The Growth Story of Treatwell: Culture, Supply, and a Costly Negotiation | Lopo Champalimaud

What happens when you build a company on trust instead of control?

Lopo Champalimaud, founder and former CEO of Treatwell, shares how empowering people to lead — not just follow — turned a chaotic startup into Europe’s leading beauty booking platform.

In this episode of Frames of Tech, host Giorgio Ponticelli explores Treatwell’s evolution from early pivots to hyper-growth, how “Hire captains, not soldiers” became a leadership philosophy, and why ownership culture still matters more than ever.

Lopo also reflects on his move from operator to investor at V3 Ventures, what he looks for in founders, and why autonomy, trust, and clarity of purpose define the best teams.

📌 Topics covered:

Treatwell’s early pivots and the chaos of startup life
The turning point: building software to scale the marketplace
Trust, disintermediation, and redefining partnerships
“Hire adults, treat them like adults” – a culture of ownership
The human side of leadership and why autonomy beats hierarchy
Lessons from scaling, exiting, and backing new founders

Chapters:
00:00 Intro
02:12 The Treatwell story - the idea, the pivots, and early learnings
08:49 The mechanics driving disintermediation in marketplaces
13:40 How AI is reshaping marketplaces and disintermediation
16:20 Why marketplaces won't be replaced by AI anytime soon
17:55 Trust & Relationships - the foundation of every marketplace
20:47 Why focusing on people is crucial to business success
23:46 Hire "Captains", not "Soldiers
27:15 "Hire & Fire" vs. "Freedom & Responsability"
33:32 How a Founder's role changes as the company scales
39:40 Why the 2015 Exit wasn't the end of the journey
41:42 What Lopo looks for in founders at V3 Ventures
45:35 From Founder to Investor - the mindset shift required
48:21 "I was negotiating against myself" how an early lesson shaped Lopo's journey

🎧 Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts
https://open.spotify.com/show/2nYBhac...
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