Language Strategy for SaaS Startups Expanding Globally: The Atypical Journey of Livestorm

In the fast-paced world of tech startups, few stories are as compelling as Livestorm's evolution from a college project to a global webinar platform powerhouse. This remarkable journey showcases how language strategy and an adaptive approach to growth can propel a small company into international markets, even when facing unexpected challenges and opportunities.

Livestorm's Inspiring Journey: From College Project to Global Player

Livestorm's story begins not in a high-tech incubator or with massive venture funding, but as a final exam project. For CEO and co-founder Gilles Bertaux, what started as an academic endeavor quickly transformed into his first (and so far only) professional role. The transition from student to entrepreneur wasn't without challenges, but the invaluable learning curve shaped the company's future.

"It's been a long journey with ups and downs, but a really good learning path for me," Gilles reflects. The company's growth trajectory speaks volumes about this learning process. From its modest beginnings, Livestorm has achieved impressive milestones, including securing eight-figure deals and expanding its team to over 100 members.

What makes this growth particularly noteworthy is how organic it was. Rather than following the typical startup playbook of aggressive expansion, Livestorm's development happened naturally. The company responded to market needs and opportunities as they arose.

What’s the Best Language Strategy for SaaS Startups Expanding Globally?

Now, let's discuss language strategy. It's crucial to note that a standard playbook does not exist. Each B2B SaaS company serious about international expansion should invest in market research. This research investigates the potential of each market they're interested in, allowing decisions to be based on data rather than assumptions. Such an approach helps allocate resources confidently, avoiding underinvestment in promising markets or wasting capital in those with little potential.

Unlike many startups that aim for rapid expansion right from the start, Livestorm embraced a different philosophy. The company consciously maintained lean operations, prioritizing a self-service model that emphasized organic growth without the overhead of a dedicated sales team. In a recent blog article, Vincent Jong indicated this as one of the best strategies for B2B SaaS companies that are expanding internationally. A self-service model allows startups to gather real-world data to validate product-market fit before hiring local teams.

Livestorm, however, navigated differently. Perhaps their most strategic early decision was adopting English as their primary language, despite the company's French origins. This choice wasn't merely about communication; it was a calculated business move that positioned Livestorm as a global player from the start.

"80% of our customer base was actually from outside of France, most of them in North America," Gilles notes. This language strategy effectively shifted the focus away from Livestorm's European roots, allowing the company to penetrate English-speaking markets more easily. Many customers assumed Livestorm was a US-based company. This perception removed potential barriers to adoption, which European startups sometimes face when entering the American market.

Such examples show how language can be more than a communication tool; it can be a powerful element of brand positioning and market strategy. By choosing English, Livestorm wasn't just speaking to more potential customers; it was reshaping perceptions about its identity and capabilities.

Scaling Up and Embracing Change

While the value of careful planning is crucial, it's equally important to remain flexible and adaptable in the dynamic SaaS industry. Even the best-laid plans sometimes take unexpected turns, as Livestorm experienced. Despite intentions to maintain a manageable operation, the company found itself on an accelerated growth trajectory during the COVID-19 pandemic.

As businesses pivoted to remote operations, demand for webinar and video meeting solutions skyrocketed. "We experienced an 8x growth in less than a year," Gilles explains. This sudden spotlight brought widespread recognition but also revealed Livestorm's true origins to the market. Customers began to realize that this seemingly American platform was actually a French company, shifting market perceptions back toward its European roots.

This period of hypergrowth presented both opportunities and challenges. While increased demand was welcome, it necessitated rapid scaling of operations and a reevaluation of Livestorm's language strategy in a broader context. As Livestorm expanded, it became clear that catering exclusively to English-speaking customers would limit potential growth in other significant markets.

Localization: A Turn Towards Customer-Driven Translation

Faced with the demand for rapid expansion, Livestorm developed an innovative approach, turning its user base into active participants in their localization process.

"We opened up our translation tool, gave access to our customers, and offered them a discount in exchange for their translation efforts," Gilles shares. This crowdsourced approach to localization accomplished several goals simultaneously:

1. It accelerated the addition of new languages to the platform.

2. It ensured translations reflected actual terminology users preferred.

3. It deepened customer engagement and loyalty.

4. It reduced costs compared to traditional translation services.

   
   

This strategy enabled Livestorm to quickly add multiple new languages to the platform, addressing diverse consumer needs efficiently. The approach also created a sense of community ownership, as users directly contributed to making the platform more accessible in their native languages.

Lessons Learned and Future Directions

In the B2B SaaS space, founders and CEOs often face unexpected challenges. This is common in an industry characterized by rapid growth, where small teams handle many different roles and conflicting priorities.

Reflecting on Livestorm's initial language strategy, Gilles admits that for future endeavors, he would opt for stricter language controls.

Such reflections highlight an important lesson: while adding languages can expand market reach, it can also introduce complexity and maintenance requirements. This issue worsens when localization is treated as a last-minute request for high-value customers. Each supported language can multiply the effort needed for updates, customer support, and marketing materials.

Conversely, when approached strategically and integrated into business processes from early stages, localization becomes a substantial growth lever. This insight underscores the importance of considering language strategy as a business decision rather than merely a technical or marketing consideration.

The Advent of AI and Future Directions

As Livestorm continues to evolve, artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a transformative technology for addressing language barriers. Gilles sees significant potential for AI in improving operations, particularly in automatic translations and customer engagement.

Recent advancements in AI-powered translation have revolutionized how webinar participants with different linguistic backgrounds can interact. Real-time translation during live events enhances accessibility and user experience across languages, a capability that continues to improve as the underlying AI technology evolves.

"AI technologies have made it possible to conduct truly multilingual webinars where participants can each engage in their preferred language," notes Gilles. "This removes a major barrier to global communication and opens up new opportunities for international collaboration."

Looking ahead, Livestorm explores how AI can streamline localization, potentially automating initial translation processes while still allowing for human refinement.

This hybrid approach could combine the efficiency of AI-powered translation with the nuance and cultural awareness that only human translators provide.

Conclusion

Livestorm's journey from a college project to a multilingual platform serving customers worldwide is a fascinating study in startup evolution, as well as a valuable example of effective language strategy for SaaS startups expanding globally.

For other startups with global ambitions, Livestorm's experience demonstrates how language choices can shape market perception, influence customer acquisition, and either simplify or complicate operations as a company scales.

As digital businesses continue to operate in an increasingly borderless world, the ability to communicate effectively across languages and cultures is not just a nice-to-have feature; it is a competitive necessity. With the right strategy and tools, language differences need not be barriers to growth but can instead become opportunities for meaningful connections with customers around the world. At Undertow, we’re committed to helping B2B SaaS startups navigate the complexities of localization. This will enable them to set up effective processes early on, allowing for efficient scaling and leveraging localization as a growth engine. Get in touch to learn more about what we can do to help you untangle your localization operations.