quickly, move things, make mistakes quickly and then start again. Along the way, you will learn many things, and the problems that will arise will not be those that you had imagined at the beginning. It is an exciting journey made of ups and downs. It is not always easy, but it is certainly worth it.
What can’t you do without? (devices/app/product)
The AirPods: the few times I forget them, I already know that it will be an uphill day.
Which famous person would you like to have dinner with and why?
I obviously have many, but I can think of three (among the most “modern”): Michael Jordan, Thom Yorke, and Hans Zimmer. Therefore, sports and music are of the highest quality, and I can recognise this with my instruments. I would like to ask them what it feels like to have created something so exceptional that it transcends their human existence.
Where would you like to travel next?
Tokyo
Do you have a person who influences or motivates you?
Family, colleagues, friends, mentors. I am lucky to have so many people who motivate me.
What did you dream of creating/inventing/doing as a child?
I have never had a specific dream. However, despite all the pros and cons, today, I am who I wanted to be, even without knowing it at the time.