Have you ever wondered what separates entrepreneurs who survive economic crises from those who thrive because of them?
In this episode of Startup Builders & Backers, I sit down with Russell Attwood, CEO of Route 101, whose entrepreneurial journey spans multiple decades, technology shifts, and economic cycles. From launching a business in a cupboard room to building and selling a multi-million-pound company, Russell's story offers a candid look at resilience, leadership, and the realities of building companies when conditions are far from ideal.
Russell shares how the 2008 financial crisis forced difficult decisions, including restructuring a successful business to ensure its survival, and how those experiences shaped his approach to leadership, cash flow management, and long-term growth. Rather than viewing entrepreneurship through the lens of overnight success, he offers a refreshing perspective on navigating uncertainty, backing yourself when others doubt you, and building teams that can weather challenging times together.
We also explore the story behind Route 101, a company name inspired by a family road trip down America's famous Highway 101, and how Russell spotted the shift from traditional technology projects to recurring cloud-based services long before many competitors. That insight helped shape Route 101 into a fast-growing customer experience and contact center specialist serving organizations across the public and private sectors.
The conversation naturally turns to one of the biggest topics facing businesses today: artificial intelligence. Russell explains why so many organizations are rushing headlong into AI without first putting the right foundations in place. He discusses the importance of customer knowledge, governance, and practical use cases that deliver immediate value, from agent assistance and call summarization to quality assurance and conversational AI.
Throughout our discussion, Russell brings a balanced perspective to customer experience, reminding us that while technology continues to evolve, customers still want the same thing they have always wanted: a simple, frictionless experience that solves their problems quickly and effectively.
Whether you're building your first company, scaling an existing business, or trying to separate genuine innovation from industry hype, this episode offers valuable lessons from someone who has successfully navigated multiple waves of change while keeping customers at the center of every decision.
What can today's founders learn from someone who has already survived the storms, rebuilt stronger, and chosen to start all over again?
00:00:00 --> 00:00:02 If you are listening and you're responsible for
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00:00:53 --> 00:00:56 .com slash browser. But now it's time for me
00:00:56 --> 00:01:01 to introduce you to today's guest. What does
00:01:01 --> 00:01:03 success really look like after you've already
00:01:03 --> 00:01:06 bought and sold a multi -million pound company?
00:01:06 --> 00:01:09 Well, for many founders, the dream is the exit.
00:01:09 --> 00:01:12 But my guest today chose a very different path.
00:01:13 --> 00:01:15 because after navigating the brutal realities
00:01:15 --> 00:01:19 of the 2008 financial crisis, rebuilding his
00:01:19 --> 00:01:22 business under immense pressure and ultimately
00:01:22 --> 00:01:25 selling it successfully, he could have comfortably
00:01:25 --> 00:01:27 stepped away from the world of entrepreneurship
00:01:27 --> 00:01:30 for good. But instead Russell Atwood decided
00:01:30 --> 00:01:34 to start again from scratch and in today's episode
00:01:34 --> 00:01:37 he will share the start -up story behind building
00:01:37 --> 00:01:40 Route 101. A company now delivering customer
00:01:40 --> 00:01:44 experience tech to major UK government departments
00:01:44 --> 00:01:47 and household brands including Southwestern Railway,
00:01:47 --> 00:01:50 Centreparks and so many others. But the conversation
00:01:50 --> 00:01:54 today goes far deeper than growth metrics and
00:01:54 --> 00:01:56 enterprise deals because we're going to talk
00:01:56 --> 00:01:59 about resilience, survival, leadership under
00:01:59 --> 00:02:02 pressure and why some entrepreneurs are wired
00:02:02 --> 00:02:04 to keep building no matter how many scars they
00:02:04 --> 00:02:07 may have collected along the way. and we'll also
00:02:07 --> 00:02:10 talk about where AI can genuinely improve operations
00:02:10 --> 00:02:14 today, and of course, why human connection still
00:02:14 --> 00:02:16 matters more than any boardrooms would like to
00:02:16 --> 00:02:19 admit. So if you're building a business, recovering
00:02:19 --> 00:02:22 from setbacks, wrestling with AI strategy, or
00:02:22 --> 00:02:24 simply curious about what leadership looks like
00:02:24 --> 00:02:27 after decades in the game, this conversation
00:02:27 --> 00:02:30 has plenty of hard -earned lessons worth hearing.
00:02:30 --> 00:02:32 But enough from me, let me introduce you to my
00:02:32 --> 00:02:36 guest now. So a massive warm welcome to the show.
00:02:36 --> 00:02:38 Can you tell everyone listening a little about
00:02:38 --> 00:02:41 who you are and what you do? Yeah, sure. Yeah,
00:02:41 --> 00:02:44 I'm Russell Atwood and the CEO of Roo101. We're
00:02:44 --> 00:02:51 a cloud -based SI. We focus our efforts around,
00:02:51 --> 00:02:54 specifically around customer experience and delivering
00:02:54 --> 00:02:57 contact center solutions to organizations who
00:02:57 --> 00:03:01 are principally headquartered in the UK but have
00:03:01 --> 00:03:05 presence globally. Business has been going now
00:03:05 --> 00:03:10 for 14 years and yeah, having lots of fun. Awesome.
00:03:10 --> 00:03:12 Is there a story behind the name there? Obviously,
00:03:12 --> 00:03:15 I'm going to leap to a few conclusions, but what's
00:03:15 --> 00:03:17 the story behind the company name? Is there one?
00:03:17 --> 00:03:21 Yeah, there is. When I sold my first business,
00:03:21 --> 00:03:25 my family was quite young and I took six months
00:03:25 --> 00:03:30 out and we hired an RV and we went down Highway
00:03:30 --> 00:03:33 101 or Route 101. from the very very top of the
00:03:33 --> 00:03:36 US right to the well I finished in Vegas actually
00:03:36 --> 00:03:40 but um but had the most amazing time so for me
00:03:40 --> 00:03:43 that that name always resonated and then I can
00:03:43 --> 00:03:46 remember I sat sat with a bottle of wine once
00:03:46 --> 00:03:48 wondering what the name of the business could
00:03:48 --> 00:03:51 be and I went online try and find a website whether
00:03:51 --> 00:03:54 the .com for route101 .com was available and
00:03:54 --> 00:03:57 bingo it was so that that made the decision it
00:03:57 --> 00:04:00 was it was an easy one Wow, an incredible story
00:04:00 --> 00:04:02 behind it. I'm surprised you got the domain so
00:04:02 --> 00:04:04 easy as well. Fantastic, you managed to pick
00:04:04 --> 00:04:08 that. It cost a few quid, but it was worth it.
00:04:08 --> 00:04:10 Brilliant, yeah, and it is worth it when you've
00:04:10 --> 00:04:12 got that rich story behind it as well. Absolutely
00:04:12 --> 00:04:15 brilliant. Obviously, you're someone that's lived
00:04:15 --> 00:04:18 through multiple versions of entrepreneurship
00:04:18 --> 00:04:21 from launching a company in a cupboard room to
00:04:21 --> 00:04:23 selling a multi -million pound business, then
00:04:23 --> 00:04:26 starting over again from scratch. For people
00:04:26 --> 00:04:28 listening, they're going to want to follow in
00:04:28 --> 00:04:30 your footsteps. It really is an inspiring story
00:04:30 --> 00:04:33 and a great journey you've been on. What drives
00:04:33 --> 00:04:35 someone to take that leap a second time when
00:04:35 --> 00:04:38 they could comfortably walk away or sit drinking
00:04:38 --> 00:04:41 cocktails on a beach? I suspect you can only
00:04:41 --> 00:04:43 do that for so long, but tell me more about that.
00:04:44 --> 00:04:46 Yeah, I mean, that's the first thing, isn't it?
00:04:46 --> 00:04:50 I like to think I am an entrepreneur. I am incredibly
00:04:50 --> 00:04:54 competitive and I love what I do. I love the
00:04:54 --> 00:04:57 industry. So for me, I mean, I certainly with
00:04:57 --> 00:04:59 the six months we took out, that was awesome.
00:05:00 --> 00:05:03 But obviously, when you get home, and the stark
00:05:03 --> 00:05:08 reality of life hits home, managing your list
00:05:08 --> 00:05:10 of things to do, coming up with a list of things
00:05:10 --> 00:05:14 that you need to collaborate with the wife on.
00:05:15 --> 00:05:19 It's not too long before you really need to start
00:05:19 --> 00:05:20 thinking about what you're going to do next and
00:05:20 --> 00:05:24 I was not ready to hang my boots up. For me,
00:05:24 --> 00:05:27 it was obvious we've got to go again. And I had
00:05:27 --> 00:05:30 great relationships with the company that I sold
00:05:30 --> 00:05:32 the business to they were quite supportive of
00:05:32 --> 00:05:35 me Moving back into the industry and actually
00:05:35 --> 00:05:38 pretty shortly afterwards. They became a client
00:05:38 --> 00:05:41 of mine So yeah, and we were ready to go and
00:05:41 --> 00:05:45 I built some great relationships up and we started
00:05:45 --> 00:05:48 the foundations with some really really good
00:05:48 --> 00:05:51 Some great people from the from the get -go so
00:05:51 --> 00:05:53 that that made that made life a little easier
00:05:54 --> 00:05:57 Wow, incredible. Love it. And a lot of founders
00:05:57 --> 00:06:01 that I talk to often speak about growth, but
00:06:01 --> 00:06:04 not too many talk so openly about survival. And
00:06:04 --> 00:06:07 looking at your backstory there, how did that
00:06:07 --> 00:06:11 2008 financial crisis maybe reshape your thinking
00:06:11 --> 00:06:14 around things like cash flow, financial discipline,
00:06:14 --> 00:06:17 and building a company that can withstand turbulence?
00:06:17 --> 00:06:19 Because right now we're all obsessed with growth,
00:06:19 --> 00:06:22 et cetera, but it's a bit of a rollercoaster
00:06:22 --> 00:06:25 ride, isn't it, the startup love? Oh yeah, look,
00:06:25 --> 00:06:28 2008 was brutal and we had a great business.
00:06:29 --> 00:06:31 We were one of the largest providers of what
00:06:31 --> 00:06:35 was call centre technology at the time. We employed
00:06:35 --> 00:06:41 180, 190 people. We were a big family. We're
00:06:41 --> 00:06:44 a very, very close business. But the reality
00:06:44 --> 00:06:48 of the situation was that the volume of business
00:06:48 --> 00:06:51 literally dropped off a cliff. And of course,
00:06:51 --> 00:06:54 back in those days, much of what we did was premise
00:06:54 --> 00:06:58 -based, project -based. And so from a cash flow
00:06:58 --> 00:07:02 perspective, obviously you were living from the
00:07:02 --> 00:07:04 proceeds, from the revenue that you were generating
00:07:04 --> 00:07:06 from the projects that you were completing, and
00:07:06 --> 00:07:10 you had a sort of a long late -flee pipeline.
00:07:10 --> 00:07:13 That disappeared. So we needed to make some pretty
00:07:13 --> 00:07:17 tough decisions. And the reality was we needed
00:07:17 --> 00:07:21 to cut back the business. We made a significant
00:07:21 --> 00:07:26 loss in 2008. And we were staring down the barrel
00:07:26 --> 00:07:28 of a gun. We needed to make some tough decisions.
00:07:28 --> 00:07:31 We had to let quite a few people go. But the
00:07:31 --> 00:07:34 reality of it was that that was that was the
00:07:34 --> 00:07:36 right thing to do to make sure we protected the
00:07:36 --> 00:07:38 interests of the business moving forward and
00:07:38 --> 00:07:41 obviously the livelihood of a lot of people moving
00:07:41 --> 00:07:45 forward. We employ great people so we knew that
00:07:45 --> 00:07:49 those individuals would find employment and actually
00:07:49 --> 00:07:52 some of those individuals that we had to let
00:07:52 --> 00:07:55 go, we've re -employed in the new business. So
00:07:55 --> 00:07:59 that shows that they understood what was going
00:07:59 --> 00:08:03 on and the need. the tough decision we needed
00:08:03 --> 00:08:06 to take. We turned that business around from
00:08:06 --> 00:08:09 a significant loss to break even to a significant
00:08:09 --> 00:08:13 profit inside three years, which was an amazing
00:08:13 --> 00:08:17 achievement. And at that point, I think we kind
00:08:17 --> 00:08:20 of realized that as an entrepreneur, and I'm
00:08:20 --> 00:08:24 sure I'm no different to many other entrepreneurs
00:08:24 --> 00:08:27 who have invested everything. in that business.
00:08:28 --> 00:08:31 The concept of saving money, building a pension
00:08:31 --> 00:08:33 and all that, that was out the window. All I
00:08:33 --> 00:08:36 was interested in was obviously building my businesses
00:08:36 --> 00:08:39 at some point that would turn into some sort
00:08:39 --> 00:08:43 of capital event. So we worked 15 years I was
00:08:43 --> 00:08:46 running that business. We could have lost the
00:08:46 --> 00:08:49 law. So when we turned the business into a significant
00:08:49 --> 00:08:53 healthy profit and we soon attracted the interests
00:08:53 --> 00:08:56 of potential acquirers, we felt the time was
00:08:56 --> 00:09:00 right to to do that and then and cash in as it
00:09:00 --> 00:09:03 were. And that was the right thing to do. Yeah,
00:09:03 --> 00:09:05 I mean, just looking at that timeline there,
00:09:05 --> 00:09:08 successfully rebuilding and selling that first
00:09:08 --> 00:09:12 business by 2011, which is an incredibly short
00:09:12 --> 00:09:15 recovery window after, let's face it, a global
00:09:15 --> 00:09:18 financial crash and some tough decisions along
00:09:18 --> 00:09:20 the way. Well, I'm curious, what did it teach
00:09:20 --> 00:09:23 you about leadership under pressure in startup
00:09:23 --> 00:09:26 life there? Because you probably look back now,
00:09:27 --> 00:09:28 fond memories, but obviously it was an incredibly
00:09:28 --> 00:09:30 tough time. What did you learn back from that
00:09:30 --> 00:09:34 experience? Well, definitely resilience and also
00:09:34 --> 00:09:39 you had to underline leadership. You were responsible
00:09:39 --> 00:09:44 for the livelihood of quite a number of people
00:09:44 --> 00:09:47 and they're looking to you to help guide that
00:09:47 --> 00:09:49 business through those really, really difficult
00:09:49 --> 00:09:53 times. What it also taught me was really lean
00:09:53 --> 00:09:56 into the team that you have in the organization.
00:09:57 --> 00:10:00 There were some really experienced individuals
00:10:01 --> 00:10:04 that they knew and understood the challenges
00:10:04 --> 00:10:08 that we faced. We also took the opportunity to
00:10:08 --> 00:10:11 bring in some additional support, particularly
00:10:11 --> 00:10:15 actually from some senior finance resourcing,
00:10:15 --> 00:10:19 to be able to just make sure that we made the
00:10:19 --> 00:10:23 right decisions as we made that transition from
00:10:23 --> 00:10:27 significant loss to significant profit. So I
00:10:27 --> 00:10:31 guess in summary, yeah, you've got to show leadership.
00:10:31 --> 00:10:34 But you've also got to really lean into your
00:10:34 --> 00:10:36 team because they're the ones that can really,
00:10:36 --> 00:10:40 really help you navigate the choppy waters. Yeah.
00:10:41 --> 00:10:44 Yeah. And from there, starting a second company
00:10:44 --> 00:10:46 after a successful exit, that must come with
00:10:46 --> 00:10:49 a different relationship to risk. So how was
00:10:49 --> 00:10:52 your attitude towards decision making, investment
00:10:52 --> 00:10:55 and personal accountability? How's that changed
00:10:55 --> 00:10:57 this second time around where you took that time
00:10:57 --> 00:10:59 out? You look in a bounce, but it changed this
00:10:59 --> 00:11:01 time around. I mean, I guess the first thing
00:11:01 --> 00:11:04 is that after what we had been through over those
00:11:04 --> 00:11:07 that sort of three year period, people thought
00:11:07 --> 00:11:11 I was completely mad doing it all over again,
00:11:11 --> 00:11:14 a glutton for punishment. But I think that what
00:11:14 --> 00:11:19 I realized was that the market was changing and
00:11:19 --> 00:11:23 that there was this new thing called software
00:11:23 --> 00:11:28 as a service that was coming to the fore. And
00:11:28 --> 00:11:32 for me, what it represented was the sort of panacea
00:11:32 --> 00:11:36 of business and operations where you're building
00:11:36 --> 00:11:41 a recurring revenue base that can incrementally
00:11:41 --> 00:11:45 grow. And as long as you keep adding more clients
00:11:45 --> 00:11:49 and you ensure that you keep those clients rather
00:11:49 --> 00:11:52 than the leaky bucket that sees a higher level
00:11:52 --> 00:11:56 of attrition, then you can scale a business reasonably
00:11:56 --> 00:12:00 quickly. So for me, that was really, really attractive.
00:12:01 --> 00:12:04 And also, there was a lot of real excitement
00:12:04 --> 00:12:07 around some of the tech that was coming to the
00:12:07 --> 00:12:10 market that we could see could have absolute
00:12:10 --> 00:12:14 fundamental change, business impact to organizations
00:12:14 --> 00:12:19 that were running these call centers that I felt
00:12:19 --> 00:12:21 could offer some significant differentiation.
00:12:21 --> 00:12:25 So I did sit back and think to myself, do I want
00:12:25 --> 00:12:29 Do I want to move into something outside of what
00:12:29 --> 00:12:31 I know best? And I think that's probably a mistake
00:12:31 --> 00:12:34 a lot of people can make, because you kind of
00:12:34 --> 00:12:37 think, well, I've built a successful business,
00:12:37 --> 00:12:39 sold a successful business. That must mean I
00:12:39 --> 00:12:44 can do anything. And of course, there are people
00:12:44 --> 00:12:48 that can do that. But for me, it was, now look,
00:12:48 --> 00:12:51 I know this market really, really well. I've
00:12:51 --> 00:12:53 got great connections. I've got good contacts,
00:12:54 --> 00:12:57 both potential resources that I could draw on
00:12:57 --> 00:13:01 and customers I can approach again and vendors
00:13:01 --> 00:13:06 who know and trust me. Why make life difficult?
00:13:07 --> 00:13:12 Just lean into that and get going. And fast forward
00:13:12 --> 00:13:15 to present day Route 101 now works with major
00:13:15 --> 00:13:18 organizations including UK government departments,
00:13:18 --> 00:13:22 rail operators and hospitality brands. What have
00:13:22 --> 00:13:24 you learned about customer experience that many
00:13:24 --> 00:13:27 businesses maybe still underestimate especially
00:13:27 --> 00:13:29 as another big change that you've found yourself
00:13:29 --> 00:13:32 now is in the eye of the storm of this AI driven
00:13:32 --> 00:13:39 world too. Yeah, I think that customer experience
00:13:39 --> 00:13:43 is simple really. Right. Or customers, consumers,
00:13:43 --> 00:13:49 you and I, all we're looking for is a frictionless
00:13:49 --> 00:13:55 experience. When we contact our suppliers is
00:13:55 --> 00:13:59 generally because we've got a problem that needs
00:13:59 --> 00:14:06 a resolution. And the real knack is being able
00:14:06 --> 00:14:09 to do that in the most expedient way possible.
00:14:10 --> 00:14:14 But understanding the customer that you're dealing
00:14:14 --> 00:14:17 with, making sure that the journey that you're
00:14:17 --> 00:14:19 taking them on is one that they're comfortable
00:14:19 --> 00:14:27 with. That I think for me underpins everything
00:14:27 --> 00:14:31 that we do. Recognizing that AI is not the answer
00:14:31 --> 00:14:35 to everything. Maybe we'll explore that in the
00:14:35 --> 00:14:41 time that we've got remaining. that ultimately
00:14:41 --> 00:14:44 a human touch and human contact is still incredibly
00:14:44 --> 00:14:48 important. So a special thank you to Denodo for
00:14:48 --> 00:14:50 supporting the Teptalks Network and helping us
00:14:50 --> 00:14:53 keep these conversations going because moving
00:14:53 --> 00:14:57 beyond AI pilots all starts with connecting your
00:14:57 --> 00:15:00 models to trusted enterprise data. So if you're
00:15:00 --> 00:15:03 ready to move beyond AI pilots, Denodo can help
00:15:03 --> 00:15:06 you connect your AI models to trusted enterprise
00:15:06 --> 00:15:11 data in real time. So you can scale faster and
00:15:11 --> 00:15:13 reduce risk. So if you're interested in turning
00:15:13 --> 00:15:18 AI into business value, simply visit denodo .com.
00:15:18 --> 00:15:22 No matter what you and I think, AI is transforming
00:15:22 --> 00:15:25 contact centers, customer engagement, service
00:15:25 --> 00:15:28 automation, incredibly quickly, sometimes for
00:15:28 --> 00:15:30 the good, but very often the bad. And from your
00:15:30 --> 00:15:33 perspective, what are companies getting wrong
00:15:33 --> 00:15:35 when they're rushing into introduce AI, be a
00:15:35 --> 00:15:38 part of that AI narrative and push it into customer
00:15:38 --> 00:15:40 experience strategies? What are the biggest mistakes
00:15:40 --> 00:15:42 you're seeing there? I think your first thing
00:15:42 --> 00:15:45 you hit the nail on the head rushing into it.
00:15:45 --> 00:15:49 Yeah. Yeah. So actually trying to trying to go
00:15:49 --> 00:15:54 too hard too early. I think there's some fundamentals
00:15:54 --> 00:15:58 that you've got to get right. And the first thing
00:15:58 --> 00:16:01 is you've got to make sure that you've got the
00:16:01 --> 00:16:06 knowledge that underpins, that absolutely is
00:16:06 --> 00:16:10 one of the cornerstones of AI, is making sure
00:16:10 --> 00:16:14 that you have the knowledge of your customer
00:16:14 --> 00:16:18 and your organization. and making sure that that's
00:16:18 --> 00:16:22 in a structure that the AI tools that you deploy
00:16:22 --> 00:16:25 can leverage to be able to surface the right
00:16:25 --> 00:16:30 information to those customers based on the journey
00:16:30 --> 00:16:33 that they're taking and of course the answers
00:16:33 --> 00:16:37 that they're seeking. So I see a lot of organizations
00:16:37 --> 00:16:41 going straight in, deploying these chat bots.
00:16:42 --> 00:16:45 without the guardrails that you really, really
00:16:45 --> 00:16:51 need to have and the consequences can be disastrous
00:16:51 --> 00:16:53 or certainly embarrassing and certainly some
00:16:53 --> 00:17:00 well -known cases. For us, there are some quick
00:17:00 --> 00:17:05 wins in the deployment of AI in customer experience
00:17:05 --> 00:17:09 in Contact Center. Things like, for example,
00:17:09 --> 00:17:14 auto summary, the ability for the agent to engage
00:17:14 --> 00:17:17 with the customer, to focus their efforts on
00:17:17 --> 00:17:21 listening to what the customer's asking and helping
00:17:21 --> 00:17:24 them through that journey. And then at the end
00:17:24 --> 00:17:26 of the call, rather than they've had to sit and
00:17:26 --> 00:17:28 scribble and make notes and not really listening
00:17:28 --> 00:17:33 to what they're being told, actually the AI platform
00:17:33 --> 00:17:34 is already listening to the conversation and
00:17:34 --> 00:17:38 the journey and it's providing the summary to
00:17:38 --> 00:17:42 the agent at the end of the call. the agent reviews
00:17:42 --> 00:17:47 that call and then that's the summary done. That's
00:17:47 --> 00:17:51 a brilliant way of deploying AI and loads of
00:17:51 --> 00:17:54 us are using Copilot in Microsoft Teams and whatever.
00:17:54 --> 00:17:58 We know what that experience feels like. Other
00:17:58 --> 00:18:03 things are our true Copilot. capabilities. So
00:18:03 --> 00:18:05 I'm listening to my to my customer asking me
00:18:05 --> 00:18:08 what I need to do and what it's providing me
00:18:08 --> 00:18:11 with is a guide, a step -by -step guide on what
00:18:11 --> 00:18:14 action I need to take next. Now what that means
00:18:14 --> 00:18:18 is that you don't necessarily have to lean into
00:18:18 --> 00:18:22 high levels of expertise within the customer
00:18:22 --> 00:18:26 contact center because actually a lot of that
00:18:26 --> 00:18:29 is built into the guidance that the the platforms
00:18:29 --> 00:18:31 provided to the agent. So very, very quickly,
00:18:32 --> 00:18:35 the ramp up for new starters is much quicker
00:18:35 --> 00:18:39 rather than having to lean into people that have
00:18:39 --> 00:18:43 a lot greater depth of expertise. You start deploying
00:18:43 --> 00:18:47 those sorts of things. And the last example is
00:18:47 --> 00:18:51 the quality assurance, making sure that the experience
00:18:51 --> 00:18:54 that customers are getting from all of the agents
00:18:54 --> 00:18:56 and resources is the very, very best it can be.
00:18:59 --> 00:19:02 Whereas before in a contact center, you might
00:19:02 --> 00:19:05 do that four times for one person each month.
00:19:06 --> 00:19:08 That probably represents about half a percent
00:19:08 --> 00:19:12 of their call or contact. Now we can deploy AI
00:19:12 --> 00:19:15 to do that literally at 100 percent of all calls.
00:19:15 --> 00:19:19 That provides unbelievable insight into the reasons
00:19:19 --> 00:19:22 why customers are contacting you. There's a massive
00:19:22 --> 00:19:25 amount that you can then do to really revolutionize
00:19:25 --> 00:19:27 the journey that you're providing to your customer.
00:19:27 --> 00:19:30 sorry a bit of a waffle there but listen hopefully
00:19:30 --> 00:19:33 that was those just three examples of those those
00:19:33 --> 00:19:36 are quick wins you don't need to go into a full
00:19:36 --> 00:19:40 -blown voice bot etc if you don't want to you
00:19:40 --> 00:19:42 can you can dip your toe in the water and start
00:19:42 --> 00:19:45 building confidence up and then and then work
00:19:45 --> 00:19:47 with people like ourselves to be able to then
00:19:47 --> 00:19:51 take you to the next level They were great examples,
00:19:51 --> 00:19:53 and I think one of the reasons that make your
00:19:53 --> 00:19:56 insights so valuable is that this isn't your
00:19:56 --> 00:19:58 first rodeo. You've built businesses through
00:19:58 --> 00:20:02 multiple technology ways, from traditional communications
00:20:02 --> 00:20:05 infrastructure, then the move to cloud, automation
00:20:05 --> 00:20:08 now, of course, conversational AI. How do you
00:20:08 --> 00:20:11 separate the genuine long -term innovation from
00:20:11 --> 00:20:14 hype when deciding where to invest time, where
00:20:14 --> 00:20:17 to invest your resources? Because right now everybody's
00:20:17 --> 00:20:20 talking and excited about AI, about generative
00:20:20 --> 00:20:23 AI, conversational AI, and it's easy to get lost
00:20:23 --> 00:20:27 in all that hype and the shiny promises there.
00:20:27 --> 00:20:30 But as you've been through this before, how do
00:20:30 --> 00:20:35 you navigate that hype? Well, I spend a lot of
00:20:35 --> 00:20:39 time talking to customers. I spend a lot of time
00:20:39 --> 00:20:42 talking to suppliers and vendors and of course
00:20:42 --> 00:20:48 they will have a very one -sided view on where
00:20:48 --> 00:20:54 they see the real market activity. But I think
00:20:54 --> 00:20:57 that the reality of the situation is you've got
00:20:57 --> 00:21:01 to make sure that you know your customers and
00:21:01 --> 00:21:03 what they're looking for and then make sure that
00:21:03 --> 00:21:07 you've got the solutions of the services that
00:21:07 --> 00:21:11 meet those requirements. It was inevitable. I
00:21:11 --> 00:21:16 mean, if we look back when Amazon Alexa was first
00:21:16 --> 00:21:20 launched, and people were very, very reticent
00:21:20 --> 00:21:23 of using that as a concept, but the reality of
00:21:23 --> 00:21:27 it now is that it's just become the norm. And
00:21:27 --> 00:21:32 so therefore, I mean, voice self -service has
00:21:32 --> 00:21:36 been available for 15 years. It's really only
00:21:36 --> 00:21:40 accelerated in the last two to three because
00:21:40 --> 00:21:43 people have become more accepting of it. But
00:21:43 --> 00:21:48 equally, we also knew that generative AI would
00:21:48 --> 00:21:51 really, really accelerate its adoption because
00:21:51 --> 00:21:55 all of a sudden, the experiences that you can
00:21:55 --> 00:22:00 gain from engaging from a really well -executed
00:22:00 --> 00:22:03 conversational AI platform is incredible. I'm
00:22:03 --> 00:22:07 not joking. It is like talking to a human with
00:22:07 --> 00:22:11 empathy, understanding the nuances of our languages,
00:22:12 --> 00:22:17 and getting to the root of what the ask is nowadays
00:22:17 --> 00:22:21 is incredibly powerful. We're seeing conversational
00:22:21 --> 00:22:26 AI platforms handling 60%, 70%. of inbound customer
00:22:26 --> 00:22:30 contact for okay granted more often than not
00:22:30 --> 00:22:33 the obvious areas to deploy it are sort of lower
00:22:33 --> 00:22:36 value but higher volume contact but increasingly
00:22:36 --> 00:22:40 we're seeing it deployed for the higher value
00:22:40 --> 00:22:43 lower volume contact but remembering that you
00:22:43 --> 00:22:47 keep the agents you keep your people for the
00:22:47 --> 00:22:51 more complex contact or to be available for the
00:22:51 --> 00:22:54 more vulnerable members of our community that
00:22:54 --> 00:22:58 that maybe not necessarily is confident to be
00:22:58 --> 00:23:02 able to engage with a bot as maybe you or I might.
00:23:03 --> 00:23:06 So yeah, look, it's basically just get out there
00:23:06 --> 00:23:09 and keep talking to your customers and make sure
00:23:09 --> 00:23:12 that what the vendors are telling you, what the
00:23:12 --> 00:23:14 analysts are telling you are really what your
00:23:14 --> 00:23:18 customers are looking for too. And looking back
00:23:18 --> 00:23:21 across your entrepreneurial journey now from
00:23:21 --> 00:23:25 that cupboard room startup to a leading a large
00:23:25 --> 00:23:28 scale enterprise deals today, what advice would
00:23:28 --> 00:23:31 you give to that founder listening today at the
00:23:31 --> 00:23:33 beginning of their journey about things that
00:23:33 --> 00:23:35 they are going to need to pick up like resilience,
00:23:35 --> 00:23:38 reinvention and knowing when to bet on themselves
00:23:38 --> 00:23:40 again. Any advice that you would offer there?
00:23:41 --> 00:23:47 Yeah, sure. I think Recognize of course that
00:23:47 --> 00:23:50 if you're starting a business and you're running
00:23:50 --> 00:23:52 a business and you're the CEO of that business,
00:23:52 --> 00:23:56 it can be a lonely place if you want to make
00:23:56 --> 00:23:59 it a lonely place. So you've got to make sure
00:23:59 --> 00:24:03 that you have really built yourself some great
00:24:03 --> 00:24:07 relationships, both vendor, both client, but
00:24:07 --> 00:24:10 also within your own organization. And don't
00:24:10 --> 00:24:14 underestimate the experience that they can bring
00:24:14 --> 00:24:18 to bear. in terms of helping you shape the direction
00:24:18 --> 00:24:21 of your business moving forward. So definitely
00:24:21 --> 00:24:24 don't think that you've got the answers to everything.
00:24:25 --> 00:24:28 But at the same time, you've got to make the
00:24:28 --> 00:24:32 ultimate calls on what you do. Along the way,
00:24:33 --> 00:24:40 we've made decisions to bid for business that
00:24:40 --> 00:24:43 nobody in their right mind thought that we as
00:24:43 --> 00:24:46 the organization of the scale of organization
00:24:46 --> 00:24:49 that we were would have any chance whatsoever
00:24:49 --> 00:24:52 in being able to win but you've got to back yourself
00:24:52 --> 00:24:55 and and ultimately you're the shareholder the
00:24:55 --> 00:24:59 ultimate shareholder you're the one who you're
00:24:59 --> 00:25:02 accountable if it if it doesn't go the right
00:25:02 --> 00:25:05 way and so therefore rightfully so you've got
00:25:05 --> 00:25:07 to get there get in there and make that decision
00:25:07 --> 00:25:10 for yourself so having the bold confidence to
00:25:10 --> 00:25:14 be able to ultimately make make a call even if
00:25:14 --> 00:25:17 everybody else is telling you that's not the
00:25:17 --> 00:25:19 right decision. So that sounds like a bit of
00:25:19 --> 00:25:23 a contradiction that I guess maybe but you know
00:25:23 --> 00:25:25 you've got to choose the right times when ultimately
00:25:25 --> 00:25:28 you've got to make that final call. So have the
00:25:28 --> 00:25:32 confidence to do it. I love that, and I think
00:25:32 --> 00:25:34 it's a great moment to end on. But before I do
00:25:34 --> 00:25:37 let you to go, Route 101, there might be people
00:25:37 --> 00:25:40 listening that you might be able to help there.
00:25:40 --> 00:25:43 I know your technology reduces operational costs,
00:25:43 --> 00:25:46 enhance efficiency, and helps deliver next generation
00:25:46 --> 00:25:49 customer experience. A lot of great tech there.
00:25:49 --> 00:25:51 For people listening wanting to find out more
00:25:51 --> 00:25:54 about that, or indeed connect with you if they
00:25:54 --> 00:25:56 feel inspired by your story, want to run a few
00:25:56 --> 00:25:58 ideas by you, where would you like me to point
00:25:58 --> 00:26:01 everyone listening to? Probably the best places
00:26:01 --> 00:26:05 on LinkedIn. Yeah So, you know, and you can connect
00:26:05 --> 00:26:08 to me directly. There's a there's a ton of stuff
00:26:08 --> 00:26:11 available there We're pretty active in terms
00:26:11 --> 00:26:15 of posting posting content also on the website
00:26:15 --> 00:26:18 route 101 comm There's a there's a there's a
00:26:18 --> 00:26:20 ton of interesting stuff on there and there's
00:26:20 --> 00:26:22 a contact us page as well So again depending
00:26:22 --> 00:26:26 upon what what your interest or inquiry is? either
00:26:26 --> 00:26:29 one of those and you'll get to the right place.
00:26:29 --> 00:26:33 But yeah, we'd love to hear from any client,
00:26:33 --> 00:26:35 prospective client who's maybe wrestling with
00:26:35 --> 00:26:39 some of those challenges about how they respond
00:26:39 --> 00:26:44 to AI ask from their CEO or anyone else from
00:26:44 --> 00:26:46 a business challenge point of view. If I could
00:26:46 --> 00:26:49 help, I'd love to help. Awesome. Well, I'll include
00:26:49 --> 00:26:52 links to everything there. Make it nice and easy
00:26:52 --> 00:26:55 for people to get hold of you. Pop over to techtalksnetwork
00:26:55 --> 00:26:57 .com. There'll be a blog post associated with
00:26:57 --> 00:26:59 this interview, all the links that you need.
00:27:00 --> 00:27:02 And I'd love to hear from you as well. What did
00:27:02 --> 00:27:05 you take away from this conversation? Keep it
00:27:05 --> 00:27:07 going and please, by all means, contact your
00:27:07 --> 00:27:10 good self. I'd love to hear more about that and
00:27:10 --> 00:27:12 keep this conversation going. But more than anything,
00:27:12 --> 00:27:14 thank you for joining me today, sharing your
00:27:14 --> 00:27:16 inspiring story. Hopefully it will resonate with
00:27:16 --> 00:27:18 people listening all around the world, especially
00:27:18 --> 00:27:21 other founders. But thank you. Cheers, Neil.
00:27:21 --> 00:27:25 Thank you. So much I learned about the conversation
00:27:25 --> 00:27:27 we had today. I think one of the things that
00:27:27 --> 00:27:30 really stood out was the honesty behind the success
00:27:30 --> 00:27:33 story. because so often we hear entrepreneurs
00:27:33 --> 00:27:37 talk about scaling, disruption and growth, but
00:27:37 --> 00:27:39 not enough about the people that talk openly
00:27:39 --> 00:27:42 about survival. And Russell has lived through
00:27:42 --> 00:27:45 the highs of successful exits and the pressure
00:27:45 --> 00:27:48 of staring down financials' uncertainty during
00:27:48 --> 00:27:51 one of the toughest economic periods in recent
00:27:51 --> 00:27:54 history. And I think it's these experiences that
00:27:54 --> 00:27:56 clearly shape the leader that he is today. But
00:27:56 --> 00:27:58 perhaps the biggest takeaway from the episode
00:27:58 --> 00:28:00 there, whether we're talking about entrepreneurship,
00:28:01 --> 00:28:04 leadership, customer experience or even AI adoption,
00:28:04 --> 00:28:07 the takeaway is there are very few shortcuts
00:28:07 --> 00:28:11 that replace experience, resilience and human
00:28:11 --> 00:28:14 relationships. So if you enjoyed today's conversation,
00:28:14 --> 00:28:16 please check out techtalksnetwork .com. I'll
00:28:16 --> 00:28:18 be back again real soon. Thanks for listening.
00:28:18 --> 00:28:19 Bye for now.