From Liverpool graduate to entrepreneur: The story behind FLOWN's success

Posted on: 21 October 2024 in 2024

We recently caught up with Tom Allin (BSc Computer Information Systems, 2008), who co-founded the virtual co-working platform, FLOWN, after graduating from the University of Liverpool. Tom shares his journey of navigating career choices, the challenges he faced transitioning into the business world, and the experiences that shaped his entrepreneurial mindset.

In this insightful Q&A, Tom reflects on how his time at the University influenced his career, the inspiration behind FLOWN, and the key lessons learned along the way.

For anyone dreaming of starting their own business, Tom shares practical advice and inspiring reflections on seizing opportunities, embracing learning curves, and building a company with purpose. Here's his journey from university to becoming a co-founder of a business that’s making waves worldwide.

Can you share a bit about your journey from being a student at the University of Liverpool to founding FLOWN? What inspired you to make the leap into entrepreneurship?

I studied Computer Information Systems and, while I enjoyed the course, I did not feel that connected to the careers paths that many of my peers were exploring. Everyone was looking for more technical roles, typically as software engineers. 

I did not know exactly what I wanted to do with my degree, but I did know that I wanted to apply the foundational technical and logical principles to a career that played to my strengths in people skills and communication.

What challenges did you face when transitioning from academia to the business world? How did your time at Liverpool prepare you for these challenges?

The biggest challenge I faced transitioning into the working world after University was understanding the types of roles that could be available to me, and what those roles would entail in practicality. With 20/20 hindsight I wish I had made more use of available resources like the Careers & Employability service or spent more time getting feedback from lecturers and academics about potential future routes.

Upon reflection the thing that helped me most was the flexibility Liverpool offered around how to complete my final year. Instead of a traditional dissertation I opted to do a project that required me to design and build a working software system for a real company.

This more practical option suited me and taught me the realities of working with a client, building something to their specification and taking on board their feedback. The fact that Liverpool provided me this option, connected me with various potential companies, and then supported me through that process was invaluable.

FLOWN has been rapidly gaining traction, especially among academics worldwide. How did the idea for FLOWN originate, and what has been the biggest factor in its growth?

I can’t take credit for the idea of FLOWN that credit belongs to my partner and our CEO, Alicia Navarro. Alicia and I have worked together previously, in fact she was the first person to hire me into a ‘proper job’ after university; she has been hugely influential to my career. 

Alicia is bold and creative and cares deeply about the products and businesses she builds. FLOWN has grown, largely, because of her and our genuine, well-intentioned, purpose to help people improve their lives. We obsess about creating an experience that is highly effective at delivering the benefit it is intended to deliver but is also, at its core, human, fun and delightful to use. (We use that word – delight – a lot. It’s incredibly satisfying to take features that are often mundane in other services and add sparkle and humanity to them).

What were some key moments in your journey that shaped the direction of FLOWN? Were there any turning points that made you realize you were onto something big?

We’re still a young company and the brilliant thing about this stage is that we are still experiencing new and exciting moments that motivate us and show us how much opportunity there is ahead of us. 

One particular moment, that seems very obvious and simple now, was the launch of our Trustpilot reviews page. Previously we had collected reviews and feedback internally and whilst we could see that FLOWN was having a huge and important impact on members lives, we sometimes struggled to communicate this effectively externally.

Moving our reviews Trustpilot automated the collection process and gives those reviews a public and verified home. We’re incredibly proud of how our members talk about FLOWN - be sure to check them out.

FLOWN is making waves in academic circles. What do you see as the future of FLOWN, and how do you envision it evolving in the coming years?

FLOWN is hugely popular in academic circles. We have members from over 300 Universities around the world on the platform already. Having a healthy, positive relationship with your focus and work is important in any walk of life but academia requires a lot of self-directed work and discipline. FLOWN is a brilliant boost for people wanting support in this area. 

We’re especially excited to be collaborating with more teams, communities, and academic institutions directly. With these partnerships we are helping organisations by providing both a tool and cultural blueprint that encourages healthy productivity and mitigates many of the problems that come from an always on, notification heavy, modern working culture.

What would it mean to you to see Liverpool students and academics using your platform?

We already have many members from Liverpool on the platform and it always makes me smile to see a new user with a Liverpool email address sign-up.

As an entrepreneur, what are some key lessons you've learned along the way that you wish you knew when you first started your career?

That being persuasive is a lot easier when you’ve spent more time listening than you have talking, and that perfection is the enemy of good. Give yourself permission to get things wrong and solve problems along the way rather than hypothesising about what may or may not happen.

What advice would you give to current students or recent graduates from the University of Liverpool who are looking to start their own business?

One thing that I did not realise till much later was the importance of just “getting started”. Rarely will the idea, product, or service that you start with be the one that gets real interest or traction in the market… but starting with something, learning as you go and iterating as you engage with clients is the best way to build something of value. If you don’t get going and always wait for the perfect idea, none of this will happen.

Thank you to Tom for candidly sharing his journey from a University of Liverpool graduate to co-founding FLOWN. His story is a testament to the power of adaptability, persistence, and following an unconventional path.

For current students and recent graduates, Tom’s experience offers valuable insights: don’t wait for the perfect idea – get started, embrace the learning process, and give yourself permission to evolve. As FLOWN continues to grow and impact lives, Tom’s advice and entrepreneurial spirit serve as an inspiration for anyone looking to carve out their own path in the business world.