In the green room at Phocuswright Europe with... Lax Poojary

Lax Poojary, co-founder and CEO, Touring Bird

Lax Poojary leads the team that built Touring Bird, a discovery and booking app for tours and activities that was developed inside Google's Area 120 incubator. At Phocuswright Europe 2019, he will participate in Executive Roundtable: Experience This!

In a series of interviews with executives participating at the event in Amsterdam in May, PhocusWire finds out what makes them tick...

What book do you recommend to others and why?

Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game by Michael Lewis. This book forces you to think differently and challenges the notion of “this is how things are always done.”

What do you do to alleviate stress?

Spend more time with family and friends.

What travel industry development or brand do you wish you'd thought of first?

Airbnb.

What is your proudest professional achievement?

Surrounding myself with people who are scrappier and hungrier than me to build and launch Touring Bird.

What's your morning routine?

I usually check my email from bed and check my schedule to see what I have going on that day. Then I try to set a goal for the day and plan the day ahead.

I read on the way to work. I like to read three pieces of content - general news, tech news and news related to the travel industry. I usually try to get to work early and get my personal “work time” before meetings, etc., kick in.

What would you tell your 20-year-old self?

Three things:

• Ask questions, rather than trying to answer them.
• Do not focus on a specific career path. Take as many risks and try as many different things as you can.
• Travel the world, see different things, meet new people.

What gives you energy?

The talented, smart and kind people I work with.

Describe your typical working environment.

Transparency and honest communication, strong team spirit and a mission-driven environment.

What one mistake do you witness others making more than anything else?

Spending more time debating what to do rather than just doing it.