How Aaron Gibson uses a blunt approach to leadership

Hurree’s Aaron Gibson on why he doesn’t regret dropping out of school at 16, his thoughts on the EU AI Act and why he values a blunt approach to leadership.

“Leaving school at 16 felt terrifying at the time, but looking back, it was the best decision I ever made,” says Aaron Gibson, CEO of data analytics and AI platform Hurree.

After spending some time working in retail and restaurants, Gibson trained as a diesel mechanic. However, after injuring his hand with a wrench one morning, the soon-to-be entrepreneur set his sights on a new endeavour – business studies.

Early on, Gibson says he realised that he knew more than some of the lecturers because of his time “hustling on the playground, selling sweets”.

“I even became class president, banned chocolate from the tuck shop and sold it out of my backpack instead,” he tells SiliconRepublic.com. “That was my first real taste of spotting demand and creating supply.”

Gibson eventually got involved with Invest NI and launched his first company.

“I had no clue what I was doing, but I discovered I loved building things and surrounding myself with people much smarter than me,” he says. “That’s still what drives me today. So quitting school wasn’t about giving up, it was about finding the path that actually fit me.”

‘Building long-term trust is more valuable than chasing quick hype’

Trust and hype Gibson says that the biggest challenge of leading a company in the AI sector is trust.

“There are a lot of AI start-ups popping up that are basically just wrappers for ChatGPT, making big promises they can’t deliver on,” he says. “The danger is that people get burned and lose faith in AI altogether.”

Gibson says that a key focus of Hurree is to avoid overpromising. “Building long-term trust is more valuable than chasing quick hype.”

A major talking point of the AI boom is the subject of ethics. For Gibson, AI ethics has two sides: how it’s used and its environmental footprint.

“On use, it’s obvious – deepfakes, bot farms and misinformation campaigns are harmful and need stamping out fast,” he explains. “On the environmental side, AI is incredibly resource-heavy – the water and energy needed to run data centres is massive.

“If we’re smart now, we can mitigate the damage before it spirals. For me, ethical AI means innovating responsibly while also being brutally honest about the costs.”

Responsible AI innovation is one of the cornerstones of the EU’s AI Act, which came into force last year. While the landmark piece of legislation has received praise, it has also received its fair share of criticism due to a variety of concerns, such as the risk of the regulation becoming outdated or restricting innovation.

“It’s well-intentioned, but it’s broad strokes,” says Gibson. “Often the people writing the rules don’t understand the tech and what they’re regulating. The risk is that Europe hamstrings itself while the US and China race ahead.”

Leading with bluntness When it comes to leadership styles, Gibson champions a blunt approach.

“When new people join Hurree, I tell them they can be brutally honest with me anytime,” he explains. “The point is, I’m not a micromanager, they know their jobs better than I do. If they think I’m wrong, I want them to say it to my face.”

Gibson iterates that despite what one might assume, leading with bluntness doesn’t mean being rude, but “cutting out the gossip and passive-aggression that poisons teams.

“If there’s an issue, say it directly, sort it and move on. That way, we stay honest, open and focused on fixing problems instead of creating drama.”

Gibson’s unique journey to becoming a tech entrepreneur has equipped him with valuable insights. For others considering a venture adventure themselves, he says the best thing he has learned is the importance of becoming comfortable with being uncomfortable. “That’s where you grow.”

Beyond that, he advises to do something that makes you happy.

“It sounds cliché, but life is short,” he says. “Nothing is that serious.

“So calm down, focus on what matters, and don’t waste your career being miserable.”