CEO and Founder of Life360, Chris Hulls, on Navigating Business and Safety for Families During a Global Pandemic

Chris Hulls, CEO and Founder of Life360 tells us how the platform brings families closer with smart features designed to protect and connect the people who matter most.

First of all, how are you and how are your family doing in these times of COVID-19?

 Chris Hulls: Thank you for asking; I am extremely grateful my family and loved ones have stayed safe and healthy throughout the pandemic. Our hearts go out to all those who have struggled or lost a loved one during these difficult times. 

Tell us about yourself, your career and how you started Life360.

Chris Hulls: I started Life360 over a decade ago after Hurricane Katrina to help families reconnect after major disasters, and family safety remains our North Star. Life360 has since become the leading safety and coordination service for families across the globe, offering smart features designed to protect and connect the people closest to us. 

How is Life360 innovating?

 Chris Hulls: We prioritize the safety of our members, and we’ve learned over time that family safety is much more than just physical security; our users need emotional reassurance about the well-being of their loved ones. With that in mind, we’ve created a unique safety brand that allows families to roam safely, giving parents the peace of mind they need to give their kids more independence. Although the pandemic has presented complex challenges, Life360 has consistently met the changing needs of today’s modern families by providing improved and relevant safety tools. In addition to our leading location sharing and driving safety technologies (e.g. Crash Detection), just last year, we launched the first-ever family safety membership plan with an array of on-demand safety features, including Family Safety Assist for 24/7 access to professional help in emergencies, Identity Theft Protection to safeguard the digital lives of families. SOS Help Alert, a one-button safety and emergency feature that helps members when feeling unsafe or experiencing an emergency. 

How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected your business, and how are you dealing with this crisis?

Chris Hulls: While our business was impacted early on in the pandemic, we have recovered fairly quickly, and business has been growing ever since. We’ve been able to maintain stability throughout this period and have adapted well with sustained organic growth. We shifted to remote work early on, which has given all of us the opportunity to get to know each other better through meeting teammates’ spouses, kids, and dogs. This new digital-first environment has provided a level of personalization that we wouldn’t have had otherwise, and that has been an unexpected benefit. 

Families’ needs changed radically when the pandemic hit and we wanted to help ease families’ concerns however we could. We believe our newly developed membership plans with new features like medical assistance and ID Theft Protection will do just that. As we all transition back into the world post-COVID, we hope that newer features like these allow families to come out even stronger and more connected than before. 

Did you have to make any tough choices, and what are the lessons learned?

Chris Hulls: Since the pandemic, we have learned that people are resilient. As challenging as the past year has been, we were able to come together and make the necessary adjustments as a company. Losing face time with teammates can be difficult, but we’ve found new and innovative ways to foster our relationships with each other and run business just as smoothly as before, allowing our team to remain safe and connected from the comfort of their homes.

How do you deal with stress and anxiety during this time, and how do you and your business see yourself in the future?

Chris Hulls: Stress and anxiety have impacted nearly everyone during this time, but I’m proud that our organization was able to relieve work-related stressors by adjusting to this new normal quickly. In the future, we will continue to come together and make efforts to encourage a work-life balance, so every employee feels valued and respected. We will also continue to innovate as the needs of today’s modern families evolve, ensuring that all families feel safe no matter where they are. 

Who are your competitors, and how do you plan to do well?

Chris Hulls: Life360’s deep expertise on the needs of the modern family is unmatched – no other family safety platform offers the same combination of tools and features that make Life360 so special. We have ambitious goals to own the entire safety ecosystem and ultimately rethink how safety is delivered to families. Our unique approach to family safety has landed some big wins for our team over the past year. Earlier last year, we went public on the ASX and were added to the S&P/ASX 300 Index earlier this month. We now have over 26 million members located in 195 countries across the globe using Life360 to keep those they care about the most – their families – safe and connected. We are committed to continuously supporting families dealing with new teen drivers, kids surfing the web, growing online profiles, travelling family members, and so much more.

A final word?

Chris Hulls: I’m extremely proud of how Life360 has evolved. We are a modern solution for today’s digitally native families, and we don’t shy away from the change that accompanies family life. The modern family operates in a fast-paced and digital environment, and we’ve been working hard to keep up with our users. We’re always taking proactive steps via partnerships, resources, and communication plans to ensure responsible technology practices in this increasingly digital world.

Additionally, our technology saves lives. Our Crash Detection feature dispatches on average 1,000 ambulances a month, and our SOS feature is a lifesaver for people stuck in uncomfortable situations. We’ve included a few links below that show a range of scenarios of how Life360’s Crash Detection and location sharing has assisted in timely rescues. 

Life360 Member Story: How David Used Life360 to Rescue His Injured Son

Life360 Member Story: How Life360 Helped Rescue Two Teenagers

Washington Post: A teenager didn’t come home. An iPhone app led her mother to a ravine.

Fox 10 TV: 4 Rescued as Boat Capsizes

Your website?

https://www.life360.com/