3496: Why the LoopUp Startup Story Is a Masterclass in Leading Through Uncertainty

Tech Talks Daily

What happens when your entire market disappears overnight? That was the reality facing LoopUp when the pandemic transformed the way the world communicates.

In this episode of Tech Talks Daily, I sit down with Steve Flavell, co-CEO of LoopUp, to talk about how his company turned disruption into a defining moment of reinvention.

LoopUp began in 2003 with a mission to make conference calls less painful. For over a decade, the company grew steadily, even going public on the London Stock Exchange in 2016. But when Teams and Zoom became household names during the pandemic, LoopUp's core business all but vanished.

Faced with that challenge, Steve and his team made a bold pivot, moving into global cloud telephony for Microsoft Teams. That shift didn't just save the company, it transformed it into what Steve now calls the world's most multinational telco, providing enterprise voice services in 136 countries.

Steve shares what it took to steer through that transformation, from managing fivefold surges in traffic to building a scalable global service model. He also reflects on the leadership lessons learned along the way, including the power of persistence, transparent communication, and the strength of his 22-year co-founder partnership with Michael Hughes.

This is a story of resilience, clarity, and strategic courage. For any founder or business leader who's ever faced a market shock or wondered how to evolve when everything changes, Steve's journey offers an honest and inspiring roadmap for rebuilding stronger than before.

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