Caroline Shin

I have to wonder if the CDN government would ever look out for customers in this way. The rewards programs of the four largest US air carriers are being probed by the US government as it seeks to understand how consumers “are impacted by the devaluation of earned rewards, hidden or dynamic pricing, extra fees and reduced competition and choice.” The probe would be the first extensive government look at the programs that have expanded to produce billions of dollars for airlines annually—in some cases adding more revenue than flight operations. Federal regulators could demand changes that might disrupt these profit centers for both carriers and credit-card issuers, and remove a travel option highly valued by consumers.

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Alex Dichter provided a great overview at the Thayer Ventures Annual Meeting recently about how the industry has evolved over the past 24 years. See below. In 1999, $1B- was made by Delta Air Lines 4% - was the net profit margin in the airline industry 14 - was the average yield per mile for a paid ticket $20M - was the amount one client paid Digitas North America for a CRM 20% - of travelers were willing to spend extra for add-ons 59% - of Americans worried about Y2K $80 - was the average lodging daily rate 184 - was the number of Hyatt hotels in the world In 2023, $5B - was made by Delta Air Lines 3% - was the net profit margin in the airline industry 20 - was the average yield per passenger $0 - is the amount Delta Air Lines paid for personalization directly 53% - of travelers willing to splurge for better experiences 54% - concerned about climate change $155 - is the average daily rate 1376 - was the number of Hyatt hotels in the world Highlighting that: The #airline business is tough and always will be, and the #hotel business is better. Travelers are voting with their feet - they want to transact online and serve themselves and the companies need to get out of their own way to make it easier to do so. Most of the technology to solve the problems in these industries already exist and have been here for years. It's always about people in this industry. #LegendsTravel #ZeroPartyData #TravelDNA #LegendsTravelDNA Legends

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Looking forward to discussing how changing demographics and culture norms are affecting investment opportunities in longevity, health and well-being at The Care Summit today Alongside Cake Ventures' Monique Woodard, Ziegler's Dan Hermann, Oak HC/FT's Billy Deitch and JPMorgan Chase & Co.'s Jennifer Edwards, we’ll dive into the trends shaping how we are investing in the space: - Last year marked one of the most significant social and economic moments in modern times: The number of older adults—those aged 50 and over- surpassed the number of children under the age of 15 for the first time. - In 2020 the 50 plus population contributed $45 trillion to global GDP, or 34% of the total. That equates to about 3x the revenue of the world’s 100 highest- earning companies in 2020. - The U.S. population grew by 24.5 million from 2010 to 2022, and Hispanics accounted for 53% of this increase – a greater share than any other racial or ethnic group. - Women around the world and across all ages drive 64% of consumer spending

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🚀 Attended an incredible conference yesterday by Scale Venture Partners yesterday at the The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. in San Francisco. with Craig Rosenberg and too many friends to tag here. With 150 senior leaders in the tech GTM space, it was an amazing opportunity to dive deep into Go-To-Market Strategy and execution for tech companies. Also great to get back to LIVE events after way too much screen time. Especially interesting was a presentation by Scale VC's on the current effects of the macro economy on the start-up ecosystem. Short answer- it's brutal out there. You can play around with the benchmarks here https://lnkd.in/gme76SR2 The main themes of the conference we're going back to the GTM basics - the hard work of GTM after too many years of a ZIRP environment. People forgot how hard this sh%t really is: 🔍 Ideal Customer Profile Development 🧑‍🔬 Persona Research (Voice of the Customer) 💡 Pain Point Research 🖇 Alignment of silos (really? still in 2024 jeez) 🗣 Messaging (hint lay off the AI and leave your house) 📈 Sales Technology hot tools, and tech debt/bloat- we list all the tools here https://tenbound.com/ 🔧 Revenue Operations as strategic driver- your navigator in this changing world. These topics are the cornerstone of successful GTM strategies [and align perfectly with the services and insights we offer at Tenbound. call me if you struggle with any of these] The conference was a powerful reminder of the importance of a well-crafted GTM strategy in achieving success. You can't just wing it in this environment. #GTM #TechConference #SalesTech #RevenueOperations #Tenbound #IdealCustomerProfile #PersonaResearch #SalesStrategy #TechLeadership #GoToMarket

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https://lnkd.in/en6i2WN3 One classic piece of startup advice is to work at bigger companies for just long enough to identify the pain points, figure out if those pain points generalize to other companies, and, if so, build a product that solves them. But from the company's perspective, this is an economic inefficiency—their most ambitious employees are engaged in a heist, and it's a heist of intellectual property the company didn't know it had! As companies look at how much of their expenses comes from various SaaS bills, they've come to the same conclusion in the opposite direction: solve their problems in a scalable way, and they've probably built the basics of a scalable company. This is all very high-level and theoretical, but it is actually happening: Alaska Airlines has a startup incubator, and it's just spun out its first company, which is now spinning off. The true function of a company is to aggregate information and align incentives, and this is an instance of both.

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In 2013, Lori Torres felt an undeniable spark when she conceived the idea for Parcel Pending, a smart locker solution designed to tackle the package crisis in apartment buildings. Despite being the primary breadwinner in her family with a thriving real estate career, she took a monumental risk. She left her secure job, sold the family’s cherished home, and even persuaded her mother to risk her property for a loan. Within a year of these sacrifices, Lori had developed her first smart lockers. Her innovation soon caught on, with her lockers becoming a key solution for property management companies and residents. By the end of 2014, Lori’s commitment had not only secured her first major order but also attracted investors, setting the stage for tremendous growth. Within six years, Parcel Pending was sold for $100 million, turning her mother’s loan into a $1 million return and ensuring her family's future. Lori’s story highlights a key lesson for anyone seeking investors: truly committing to your vision can make a world of difference. By investing your own resources and security, you show investors just how dedicated you are to your idea. When you put everything on the line, it not only proves your commitment but also makes a strong case to potential backers. If you’re all in, it’s far easier to convince others to believe in your dream, and it could be the turning point in making it a reality. Are you prepared to go all in on your entrepreneurial dreams? Grab a copy of my book, “Thinking Bigger”, at the link below to read my personal experience chasing my dream and the advice I would share to anyone starting today. https://lnkd.in/dZpQYX6D #Entrepreneurship #WomenInBusiness #Startups #Investment #ThinkBigger

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It was an awesome time in Portland representing MintPass with Melissa Leventhal at TravelCon! 🙌 Here are a few takeaways after 3 days of chatting with travel creators of all kinds ⬇ ⬇ ⬇ 1️⃣ Making it as a startup travel creator is TOUGH 😓 And why wouldn’t it be? Getting paid to travel the world is the dream. The reality is that platforms are now saturated with this content vertical, and it’s becoming more and more difficult to separate oneself such to break through the noise and grow a following. 2️⃣ The game is skewed toward those who have already made it 🏆 The travel creator landscape is quite top-heavy heavy where those who were there early to build an audience continue to do well with guaranteed brand deals. Smaller creators long for unique, alternative tools to even the playing field and aid in community growth outside of the usual social platform algo hacking. 3️⃣ The new way to get attention is to niche down 🔎 Less is more in community growth when your community is hyper-focused on a particular niche. As the landscape becomes more and more competitive, travel creators are focusing more on finding their unique content vertical to differentiate themselves. We talked some cool ones across areas of geography, wellness, budget, luxury, family, solo, and so many others. 4️⃣ Web3 doesn't matter 🤷‍♂️ This one was obvious, but I’m reminded again that our means for delivering value is arbitrary and rather the value itself is what matters. Most of those with whom we chatted were not web3 users, but they were intrigued by the value that our web3 platform can deliver. Value = Adoption. Go figure.‍ As we aim to build MintPass into a tool for travel tastemakers, it was awesome to chat with and get direct feedback from the creator persona who often has the best recs to share, but lacks the proper tools for sharing and building a brand off of that credibility. 🤝 Thank you to all who provided insights for us. ❤️ Back to work. 👷‍♂️ #traveltech #startups #creatortools‍‍‍

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This past week we had our 3rd annual IA40 summit! If the theme of our first summit in 2022 (held six weeks before ChatGPT launched) revolved around the possibilities of AI, and 2023 was about experimentation, the clear theme this year was - how do you make AI work in production and generate real use cases that lead to ROI? Vivek Ramaswami and I share 5 of our key takeaways from the summit. 1. There Is No “One-size-fits-all” Model; 2. The “Killer Use Cases” Are Starting To Emerge; 3. From RAG to Agents - Agents are AI's Future; 4. AI Funding Continues Unabated; 5. Memory Is a Critical Component to Driving Personalization. You can read the full post below, and would love to hear what everybody else learned at the summit! Special thanks to the Madrona team - Matt McIlwain Jon Turow Rolanda Fu! And our many amazing speakers - Mustafa Suleyman, Arvind Jain, Brian S. Raymond, Barry McCardel, Rama Akkiraju, Oren Etzioni, Matan Grinberg, David Shim, Ali Farhadi, Brad Gerstner, and many more!

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Having a Cars and Capital event tomorrow in Southern California with Oren Klaff. If you want to join message me. https://lnkd.in/gDQ4D39u Oren Klaff Bridger Pennington #InvestorEvent #FamilyOffice #InvestmentOpportunity #CarlsbadEvent #PrivateEquity #WealthManagement #InvestmentConference #CapitalRaising #NetworkingEvent #IndustryLeaders #FinancialGrowth #InvestorsMeetup #WealthBuilding #BusinessGrowth #InvestmentForum

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What if your next partnership isn’t the solution, but the problem? The race to strategic partnerships is on. Mergers, partnerships, and funding deals are happening faster than ever. It's easy for these announcements to make headlines, but the real question is: “How can you ensure that these partnerships add real value and aren't just news?” For leaders in aviation, high-tech, and finance, adapting to this change is critical. The stakes are high: You need more than just capital—you need synergy. That's where a well-executed, strategic M&A can change the dynamics. Years ago, I participated in an M&A deal that appeared flawless on paper. The figures were strong, and the benefits appeared obvious... As we explored further, it was clear the success of this merger wasn’t just about the financials. It depended on something less visible, yet far more impactful —aligning our vision with market trends. Besides numbers, it was about: → Understanding the tech trends driving the market → Aligning operational goals with emerging innovations → Building partnerships that foster sustainable growth With technology changing so rapidly these days, keeping your business up to date might give you a benefit over your competitors. ...and it all starts with finding the 'right partner'. If you're unsure where to begin, we can discuss the details. #mergersandacquisitions #aviationindustry #strategicpartnerships

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How the Flowstate platform leverages AI automated content to provide a wide-ranging value proposition for our partners: 🔊 Amplify your brand & customer experience 💰 Create additional revenue streams ⚙ Automate marketing 🍽 Increase AOV in your F&B areas 💡Drive progression 📊 Data & Insights Check out this chat I had with the team at Surf Park Central

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🏢 Big Moves in SF Commercial Real Estate! Intuit & Capital One 🏢 Two major financial firms are making strategic relocations within San Francisco: - Capital One is reducing its office space by two-thirds, moving from 201 3rd St. to 40,000 sq. ft. at 100 California St. This deal includes significant improvements to the new location, enhancing tenant experiences with new outdoor spaces and on-site amenities. - Intuit is downsizing from 200,000 sq. ft. at 22 4th St. to 36,500 sq. ft. at 505 Howard St. The move aims to leverage San Francisco's diverse talent pool while optimizing their workspace for future growth. These moves highlight the dynamic nature of SF's commercial real estate market and the need for adaptable, strategic office solutions. At Resource, we specialize in guiding companies through such transitions, ensuring seamless relocations and optimized space utilization. 🔗 Discover more about our tailored real estate services: yourresource.com #SFRealEstate #CommercialRealEstate #CapitalOne #Intuit #OfficeRelocation #RealEstateStrategy #ResourceCRE

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Let's finally get rid off the "VC alphabet song" and redo the system to become more founder friendly. "The benchmarks set by funding stages are often arbitrary and not necessarily aligned with the actual development needs of individual startups." #vc #venturecapital #founder #fundraising #startups #fundingstages #funding #fundingrounds #pitchbook

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Insightful breakdown from my great Partner Omri Amirav-Drory on the simple factors that really separate the top 1% of investors from the rest, and how more operators should become investors! https://lnkd.in/gEiZdT2h

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Getting into personal aviation? It's like unlocking a whole new world! Think about it: with your own plane, you're breaking free from the confines of traditional travel. Whether it's zipping off for a weekend getaway or hopping between business meetings without the hassle of commercial flights, personal aviation opens up a world of possibilities. Also, time is our most valuable resource and taing advantage of opportunities through aviation allows you to make more impactful memroeis and connections. #personalaircraft #aircraft #airforce #aviation #aviationlovers #aviationgeek

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Ever since we launched SHAKTI, every quarter we write a letter to our LPs = Each letter includes an update on the portfolios, the GP's (our) view on the zeitgeist, an interview with a portfolio CEO and an interview with a TITAN = So far, we have 16 such letters = it's been on our "to do" list to share these publicly (i am lazy) = then Google comes along to save lazy people like me (thank you NotebookLLM) = here's a 10 min podcast summarizing our journey since Dec/2020 with the 16 LP letters as source = if you wanted to know what we are about, this is a pretty good place to start = https://lnkd.in/db7K2TrT cc SHAKTI

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Instacart is a market leader when it comes to leveraging AI tools to boost productivity at work. I had an amazing conversation with JJ Zhuang, Instacart’s Chief Architect, who has shepherded over 50 AI-driven initiatives to market across the org. We explored what catapulted Instacart to the forefront of AI integration, supporting radically diverse use cases across various functional areas. One striking insight (echoed by Ethan Mollick and others elsewhere) is that you often don't need specialized tools for specialized work. Frontier models like GPT-4 can seamlessly adapt to a wide range of functions and use cases. They're not just for engineers; they're incredibly versatile tools used by marketing, comms, and legal teams. From generating code to proofreading and ideation, GPT-4 empowers every department to leverage AI for enhanced productivity and innovation. By integrating LLM’s like GPT-4 into their workflows, teams can streamline processes, automate repetitive tasks, and unlock bandwidth for new creative possibilities. How can you harness the power of AI in your own work to boost productivity? Share your thoughts below 👇 Want to hear more insights from JJ? Check out the full podcast episode by clicking the link in the comments.

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