Ana Ferreira: “The way you manage and operate in the business world has to align closely with your personality”
Ana Ferreira: “The way you manage and operate in the business world has to align closely with your personality”
Ana Ferreira, founder and CEO of b-create, is from the Minho region – she was born in Braga and remained in the region whilst studying Business Information Systems at the University of Minho. She began her career as a consultant, but ever since her student days knew that one day she would have her own company. Originally called Wine Create, b-create emerged not only from a market need but also from an admiration for the people and qualities of the wine industry. Today, she works with the largest Portuguese wine companies, some in Spain, and has her sights set on other European countries, Latin America, the USA and South Africa.
What exactly is b_create?
b_create is a software platform designed specifically for the wine and beverage industry, helping these companies to integrate and streamline the entire process of innovation and product development. From the initial idea or product requirements right through to the product’s market launch, we help integrate all the necessary information – and there’s a lot of it – as well as all communication between the various departments and people, so that everyone has the same version of the truth in real time.
How did you come up with this idea of fully adapting product management software to the wine industry?
That’s an inevitable question. Because I like wine! – I’m joking (laughs). Not just that. Also because I like wine, but because it’s a very special industry. Starting with the people and the way they talk about their business, with a lot of passion, a very family-oriented feel. And besides that, when I started, I already had a connection to some wine companies. Being here in Porto makes it easier, doesn’t it? And so we started asking a few clients, who quickly got on board with the idea. And so, let’s say the start wasn’t the hardest part.
And why did you choose this name for b_create?
Initially it was called Wine Create; that’s how it started. The ‘b’ was an upgrade to ‘beverage’ – the connection isn’t immediate, I know, but it was a quick way to adapt, to open up more possibilities, because there was effectively already something beyond wine.
So do you now work with more than just wine?
Yes. We work mainly with medium and large companies in the wine sector, but some also produce spirits, liqueurs, beer and non-alcoholic drinks, as well as olive oil, vinegar, etc. More and more other products are emerging and the range of categories is becoming more varied.
But don’t you see b_create moving away from this niche in the wine and drinks industry?
b_create will always remain in this niche. However, there may be other verticals linked to other industries. For now, our focus is on wines and beverages.
How many people are currently working there?
There are nine of us.
And when did this connection with UPTEC come about?
It came about during a period of change, precisely when we were looking for a new space. I knew André Forte (former business developer at UPTEC) at the time and spoke to him. I visited UPTEC and it was the only space available – the room we’re in now. I really liked the place and the setting; we’re very happy there.
Great, that’s good to hear! Who are b_create’s clients and potential clients?
As I told you, we currently work with medium and large companies in Portugal and Spain. We’re working, for example, with the Kopke Group, Fladgate (owners of Taylors and the Yeatman), Wine Stone (José de Mello Group), Adega Mayor (Delta Group), the Eugénio de Almeida Foundation and many others. I’d say that practically all of Portugal’s largest companies already work with us, and now, more recently, in Spain too. Very soon, I hope, in Latin America and South Africa.
What do you think has been the company’s key moment so far?
I think there have been several, but one of them was when we secured our first international client, because, in fact, your mindset changes and it’s an important milestone you’ve crossed. You stop thinking only about the local market and really start to realise that you can go beyond Portugal. After that, it’s easier.
Do you think there have been any less positive moments?
Over these eight and a half years of the company? There have been! (laughs) I think any founder would tell you that, yes.
Is there one [less positive moment] you’d like to highlight, or would you rather focus on what went well?
Look, they say – and I can confirm – that a CEO’s greatest fear, the things that keep us awake at night, are running out of money and losing our team. I’d say those are a startup’s worst nightmares. And at the beginning, and roughly halfway through, I went through both situations. They were perhaps the most complicated situations of my professional life – which also affects my personal life – in the sense that they were a very difficult phase to get through. But the truth is that they were necessary phases; they were overcome and the company came out stronger.
And knowing what you know now, do you think you would have done anything differently during b_create’s journey?
Of course I would. Lots of things differently (laughs).
Would you like to list a few?
When I left Deloitte, I set up a consultancy firm; the clients followed me and it was all very straightforward. And so, I was very confident about what I was going to achieve next. Perhaps it was a bit of overconfidence that led me to start something completely different from what I’d done before, thinking it wouldn’t be difficult. Creating and launching a new product on the market, in an industry that’s still traditional, is completely different from selling services and implementing third-party solutions.
So everything was new, including my understanding of the capital I thought I would need. Today, I would have been more cautious and pragmatic; I would have started with more capital and a more experienced team as well. I think this would have made a difference and we would have moved forward in a less painful way, so to speak.
“They say – and I can confirm – that a CEO’s greatest fear, the things that keep us awake at night, are running out of money and losing our team”
You said you set up a consultancy firm after working at Deloitte and then founded b_create. What sparked this desire to have something of your own, rather than working for a consultancy firm, for example?
It’s interesting that, ever since I was a university student, I’ve always wanted to have my own company. It was almost a given. So, as soon as the opportunity arose at Deloitte, during a turbulent period of merger with Arthur Andersen and whilst I was in a role where I worked very independently, I seized the opportunity and set up the company. I was doing exactly the same work, and some of the clients were the same too. Over the years, the company grew and also expanded into the product side. At that point, I set up a team to develop bespoke solutions on Outsystems. And that was precisely when I saw the market opportunity that existed and decided to set up b_create.
Do you find it easy to balance your personal and professional lives? Or do they end up overlapping in almost every aspect?
I’d say it’s been a learning process. At first, I felt – and probably many other founders do too – that there’s a sort of unwritten standard or a list of ‘things a CEO should do’, a guide to what a CEO should or shouldn’t be. That’s not true; it doesn’t exist. At first, I felt that pressure and insecurity. Fortunately, I think this stereotype is gradually being dismantled. There are more and more examples of founders all over the world sharing very diverse experiences.
In my opinion, the way you manage and operate in the business world has to align closely with your personality and your unique characteristics – what defines you. If you shy away from that, or if you try to manage or be in a way that someone tells you is the right one, things won’t go well, neither for you nor for the company.And so, that has been and continues to be a learning process. Managing in my own way, but always open to opinions, whilst also developing my instinct, confidence and pragmatism.
Have you seen many changes in the startup ecosystem since you started?
Yes, I’ve seen quite a few: many more [startups]. I set up this company almost nine years ago. For example, you now see far more women in the software sector, which wasn’t at all common. I’ve also seen a greater sense of ease within the startup scene, a better work-life balance and greater awareness in how we relate to work. In other words, people and organisations no longer convey that same pressure, which was somewhat inherited from Silicon Valley.
There used to be this idea that we almost had to boast about how much we worked. Working round the clock, really.
Absolutely, yes. It’s that ‘It’s not enough to be, you have to look like’—to be a certain way. I think there really was a time when it looked good to say we didn’t take holidays, we didn’t take weekends off. And now lots of people are saying what works for them. And it works! So I think this is a path being followed by more and more people: being happier at work. And eventually more successful.
As a founder, striking a balance between her professional and personal life has been a learning process that she owes, in part, to her regular practice of meditation and yoga. She dreams of living in another country, but without losing the anchor that ties her to the city of Porto.For the return of Out of Office, we headed to Foz do Douro, where the fine weather allowed for a visit to the beach and a chat over a glass of wine which, according to Ana Ferreira, would be a good representation of the company she founded.
On this intersection of personal and professional life – we know that yoga is a hobby you enjoy. How, and when, did you start doing yoga?
I’ve been meditating for over ten years, so it’s been part of my growth and personal development in every respect. From there, I also discovered yoga; it was a natural progression. And the two together have been, I’d say, largely responsible for this balance you mention, between who I am and what I am within the company. The balanced combination of the two roles gives me greater inner balance, a calmness and clarity that, as CEO, I need to make decisions. I think this is a fundamental pillar, and sometimes we don’t give enough importance to the time needed to quiet the noise coming from our minds, and from all the opinions that arise around us. To really reflect on what is important and what needs to be done.
Is meditation a daily practice for you?
Almost daily, yes.
And yoga too, consequently.
I wish it were more (laughs). Not daily, but I try to do it two or three times a week.
It’s interesting that you started this practice of meditation, and later yoga, almost in parallel with the creation of b_create. You were saying that you’ve been meditating for about ten years.
That’s a good point, yes. I’d never thought of it that way (laughs). Yes, it was a bit earlier, but I was already in this entrepreneurial life, it’s true.
Are there other hobbies that you feel help you maintain this balance between your professional and personal life?
Of course: spending time with and being close to family and friends. It’s very important, absolutely vital for my balance.
Living here is really lovely. Close to the sea and the river. The walks, the runs. Being in touch with nature, in general, is also super important for my balance—I’d say for anyone’s.
Have you ever lived in any city other than Porto and the Minho region?
I’m from Braga and I’ve been here in Porto for eight years or so. When I set up the company, I came to live in Porto.
Have you never lived anywhere else?
No. It’s actually one of my wishes, to live in other countries. I’ve travelled a lot, but I’ve only lived in these two cities. I’d never thought about that (laughs).
Do you see yourself staying here in Porto?
I chose to live here in Porto, yes. I could live somewhere else, but I think I’ll always have this anchor here.
I think the city really draws us in.
You feel that too, don’t you? I think it’s a city with a lot of character, and one that encourages us to develop our own individuality as well.
Speaking of individuality, I’ve got another question here about the field you’re in, which is wine. If b_create were a wine, how would you describe that wine?
That’s a tricky question (laughs). Well, I think it would be a light, fresh, citrusy wine. With hints of the sea. From the sea here, the North Sea. And that’s essentially it. And with a low alcohol content, nicely balanced.
A white wine.
Exactly. A light, gentle white.
Like the one we’re drinking (laughs). And if Ana Ferreira were a wine, what sort of wine would she be?
Ana Ferreira would be a more intense wine, perhaps a more complex Douro wine, which ages well over time.
Do you think it would be a white or red wine?
Red, of course.
“There’s something very interesting that happens when I’m following the path that I feel really makes sense – the right people turn up in the right places.”
What has been the most impactful moment of your life so far?
In my whole life? (laughs) I’m not sure I can answer that question. The most impactful moment – I don’t know if I can pick just one. I’ve had many.
Is there anyone, any person, who has had a particularly significant impact on your life?
Several, actually. Of course, my family, my parents, have played a hugely important role in my development, but there are other people who have been with me at different times in my life and who have played an essential role. Some have stayed, others haven’t. There’s something very interesting that happens when I’m following the path that I feel really makes sense – the right people turn up in the right places. But pinpointing a single standout moment like that is difficult (laughs).
If you had to pick one important date in your life, do you have one?
Gosh, that’s difficult too (laughs). Well, I’d have to think about it. There are several, too. What I feel is that my life is always constantly changing, and perhaps that’s why it’s hard to name just one moment. I feel I’m very different from the person I was three years ago, two years ago… And so, this constant change means I have defining moments that are always very different.
Do you think b_create has kept pace with your personal development? Do you think you’ve managed to shape the company to match the person you were becoming, or do you try to keep those two aspects very separate?
Definitely yes, they’ve grown closer together. At the start they were very separate; there were almost two different people. There was the person I was supposed to be according to certain standards, and then there was me, more authentic, outside of work. What happens is that in day-to-day life the two things intersect a lot, and you aren’t happy unless you’re also authentic on the professional side. And so, the two things gradually came closer together, and it was a process I worked on, something that developed over time. Today, I believe that the better you balance the two, the happier you are at work and, ultimately, the more successful you’ll be at work.
Is there anything you couldn’t live without?
I couldn’t live without this balance between my personal and professional life. Without having friendship and love around me, I think that’s essential for anyone.
What do you think is your greatest quality?
People tell me it’s empathy (laughs). I think so, I agree.
And your biggest flaw?
Perhaps impatience. It’s something I’ve been working on [patience].
When you were a child, what did you want to be in the future? I know you’ve said that at university you knew you wanted to be an entrepreneur.
Perhaps a vet? I think so. Because of my love for animals, which continues.
Do you have a favourite word?
Actually, I do – freedom.
Good choice. To finish up, is there anything you’d really like to do in the future that you haven’t done yet?
Well, I’ve already told you one: I’ve travelled a lot, but I’ve never lived in another country, so that’s something I’m definitely going to do.
Any particular country that catches your eye?
There were several countries that made an impression on me during my travels. Perhaps California, in the United States. I almost think of California as a country, as it’s, shall we say, a state apart. Being there was an absolutely incredible experience, and ever since then, whenever I’ve imagined living abroad, it’s been there. But I don’t know, the world is changing so much and so quickly that it might end up being somewhere else, I don’t know.
Here in Europe, is there anywhere that stands out for you?
I love Spain, so I could also go there. I really like other European countries, but not so much to live in… for example, I loved visiting Nordic countries like Sweden and Denmark, but I couldn’t imagine living there. I don’t think I’d move to any other Latin country either, apart from Spain.
What are the best wines for you?
Portuguese ones, of course! What a question… (laughs) There are plenty of other good ones, but Portuguese ones (laughs).
26 March 2026
