Gideon Barker

Gideon Barker is the founder of Customer iQ, a market research and insight consultancy based in Bath. He incorporated the business in August 2010 and ran it as Profundo for eleven years before renaming it Customer iQ in November 2021.

He describes the arc himself: "from a freelancing/contracting, through to a consultancy and now a consultancy that specialises in those businesses which really need help... startups."

Why startups, in his own words: "The odds and resources are stacked against startups from day one, and it's startups who are often building something of purpose or tackling a real world problem which aims to make the world more fair."

He is blunt about what that costs the people doing it. "Entrepreneurs often jump from their secure salary packages and pension schemes into a place of, well, no salary, no pension and being paid by 100% commission. Big business risks are calculated, mitigated and protected. In an SME environment, you make the wrong choice and you could go bust overnight."