Member Spotlight: Diarmaid Ó Fátharta, founder of Tonnta

Meet Diarmaid Ó Fátharta, founder of Tonnta. Tonnta is a place for solopreneurs to manage their online communications in one place. By integrating with their online communication channels, such as Gmail and Instagram, creatives can visually manage and prioritize their customers with ease.

This week in our Member Spotlight series, we sat down with Diarmaid to discuss his experience so far in PorterShed, as well as his involvement in the NDRC Pre-Accelerator Programme.

To kick things off, we asked Diarmaid what inspired him to build Tonnta?

I started developing it last year for the solopreneur community. I got inspired by my partner when I saw him working in his own business and it gave me a light bulb moment to create a CRM platform connected to social channels and email to centralise communications and help 1-person businesses reclaim their time. My goal is to build the platform with a focus on digital minimalism. Solopreneurs already have enough to do without having another overwhelming app!

Diarmaid has been a member of the PorterShed community since 2018 after he moved home from New York. We asked him for his take on transitioning to a solo founder after working remotely in Galway for On the Stage…

A previous colleague had worked in the PorterShed before and it was highly recommended, so I was delighted when I signed up for a membership back then. I decided to stay when I started my own venture, which has been brilliant as I tap into the knowledge within the community here. It was also great to be in the know about programs such as the NDRC Pre-Accelerator as well, which I did in the summer of 2022. The experience allowed me to meet an amazing group of people and gain valuable insights as I built my startup. I would 100% recommend applying!!

Speaking on the topic of what makes the PorterShed so special, this is what Diarmaid had to say…

I know it’s said over and over again, but there is no denying that the community is core to the Portershed, and I wholeheartedly agree. It’s a pleasure to work among such lovely people every day and to feel that you’re supported no matter what.

As we are moving into Autumn, we mentioned the idea of new meetups happening, as well as what we are most looking forward to…

I’m really excited to continue developing Tonnta and to see where it brings me. With a market pivot in the works already and the vision of Tonnta gaining clarity as I continue building, I am curious and determined to continue on this journey and deliver a positive online experience for solopreneurs worldwide. I’m also excited about hosting the first Galway Product Meetup alongside Keerthi Chandra Sekaren! We hope to bring the community together to learn and grow together as there hasn’t been a dedicated space or community to do this until now.

As per usual in the member spotlight, we ask for fun facts about themselves, whether it be tech-related or even wine marathons, we always love to hear what they have to say!

When I was around 9 years old, I was a bird-watching fanatic! I kept notes, took pictures, and went on many excursions. While my interest waned eventually and other interests came my way, I still love my time in nature and still know more about Irish birds than your regular person!

Finally, to end all of our Member Spotlight interviews, we asked Diarmaid for his advice to anyone who’s interested in becoming an entrepreneur…

Follow your gut and get comfortable being uncomfortable. You will always get a lot of advice along the journey but it’s up to you to know what advice serves you best and what to take action on. This is something I had to learn and am still learning. I’ve found there are a lot of unknowns when building a business as well. With this, I learnt a lot about acceptance and letting go of what you thought would happen and being open to what can happen.

Visit Tonnta.io 

Connect with Diarmaid Ó Fátharta