Exactly 12 years ago, Waze got snapped up by Google for $1.1B. What most folks don’t know is that just months before, we didn’t know if Waze would even make it. A huge shadow hung over us: Apple was about to drop Apple Maps, a navigation app built right into every iPhone. We were a small startup. They were Apple. What were our odds? Apple’s stuff is legendary, elegant, polished, and instantly loved. If they nailed maps, we were toast. I was leading Data, Maps, and Quality at Waze, in charge of making sure our maps rocked. We worked nonstop, focusing hard on real-time user data to drive our algorithms. Unlike old-school maps, Waze leaned on our community, with map editors and drivers sharing live updates on traffic, hazards, and road changes. That was our secret weapon. By September 2012, we’d built the world’s best turn-by-turn navigation for real-time accuracy. Then Apple Maps hit. It looked gorgeous, but the navigation was shaky. Roads were wrong, directions flopped, and people noticed. A few days later, something wild happened. On September 28, 2012, Tim Cook issued a public apology and suggested some alternatives, including Waze. We were stunned. Overnight, our new sign-ups tripled. We didn’t just hang on. We outdid Apple where it counted: quality. That moment changed it all. It kicked off an acquisition frenzy, and months later, we joined Google. We’ve celebrated September 28 as “Tim Cook Day” ever since. My take? Startups live or die by their unique edge. Hype’s noisy, but quality lasts. Find what your competition misses, like our real-time, community-driven accuracy, and build it better than anyone. The market’ll find you. Below’s a pic of my amazing Waze team, the BIMQA crew. I’m forever grateful to have shared this ride with them.
About us
At LoopBridge, we turn your customer interactions into your most powerful business insights. Every customer call, meeting, or chat contains critical clues to understanding their true needs, preferences, and challenges. Yet, extracting actionable insights from this messy data has traditionally been a daunting task, leaving valuable intelligence untapped. LoopBridge solves this by harnessing advanced AI to act as your tireless business analyst, effortlessly diving deep into vast streams of customer data. Seamlessly integrated with your favorite Go-To-Market tools, LoopBridge proactively delivers clear, precise answers to your most pressing questions: Why are customers not renewing or expanding contracts? Which features are mission-critical versus simply nice-to-have? Where is your onboarding process stalling? Which customers are prime candidates for your next big feature—and why? Which high-value accounts are quietly heading toward churn? With LoopBridge, eliminate guesswork and navigate your business confidently using accurate, data-driven insights.
- Website
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https://loopbridge.ai
External link for LoopBridge
- Industry
- Software Development
- Company size
- 2-10 employees
- Type
- Privately Held
- Founded
- 2023