Listen Here

| |

Conversation
Highlights

 

Welcome to another episode of Category Visionaries — the show that explores GTM stories from the tech’s most innovative B2B founders. In today’s episode, we’re speaking with Luca Zambello, CEO and founder of Jurny, a hospitality tech startup that has raised over 12 million in funding. Join us as we dive into Luca’s path from promoting clubs in LA to revolutionizing the hospitality industry with an all-in-one technology platform designed to streamline operations and enhance the guest experience. Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:

  • Entrepreneurial Journey: Luca’s entrepreneurial spirit took him from Italy to the US, where he stumbled into the hospitality industry, illustrating the importance of being open to unexpected opportunities.
  • Initial Success: Luca’s early venture into luxury villa rentals for events led to significant success, showcasing his ability to identify and fill market gaps with innovative solutions.
  • Tech Stack Development: The creation of Jurny’s technology platform addressed a major gap in the hospitality industry, offering a comprehensive solution where previously none existed, underscoring the importance of innovation in scaling operations.
  • Management Operating System (MOS): Jurny’s shift from a traditional Property Management System (PMS) to a Management Operating System (MOS) represents a significant leap forward in hospitality management technology.
  • Technology Adoption in Hospitality: Luca highlights the slow adoption of technology within the hospitality industry, particularly among hotels, and the opportunity for disruption.
  • Vision for the Future: Luca envisions a future where mobile technology simplifies and enhances the guest experience, making traditional check-ins obsolete and automating operations.
  • The Role of Reliable Technology: The discussion emphasizes the critical importance of reliability in technology adoption, especially in guest-facing applications, to avoid compromising the guest experience.

Actionable
Takeaways

Seize Unforeseen Opportunities:

Luca's transition from club promotions to luxury villa rentals highlights the value of seizing unforeseen opportunities. Entrepreneurs should remain open to new avenues, as unexpected paths can lead to substantial success.

Fill Market Gaps with Innovation:

The creation of a landing page that generated significant revenue showcases the power of identifying and filling market gaps with simple, innovative solutions. Startups should focus on solving clear market needs that are currently unaddressed or poorly served.

Develop a Comprehensive Tech Stack:

Luca's development of Jurny’s comprehensive technology platform underscores the importance of creating solutions that address industry-wide pain points. Startups should aim to build or utilize integrated tech stacks that streamline operations and enhance user experiences.

Embrace and Drive Technological Adoption:

Highlighting the hospitality industry's slow tech adoption, Luca’s journey with Jurny exemplifies the potential to disrupt traditional industries with technology. Entrepreneurs should not only embrace technology but also drive its adoption within their target markets.

Prioritize Reliability in Technology:

The emphasis on reliable technology for guest-facing applications teaches that the success of a tech solution heavily relies on its dependability. Startups should ensure their products are reliable to avoid negatively impacting the user experience.

Recommended Founder
Interviews

Biju Ashokan

CEO of Radius Agent

Biju Ashokan, CEO of Radius Agent: $19 Million Raised to Power the The Real Estate Agent of the Future

Tim Quirk

Co-Founder & Chief Strategy Officer of Final Offer

Tim Quirk, Co-Founder & Chief Strategy Officer at Final Offer: $11 Million Raised to Build the Future of Real Estate Negotiation

William Sankey

CEO and Head of Product, Co-Founder of Northspyre

William Sankey, CEO and Head of Product, Co-Founder of Northspyre: Over $32 Million Raised to Revolutionize Real Estate with Proactive Intelligence

Jon DeWald

Jon DeWald of CEO and Co-Founder

Jon DeWald, CEO and Co-Founder of HELIXIntel: $17.6 Million Raised to Build the Future of Building Management

Marc Minor

CEO & Co-Founder of Higharc

Marc Minor, CEO & Co-Founder of Higharc: $80 Million Raised to Build the Home Building Cloud Category

Steve Berneman

CEO and Co-Founder of Blueprint Title

Steve Berneman, CEO of Blueprint Title: $24 Million Raised to Build the Future of Title Insurance Management

Michael Brown

CEO of Skyline Robotics

Michael Brown, CEO of Skyline Robotics: $10 Million Raised to Bring Automation to High-Rise Window Cleaning

Justin Miller

CEO of Showplace

Justin Miller, CEO of Showplace: $2 Million Raised to Build a New Category of Tools For the Vacation Rental Management Market

Jonathan Sukhia

CEO and Co-Founder of Topkey

Jonathan Sukhia, CEO & Co-Founder of Topkey: $7 Million Raised to Build the Future of Financial Management for Short-Term Rentals

Snorre Jordheim Myhre

CEO and Founder of Plaace

Snorre Jordheim Myhre, CEO & Founder of Plaace: $6 Million Raised to Build the Future of Location Intelligence

Cameron Steele

CEO and Co-Founder of Prophia

Cameron Steele, CEO & Co-Founder of Prophia: $16 Million Raised to Power the Future of CRE Data Management

Geert Van Kerckhoven

CEO & Co-Founder of Oper

Geert Van Kerckhoven, CEO & Co-Founder of Oper: $15 Million Raised to Build the Future of Mortgage Tech Across Europe

Etrit Demaj

Co-Founder of KODE Labs

Etrit Demaj, Co-Founder of KODE Labs: $38 Million Raised to Reimagine the Building Experience

Christelle Rohaut

CEO of Codi

Christelle Rohaut, CEO of Codi: $23 Million Raised to Power the Future of Modern Workspace Solutions

Robert Kozikowski

Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer of Tensorflight

Robert Kozikowski, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer of Tensorflight: $7 Million Raised to Build the Future of Commercial Property Inspections

Ned Hill

CEO and Founder of Position Imaging

Ned Hill, CEO and Founder of Position Imaging: $75 Million Raised for Revolutionary Package Management and Asset Tracking

Joonas Ahola

CEO and Founder of MeetingPackage

Joonas Ahola, CEO and Founder of MeetingPackage: $8 Million Raised to Transform Venue Management

Matt Giffune

Co-Founder of Occupier

Matt Giffune, Co-Founder at Occupier: $16 Million Raised to Build the Future of Tenant Lease Management

Humphrey Bowles

CEO and Founder of Superhog

Humphrey Bowles, CEO & Founder of Superhog: $7 Million Raised to Power the Future of the Vacation Rental Industry