Akshat Shrivastava’s Post

We hosted the third edition of 'Your Third Place' at Airbnb’s office in Bangalore this past Saturday and realized how the community is growing bigger & getting better very fast! Being in the Airbnb office felt like going back home. Everyone there was so warm :) Thanks, Ashish, Aashutosh, Mrinalini, and the entire Airbnb team. We discovered so many fun facts about folks I didn't know personally but instantly felt connected. Everything from being a vegetarian but PM’ing at Liscious to an avid diver to learning about Vishal’s childhood third place being playgrounds of Udaipur. It was amazing to see folks come together, share their learnings, and their journies, and build genuine relationships. I am so grateful to Vishal for spending his Saturday evening with us and sharing his insights, his journey with us - leaving everybody in the room inspired. Things that stood out to me: - Throughout his career, he’s always behaved like he owns it, like it's his startup.  - When he transitioned from PM to CEO, the key change was an obsession with financial metrics and the breadth of stakeholders. Everything from PR, Legal, and Regulatory to Design & Engineering. Also becoming a CEO is a consequence, not a goal post.  - For anyone who desires to be a CEO at some point in their career, Vishal’s advice was to start becoming aware of how a business is built, and how company finances work, and ask more “Why” questions. Learn how decisions are made. - Optimise for learning fast by surrounding yourself with smart people. Play the long game. The only time he quit was when he felt he was the smartest person in the room.  - A/B testing is often testing past versus future. And hence pointless. There were so many more around scaling, product culture, org structure, and his personal stories :) Hoping to host him again sometime soon so that more & more people can learn from him. Here’s a picture from the evening, loved doing it at the Airbnb office - what a pleasure it was to be back! 

This week's blog is for the sales/ customer team based on an incident with Taj Group that taught our CEO how to handle escalations and errors in life. Hope you can implement the way the best guys do. "Let’s admit it, we all screw up; it is perfectly human. However, it’s what we do next makes all the difference. This incident offered incredible insights into how one should handle errors made in professional/personal life" #CEOsdesk #inspirationalstories

Never trust strangers - this is what we were taught since our childhood 😲☘️ I have shared a couple of my experiences previously, how strangers helped me during different situations 🤗☺️ One more similar experience during my recent solo trip 🧳🚍 I was returning back from Coorg to Bangalore by KSRTC. I opted for public transport during the whole trip🚌🚍🚎 (first time ever 🫣) I reached the Bangalore Magestic by 8:30pm. From there I need to go to my hostel which is 1 hr far 🕣⏰ I have enquired and realised that I need to get down in a different stop which is 10 mins away, as there won't be direct buses to my place at that time 😮👣 The person sitting beside me said that the place is not walkable and it's not safe to travel alone in a cab at that time 😕😥 I was a little scared not knowing what to do, as I am new to Bangalore and have no one who can come and help me 😐 Suddenly, I remembered someone and texted him about the situation🙃🥲 He mentioned that he is 30 mins away from the place and assured me that he will drop me at the hostel 😃 I know him through LinkedIn and we interacted a couple of times on linkedin about my yoga posts. That's it ✍️🤝 I was skeptical about seeking help but didn't want to take any risk unnecessarily⁉️😕 I am always cautious about my planning during my solo travel but sometimes our planning doesn't work due to unexpected delays ⏰⌛ He dropped me at the hostel and returned immediately as he needed to login by 6am (he could have ignored my request with this reason) I was surprised and happy to meet such people who are there to help others with good intentions 🥰🙏 My solo journey is helping me explore about myself and others 🥰 It changed my perspective towards life and people 💛💛💛 This gives me an opportunity to know about myself better - my strengths and my weaknesses, in building my courage to face my fears 💚🧡 Thank you very much TAJ AHMAD SHAIK 🤗 #anithaswriteup #solotravel #gratitude #people #lifelearnings #storytelling #positivepeople

3 weeks ago, I was travelling from Surat from one of my client visits and this experience humbled me. Picture this: A group of us, high-profile individuals, on our way from Surat, anticipating a plush first-class AC experience. Little did we know, the universe had other plans. No confirmations, uncertain schedules – suddenly, we found ourselves standing for a 3-hour journey. Not exactly the luxury we had in mind. But here's the twist – instead of frustration, we chose gratitude. Gratitude for the reminder that life, much like business, can be humbling. We sat, not mad, but tired yet content, near the bathroom of all places. Traders, diamond merchants – a diverse group, brought together by a shared journey. We had a choice: crib about our 'less-than-ideal' situation or embrace it as an unexpected life lesson. In the midst of uncertainty, we delved into conversations about business, family, politics – turning a seemingly uncomfortable situation into a shared experience. The 3 hours passed in a heartbeat. I made some unexpected friendships beyond vested interests. The takeaway ia not a high funda business concept, it’s simple: just as we celebrate victories in fancy hotels, we must embrace life's unexpected twists with the same grace. Like we embrace uncertainties in business, we must be ready for life’s lemons, wherever, whenever. Success and challenges – both shape the paths of our journey. After all, it's in these unscripted moments that life's most profound lessons unfold. #LifeJourney #BusinessLessons #LifeLessons

During my recent visit to Amer Fort in Jaipur, I came across a group of guides who were eager to persuade us to hire one for our tour. My family and I politely declined their offer, explaining that this was not our first visit to Amer Fort. As we continued on our way, one persistent guide decided to follow us. Sensing his presence behind us, I stopped and firmly asserted, "We don't need a guide; we've been here before." To my surprise, he responded calmly and confidently, saying, "Ma'am, I understand you don't want a guide, but I wanted to share something with you. This is not a fort; it's a palace. While this might not matter to most tourists, it holds great significance for our history and us." With that, he gracefully walked away. I could not resist but ponder upon a few things after this short conversation, sharing a few reflections here : - It is not the length of a conversation, it is about the degree of impact you can possibly make. - It is not the scale of your job, it is the passion and honesty with which you pursue your endeavors that matters. - Confidence does not come from how others view you or your job, or your competence; it comes from how you view yourself. - It is not only what you say that matters, it is how you say it. The poise and confident body language of the guide expressed his clarity of thought and sincerity of intention. - You can never 'know it all'. You can literally learn from anyone, anywhere under the sun (quite literally here) - if you stay open and humble in pursuit of knowledge. - Finally yet importantly, not everyone reaching out to you is looking something out of you - sometimes people cross your path and just leave an impression for the greater good. Give others a chance to express. PS: Picture taken at Amer Palace, Jaipur, India #topvoices

Recently, I had an opportunity to visit a property owner who reached out to me via LinkedIn. He has built a stunning container home about 100 KMs from Bangalore, following Airbnb standards, with the intention of generating a second source of rental income. The inspiration came from his son residing in the US. Despite its appeal and adherence to quality standards, he expressed concerns about the lack of Return on his Investment (ROI). The challenges were evident: being distantly located, he needed to employ a caretaker, which added to the operational costs of running an Airbnb. Upon assessing the situation, I shared a crucial insight with him: for smaller-scale properties, the balance between manpower costs and potential profits can be a significant hurdle. Even top-tier Airbnb listings can struggle with profitability if the scale isn't substantial. My recommendation to him was clear: Expand the business by building additional Airbnb units in the vicinity. Scaling up can help reduce manpower costs relative to the number of properties managed. In the meantime, I encouraged him to relish the property for personal use, sharing memorable moments with friends and family, rather than focusing solely on ROI. I also advised him not to do paid marketing on any platforms as it will further eat away his ROI. Remember, in the realm of property management and hospitality, scale and strategic investment often make the difference between break-even and profitability. #PropertyManagement #AirbnbTips #ROI #HospitalityIndustry #ScalingUp #StrategicInvestment #RealEstateInsights #BangaloreProperties #ContainerHome #BusinessGrowth #Profitability

Airbnb has come a long way since its inception in 2007, when two Hosts welcomed three guests to their San Francisco home. Today, the platform boasts of over 5 million Hosts who have welcomed over 1.5 billion guest arrivals across the globe. With its recent introduction of "Icons", Airbnb is taking things up a notch. This new category of extraordinary experiences is hosted by some of the world’s greatest names in music, film, television, art, sports, and more. Imagine sleeping in the Ferrari Museum or staying in Prince’s Purple Rain house! The possibilities are endless with Airbnb's Icons. They've already unveiled the first 11 Icons, with new experiences dropping around the world throughout the year. These unique stays and experiences will allow guests to connect with communities in a more authentic way. “Icons bring to life experiences that are magical and truly beyond imagination. As part of the Icons launch, we are thrilled to partner with Janhvi Kapoor for this special campaign, which will offer an unprecedented glimpse into Janhvi’s coastal beach home.” - Amanpreet Bajaj, General Manager, Airbnb India, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan. As part of the launch, Bollywood superstar Janhvi Kapoor is opening the doors to her family’s estate in Chennai for an experience unlike any other. Known for her charming performances on screen, Janhvi will welcome two sets of two guests each at her coastal abode as a part of this special promotional campaign. “My most cherished memories are of summers spent with my family at our Chennai home. This place has always felt like a sanctuary, and I want to share this special feeling with my fans, which is why, for the first time ever, I’m opening the doors to our home on Airbnb. I’m excited to share our family’s rituals with Airbnb guests who will get a chance to unwind like the Kapoors – chilling by the pool, enjoying some of our favorite meals, practicing yoga, trying my mother’s natural skin care recipes, and most importantly, making special memories. I am thrilled to be a part of Airbnb’s Icons category and look forward to welcoming Airbnb guests home.” - #JanhviKapoor Building WealthiGO - The 4 Circles of Wealth Maximisation a community first marketplace for UHNIs and HNIs to acquire luxury real estate 🏡 and invest in alternative structured investment opportunities and startups. Link of expression of interest to join the community is in the comments. https://lnkd.in/dw6uUjVj

A friend recently asked me about how you manage to find time to post on LinkedIn. 😅 Before answering that let me tell you a story about "Living away from home". I have been living in Kochi for almost 27 years of my life. I have never lived outside of Kochi. The place had almost everything you need. But my advice to people in their early twenties is this. Try to live or move somewhere away from your hometown. I could only do it in my late twenties. I really wish I had done that earlier. I am now living 200 kms away from my home. It really hammered home the importance of managing finances and time effectively. If you are not able to do this properly, you are f*cked. You have to set your priorities straight otherwise you will get lost doing stuff that doesn't matter or help you progress. Coming back to the question. I have set LinkedIn as a priority and I try my best to stick to that. I have reduced my phone screentime to ~3:30 hours a day so that I will get time to do things that matter to me. Its not easy. Even right now I am writing this sitting on my messy bed in my messy room but I wanted to post something today. I have created a list of things [Special mention to Google Keep] to do for the weekend. Otherwise I will struggle for sure and weekdays get messed up. Set your priorities and manage your time well. You'll be surprised at what you can achieve. What are your plans for the weekend? Do let me know in the comments. Thanks for reading :) #timemanagement #prioritymanagement #prioritizeyourself #weekend

Push Due to the nature of my current work, there is a lot of traveling to multiple cities & could not gather my thoughts and could not give words to my stories to share with people on this platform. Roughly it has been more than 2 months since I last posted, though I kept updates on what was happening around. It was not that I did not want to share, but in my honest opinion, the feeling to write was not there. I observed multiple people, their stories, their struggle, and their happiness but somehow words eluded me, I lost interest in sharing with people. Amongst all this, Ronson Tino Meyn kept pushing me regularly to share stories or learnings from my training journey so far. A man of few words but logical, his persistence paid off. Always admired him, during our stint working together. Thank you Ronson for this push, your encouragement wasn't just a gentle nudge; it was a relentless and heartfelt push. Your brief conversations were filled with genuine belief. Glad to have known you and met you personally, be it in Delhi or the bike ride in Kochi. Your constant push is a reminder that sometimes, all a person needs is another person/friend who believes in their words even when they can't see that light themselves. P.S: an early morning pic after 3 days of a wonderful training event. #people #push #encouragement #life #friend #writing

SLICE ROOMS Pioneered in introducing the ever-growing micro stay concept in India. The golden period is always remembered as golden period for enjoying it again. Occasionally one will have the real chance of enjoying the golden period as we hoteliers enjoys it today. Corporates are posting better revenue and bottom-line growth, inflation is under control, election around the corner, market responds well for both corporate and leisure travels, occupancy is increasing along with ARR, whet else.  But as we know the golden period cannot sustain for long, as other side of the coin represents the salary growth is not over whelming, layoffs in IT sector, EV’s competition is increasing, the back ward infrastructure integration is failing, mid and small segments IT companies are posting much better revenue and profit growth than the giant four IT companies, rather these are at flat thanks for cost control measures. So as anybody the hotels are also making use of the favorable market condition by increasing ARR as well with an occupancy, but expenses control is an ultimate mantra for sustainability, more than reaching the goal sustainability is the key to stay there as long as possible.  For the effective / controlled travel bill, the slice rooms are an ultimate tool for the business travels and pilgrimage travels as well.   More than 1500+ hotels, 172 cities across India the Slice rooms spreading its wings to fly in the highly potential and positive Indian market.