The New Job? It’s Going Wonderfully

Two weeks ago Wired UK called SoapBox Labs one of Europe’s hottest startups so it’s not surprising that people keep asking me how my new job is going. I’m already 4 months into my new role as Chief Communications Officer, so thanks for asking, so far it’s going wonderfully.

SoapBox Labs is one of those brilliant, young, deep tech Irish companies with a world class solution and a compelling, must-be-told story. It was founded by CEO Dr. Patricia Scanlon in 2013 when she realized that the speech recognition solutions available on the market catered to adult voices only, and wouldn’t work for young kids. Six years of research and development later, the company has developed and commercialized a proprietary technology specifically for kids. It understands their young and unpredictable voices, and handles background noises, with aplomb and 95% accuracy.

I’ve been tracking the top tier of Irish startups for many years now and can count on one hand the number of companies who’ve had the vision and confidence to invest in a long term communications strategy and I wonder how ambitious and mission driven companies think they can thrive internationally without one.

Take SoapBox Labs for example. Without developing a set of values, messages and goals how could a company like ours ever compete with behemoths like Amazon and Google? How could we demonstrate that voice assistants are just a subset of our much larger and deeper voice tech opportunity or get kudos for our approach to data privacy when the noise around larger players’ business practices is so deafening?

I have a friend who works in a senior communications role for a large company outside of the tech industry. For her, communications is all about managing crises, while in my world it’s about building the company’s core identity and being considered innovative, serious, and trustworthy. Roles like mine are successful when people come to trust that this new technology actually works, and they start believing in a future that’s impossible without it. You’re building a reputation for innovation and reliability, and once you’ve started, you’ve got to keep on building.

I’ve learned a lot in these first 4 months but I’ve really only begun to grasp the huge challenges and opportunities this red hot and noisy market presents to SoapBox Labs as a company. I’ve only begun to stand back, breathe deeply, and realize that the kids speech recognition solution we’ve developed is a game changer for huge industries like toys and education. Maybe we didn’t set out to become change agents but that’s what happens when you serve up truly innovative technology. And doubly so when that technology relates to kids and screens, AI and privacy.

It’s not a stretch to say that our technology can change the course of a kid’s life — by helping them learn to read, speak English at a young age, receive early intervention for dyslexia, to play like other kids when they have special needs. Marketing campaigns around free 30 day trials, and plug & play APIs don’t suffice when you’re offering the market technology that can move their proverbial mountains.

My new role at SoapBox Labs has also confirmed my suspicions that deep tech companies are a special breed unto themselves: just when you think you’ve got a handle on the breadth of the team’s capabilities, the complexity of the technology they’re developing, or the value of the IP and patents, the goalposts get redrawn to incorporate exciting new variables.

One of my motivations for seeking a career change in 2019 was the feeling that I’d been the one in charge for long enough already. I yearned to work with people who shared the burden of the big responsibilities, who had as much or more experience, and who were smarter than me. At SoapBox Labs I have landed and into a smart, fun, and nerdy heaven filled with jaffa cakes — that is “cakes”, not cookies.

There are 22 employees at SoapBox Labs these days and it’s easy to understand why Patricia speaks so passionately about Ireland’s deep tech advantage when you see the range of Irish and international talent she has managed to attract and retain in the company. There’s a lot to be said for an inspiring leader too; another great story in the broader communications strategy. Investors, clients, partners, advisors, developers, executives, other startups, multinationals — communicating clearly and consistently to what amounts to a town hall of audiences is the foundation I’m building and after only 4 months I’m still at the start of this fun and purposeful journey.

By Niamh Bushnell