Kicking the crisis: lessons on survival from TravelPerk

February 2020 is a time that is forever etched into my memory. Our CRO JC Taunay-Bucalo kept sending me memos of cancelations we were receiving because of a ‘new virus.’ Like most companies, especially those that were experiencing rapid growth such as ours, I remained optimistic. 

I had managed crises in the past; a major personal data breach at a tech company, and the fallout of a terrorist attack. Yet not even the most experienced company or political leader predicted in the early stages of the pandemic the massive challenges that lay ahead of us.

The view from a travel start-up

As a travel start-up, the negative effect on our business was more protracted and threatening than most, as the environment surrounding travel remained uncertain, complex, and ambiguous for many, many months. But we not only survived. TravelPerk has emerged stronger, more global, dynamic, and relevant than ever. 

As businesses and economies bounce back, there is much reflection, and lessons to be learned, on the strategies that helped them do so. The acceleration of digitalization, a phenomenon that was well underway pre-pandemic, proved to be key. ‘Business Agility’ and ‘Business Resilience’ are two new concepts that emerged during this challenging time, and business schools are already drawing up new paradigms to help companies sustainably manage their way out of unknown waters.     

Taking ownership, and not shying away from a drastic situation has always formed part of my way of operating. We responded to the COVID-19 crisis quickly and effectively by putting our greatest asset first – our people. Rather than downsizing, we took on new hires in our Product and Engineering department – growing it by over 250%! They went on to develop outstanding new products that gave travelers greater flexibility and certainty in an uncertain environment. 

The mood at TravelPerk today is vastly different from what it was in February 2020.  Pre-lockdown we employed a little under 500 people. Today, we are more than 1000, working in hubs spread across the world. We received several major funding rounds, and are back to doing what we love; making sure millions of travelers can connect in real life every day in an enjoyable and sustainable way.

Our roadmap to kicking the crisis

Here is a road map of how we did it. And while COVID-19, as many predicted, is something we have now ‘learned to live with’, I have also…