Snapfix is on a mission to be the maintenance platform for the world’s buildings, infrastructure, and equipment.
Officially starting in September 2019 when raising the first investment, after being bootstrapped for a couple of years before that. Paul's background is in property and facilities management as well as computer software and so built the original version of Snapfix to solve his own problem. He share's his journey and insights below!
What is the exact problem that Snapfix is solving?
The problem we’re tackling is inefficiency in team operations. When we think about our customers—hotel operations, facilities management, maintenance teams—they often rely on outdated systems: paperwork, post-it notes, emails, phone calls, Excel sheets, and even people tapping others on the shoulder. The information is scattered, and it’s incredibly inefficient.
Snapfix replaces all of that by keeping everything in one place. Beyond improving day-to-day productivity, there’s tremendous value in having all that data organised over time.
What has been the biggest blocker or challenge to change in the industry, especially in the last 12 months?
A significant challenge is that so many companies still rely heavily on paper and Excel. That’s also our opportunity. Many of our customers have never seen a solution like Snapfix before.
We’ve drawn inspiration from popular social media platforms—WhatsApp, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok—using their simplicity and intuitive design principles but applying them to the Real Estate world. This approach has been key to Snapfix’s success.
How are you positioning Snapfix to stay ahead of competitors, even those like Excel, which seems to be your frequent rival?
We like to think of Snapfix as "Excel with photos." Excel is one of the greatest tools ever invented—simple, flexible, and intuitive. Very few people need training to use Excel.
Snapfix follows a similar path. It’s designed to be simple enough for anyone to use instantly, but we’ve gone beyond text and numbers. Our unique approach incorporates photos and uses the universal red-yellow-green traffic light system. Red means new, yellow means in progress, and green means complete. Everyone understands traffic lights, no matter where they are in the world.
So simplicity is really at the heart of your approach?
Absolutely. Simplicity is our north star. Every feature we design must be as simple and flexible as possible. We spend a lot of time refining features to ensure they meet those criteria.
We first met you about a year ago when you applied for the PwC Scale PropTech Program. Why did you decide to join the program, and what stood out to you?
A few things attracted me to the program. It was very well-structured, sponsored by PwC, and part of a series of programs that matched startups with the right corporate partners.
Before applying, I spoke with participants from previous years. Their feedback convinced me—the learnings, the network, and the doors the program opened to corporates actively seeking innovation.
How did the program help shape your growth over the past year?
I met many people through the program who validated what we’re doing. It was inspiring to connect with others who understand how challenging it is to build something disruptive from scratch. That shared perspective gave me the belief that, with patience and time, success is inevitable.
One of the biggest moves we made in the last 12 months was expanding into the US. The program gave me the confidence to target the US in a more structured way.
Was there any specific moment or person during the program that made a lasting impression?
After the pitch sessions, we had networking events where people were incredibly positive and complimentary.
I remember one moment vividly: someone approached me and said, "That slide about Excel and WhatsApp having a baby—that’s the slide of the night!" Those interactions reinforced that we were on the right track.
What have been the biggest differences between scaling in the UK and Ireland versus the US?
That’s a great question. We’ve had our sights on the US from day one, and this past September marked Snapfix’s fifth anniversary. Earlier this year, we made the strategic decision to focus on building a local team in the US.
Over the years, I’ve spoken with many startups who scaled in the US, and a recurring theme is the challenges they faced: hiring the wrong person, poor communication between headquarters and the US team, and navigating time zone differences.
We took all of these learnings into consideration. One of our investors, Enterprise Ireland, was invaluable. They’ve supported thousands of startups and gave us critical advice: take your time to find the right person. We weren’t going to rush the hiring process just to meet a deadline.
To ensure success, we partnered with Hunt Club, an executive search firm that really stood out. Their process is incredibly thorough—they take the time to deeply understand your needs. I even spoke with their CEO, and it was clear they understood the weight of this decision. For startups, hiring the right person is essential, especially as the stakes grow after five years.
We gave ourselves plenty of time to find the right candidate, and within about two months, Hunt Club presented us with ten outstanding candidates. What surprised us even more was that all ten stayed in the process—they were seasoned executives who had scaled companies before and were eager for a new challenge with a product they saw real potential in. It became a two-way interview process, and we’re thrilled with the match we ultimately found. I’m delighted to say that Brett Robbins joined us as CEO in June 2024.
So, were you hiring for a CEO?
Yes, a CEO to scale the business. Since then, we’ve expanded aggressively. In addition to the CEO, we’ve added team members in marketing, sales, and partnerships in the US, while keeping our development and product teams in Ireland and India.
How is the US market responding compared to the UK and Ireland? What differences have you noticed?
First of all, the US is massive. We’re initially focusing on the East Coast because it’s easy to spread yourself too thin. For perspective, each state is bigger than Ireland, and some are even larger than the UK.
We’ve also had to adjust our language and terminology. For instance, "organisation" is spelt with a "z" in the US, and terms like "tasks" and "jobs" are often replaced with "work orders." Tailoring our message to align with local expectations has been crucial.
The response has been very encouraging. We’ve met customers who’ve said, “We’ve never seen anything like this before,” which is always great to hear. Marketing remains a challenge—it’s a vast market, and awareness is key—but once people see Snapfix, they quickly understand its value and often become customers very quickly.
Have there been any operational challenges in the US, apart from cultural differences like language or spelling?
Setting up operations in the US has gone smoothly overall, largely because some of our key investors are based there, and they’ve been a fantastic resource.
However, one area that stands out is the expectation of integration with other products. Larger US corporations often require seamless connections to their existing systems, such as property or business management platforms. This is coming up more frequently than we’ve seen in the UK or Ireland, especially as we target larger clients.
To address this, we’ve developed an open API that allows Snapfix to integrate easily with other platforms. This capability is becoming increasingly critical as we move upmarket and engage with more enterprise clients.
What’s also notable about US customers is how quickly they make decisions. Once they see the overwhelming value we offer and how simple our solution is, they’re often ready to move forward.
It sounds like you’re moving into a new phase of growth. Is that fair?
Absolutely. The first five years were all about the startup phase—building the product, understanding our market, and proving our value. Now we’re in the scale-up phase, and that comes with new challenges. We’re introducing processes to ensure we can support tenfold growth and maintain our high standards. It’s hard work, but it’s incredibly rewarding.
Any advice for startups looking to join a program like the PwC Scale Tech Programme?
Research the programme thoroughly. Speak to past participants and ensure the program is the right fit for your startup’s stage. For us, the timing was perfect—we already had a solid product and thousands of users.
Can you share a bit about your experience working with PwC as a customer?
To be honest, the entire experience was excellent. We had the opportunity to present Snapfix to several PwC teams, and the most positive aspect was how quickly they understood our value. They immediately appreciated the simplicity of our solution and how it enables teams to get things done efficiently.
What stood out to us was that the teams not only liked the tool but also recognized its significant potential for driving value within their operations.
From the outset, we knew that PwC, as a large organization, would have well-defined processes. We went through an initial trial period, which went extremely well, and then moved into a comprehensive due diligence process. Thankfully, we’ve navigated similar processes before with other corporates, so we were prepared. This involved addressing a range of technical questions, particularly around security, privacy, and GDPR compliance. Our CTO, Cathal Greaney, handled those discussions expertly.
Overall, the process was well-structured and gave us confidence that we were aligned with PwC’s expectations and requirements.
Startups are often known for their agility, whereas corporates, due to their size, can be slower-moving. How did you find working through PwC’s processes as a startup?
It’s important to understand upfront that large corporates have established processes, and those processes are often non-negotiable. Accepting that is key.
As a startup, you need to strike a balance between conversations that may take time to develop and those that lead to immediate outcomes. For example, with some smaller customers, we might have one phone call, and they’re ready to sign up right away. With corporates like PwC, the timeline is longer, but the potential rewards are greater.
The key is maintaining that balance and ensuring you’re managing both types of conversations effectively. While it’s different from the fast pace of startup sales, it’s rewarding when those longer-term discussions lead to strong partnerships.
What can large corporates do to better collaborate with fast-growing startups and scale-ups like yours? What steps could they take to drive innovation and improve partnerships with tech companies?
One thing I really value is when corporates have dedicated innovation departments. These teams actively seek out new technologies to support their business goals and add value to their operations. It’s encouraging to see corporates making innovation a priority, and I think having more of these departments across industries would be fantastic.
Secondly, programmes like the PwC Scale programme are incredibly impactful. They facilitate networking, introductions, and pitch opportunities between startups and corporates—many of whom wouldn’t otherwise encounter each other. This kind of structured engagement is invaluable for the startup ecosystem. It helps startups showcase their solutions while allowing corporates to discover innovative technologies that can drive their businesses forward.
What’s one piece of advice you’d share about running a startup?
Keep it simple. I’ve studied how Steve Jobs and Jony Ive approached product design at Apple. It’s all about ruthlessly eliminating anything unnecessary. Simplicity and clarity should always guide your decisions.
Finally, what challenges keep you up at night?
I often joke that my title should be "Chief Impatience Officer." With a solution that can benefit millions of buildings, the challenge is effectively spreading the word. It’s a marketing challenge, and we’re working hard to find that breakthrough moment.
If you want to hear more about opportunities to meet enterprise clients through GrowthBuilders run programmes, please contact stephen@growthbuilders.io
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