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Sarosh Waghmar, the founder of Spotnana, shares his origin story and the journey of building a travel as a service platform. He started as a consultant and became obsessed with frequent flyer miles, which led him to launch a Yahoo News group called Spotnana. He then started Spotnana as a business class discounted travel agency and eventually pivoted to building a platform for the travel industry. The goal is to provide trust, transparency, and a seamless travel experience by rebuilding the legacy infrastructure of the industry. The platform is open to corporations, travel management companies, and other technology companies to use and build upon. Spotnana is focused on building a platform that enhances the travel experience through AI and cloud technologies. They prioritize improving service and support for business travelers, providing a companion throughout their journey. The goal is to create a seamless and proactive user experience, offering real-time information and options to travelers. Spotnana aims to be a platform company, connecting all stakeholders in the travel industry and revolutionizing the distribution of prices and content. They believe in the importance of trust and putting customers first. Scaling challenges are managed through ruthless prioritization and staying true to values and principles. The future of travel includes AI-driven support, enhanced user experiences, and a focus on creating trust and value for customers.
Takeaways
Sarosh Waghmar started in the travel industry by launching a Yahoo News group called Spotnana to share tips on maximizing frequent flyer miles.
He then founded Spotnana as a business class discounted travel agency and later pivoted to building a platform for the travel industry.
The platform aims to provide trust, transparency, and a seamless travel experience by rebuilding the legacy infrastructure of the industry.
Spotnana's platform is open to corporations, travel management companies, and other technology companies to use and build upon. Spotnana is focused on enhancing the travel experience through AI and cloud technologies.
They prioritize improving service and support for business travelers, providing a seamless and proactive user experience.
Spotnana aims to be a platform company, revolutionizing the distribution of prices and content in the travel industry.
Scaling challenges are managed through ruthless prioritization and staying true to values and principles.
The future of travel includes AI-driven support, enhanced user experiences, and a focus on creating trust and value for customers.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Sarosh Waghmar and Spotnana
01:05 Sarosh's Journey and Obsession with Frequent Flyer Miles
05:02 Transitioning from a Service-Driven Company to a Technology Company
07:43 Challenges in the Travel Industry and the Need for Trust and Transparency
09:46 Spotnana's Platform and its Users
12:10 Travel as a Service and Spotnana's Vision
15:25 Building a Platform and Enabling Innovation in the Travel Industry
20:15 Spotnana's Role as a Travel Agency and Technology Company
22:33 Balancing Innovation and Jeopardizing the Core Business
24:11 Leveraging AI and Cloud Technologies to Enhance the Travel Experience
26:37 The Importance of Being Proactive in Travel Support
29:22 Managing Scaling Challenges and Staying True to Values
31:53 Fostering a Culture of Innovation and Balancing Immediate Priorities
33:05 Spotnana's Vision and Focus on Building the Platform
34:39 Challenges of Hiring and Building a Team during Industry Shutdown
37:05 The Future of Travel: AI, Enhanced User Experiences, and Trust
40:02 Lessons Learned and the Journey Ahead
Guest’s Website: https://www.spotnana.com/
Guest’s Social Media Links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/swaghmar/
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