Des Traynor

Des Traynor is the Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Intercom, a leading customer communications platform designed to enhance customer relationships. He has played a pivotal role in the company's development since its inception in 2011, overseeing various teams, including Product, Marketing, Customer Support, and Content. Currently, he leads the Research and Development (R&D) team, which operates from offices in Dublin and London.14

Before founding Intercom, Traynor was a user experience (UX) consultant and a university lecturer in computer science. He also engaged in Ph.D. research focused on improving computer science education. Additionally, he co-founded Exceptional, a company that was later acquired by Rackspace.13

Traynor is recognized for his insights on startup growth, product strategy, and the importance of customer feedback in achieving product-market fit. Under his leadership, Intercom has grown to serve over 30,000 customers and has raised substantial funding, reflecting its significant impact on the customer engagement landscape.24 He is also an active angel investor, supporting various startups in the tech industry, including notable companies like Stripe and Notion.12