In the green room at Phocuswright with ... Tye Radcliffe

Why isn't the travel startup survival rate higher than it is?

Of the many challenges that consumer-focused travel startups may face, I assume that gaining mindshare and stickiness with customers is one of the biggest. For industry-enabling startups, two big challenges are in finding the right person in the company to help you achieve success and having enough funding and a realistic estimate on timelines.

It’s important to find a champion within the organization that is willing to educate and convince leaders to try something new, secure project funding, influence priorities and remain engaged throughout the process to drive change.

In terms of funding and timelines, you have to be realistic with your team and investors regarding the likely length of time involved in any sales pursuit with a large company. A multi-year sales cycle is not unusual, and sadly, there are far too many startups that die on the vine waiting for big companies to get through all of their own internal procurement, legal and resource prioritization processes.

Being patient and setting realistic expectations is critical to survival. Also, if you are not willing for a customer to host your software themselves, be prepared for significant requirements around SLAs and data security liability when acting as a SaaS provider.

Does the industry or do travelers drive change? 

It’s a combination of both. Certainly in the case of something like IATA’s NDC initiative, this modernization program was kicked off by airlines and IATA, but it’s based on a desire to enhance the legacy messaging infrastructure to enable better servicing capabilities for our customers.

However, customers vote with their wallets, and they certainly drive change by selecting the channel they like the most. They’re telling us loud and clear that the less friction we put in their way, they happier they’ll be.

What was your childhood aspiration?

I wanted to be a bus driver. I may have to buy a motor coach mobile home one day to fulfill my childhood dream.

Who is the person you most admire within the industry?

Sir Richard Branson. I’d like to be him when I grow up.

How do you encourage diversity in the workplace?

Being my authentic self at work is a big part of this. My husband and I have been together since 1993, and I’m proud of the life we’ve built together. My hope is that I encourage diversity by having the courage to be open about who I am and through sharing my life experience.

Also, simply asking my colleagues about their lives and listening to their stories goes a long way towards helping me be more open and empathetic with everyone, even those that may have different political or social views than those that I hold.

What do you do to alleviate stress?

For the past several years I have been the principal timpanist in the Lakeview Symphony Orchestra, a volunteer community orchestra based in Chicago. Giving my complete attention and focus to something that I’m passionate about a few times a month is a wonderful way for me to decompress. I love creating music with my friends and neighbors and hopefully inspiring others to follow their passion as well.

You're explaining the industry to a new employee - complete the sentence: "Beware of the ..."

I know I’m biased, but this industry is fascinating, and once you get in, it’s really hard to get out - everything else will seem boring by comparison. So my advice is to take a job in the travel industry at your own risk!

Do you have a favorite type of aircraft to fly in?

So far my favorite is the 787. I’ve flown our United flight to Singapore and back a few times and I have less jetlag and generally feel more refreshed after flying on this particular aircraft. Plus it has gorgeous lines and I sleep really well onboard!

What's your one travel hack everyone should know?

Thinking about a U.S. to Europe flight, here’s my routine to ensure I can hit the ground running: Eat at the airport before takeoff, take a Unisom at liftoff (just in case there is a return-to-gate scenario), drink lots of water, change into loose-fitting clothes, ask not to be awoken for any meals or breakfast and try to sleep for the full flight.

Do you hit the snooze button?

I use an iPhone for my alarm, and so I hit the snooze button at least once a day, mostly because it’s the only button I can see until I find my glasses!