Global Social Leverage

I am on the road a lot for my job.

Luckily the world keeps shrinking.

Flying is a slog and always will be, but the hyperloop will eventually fix that.

Uber has fixed most of the last mile of travel.

For everything else, the iPhone, mobile apps/software and the social web have exploded the leverage in my business, investing, profit and joy.

Last month I was in New York and my friend Ryan Spoon pinged me because he saw I would be in NYC and organized a dinner. Almost all my travel is last minute booking and I rely completely on Hotels Tonight. It just happened to be the fashion awards in NYC that night and rooms were $700 in the city. I waited and waited and pinged and pinged. No price drops. I would rather pull an all nighter.

By dinner I had given up hope.

I was telling the story to Ryan and Joe Marchese as we sat down. I was just meeting Joe for the first time. Joe is a fantastic entrepreneur. Joe immediately said come stay in his guest bedroom a few blocks away. Our social networks and loose connections were enough for Joe to immediately make that offer.

I took Joe up on the offer and slipped out of NYC the next morning rested. A great save and a new trusted, leveraged connection. I can’t wait to pay it forward or return the favor of course.

I was in Paris last week for the LVMH digital show. My friend Jon Strauss was helping organize the show and suggested one of our portfolio companies (Narvar) would be perfect. I of course asked for an invite myself seeing I was going to be in Europe. If you don’t ask you don’t get! Who does not like free Dom Perignon and Hennessey in Paris in the summer?

I had met Ian Rogers once a while back in LA when he was running Topspin. He now runs LVMH Digital in Paris. He recently moved there from LA after leaving Apple. Ian ran Beats through the acquisition by Apple. I walked into the dinner in Paris and the first person I run into is Joe Marchese. Of course I told him I could not find a room and asked if he would mind spooning in his hotel because rooms were too expensive. He would have said yes (I think) and we laughed pretty hard.

Ian and LVMH treated us fantastic and Narvar had a great show meeting so many retail brands in the LVMH portfolio.

Yesterday my wife, daughter and I decided to put off Italy for a few days and head to London. Rachel had never been. We booked the speed train in about 5 minutes and a hotel in London using Hotels Tonight and off we went. As we trained I pinged a few London friends on social channels.

Last minute JP shlepped into London last minute to hang and take us for some great Indian food which we can’t get in Coronado. My daughter Rachel and JP talked about US politics and we had a great time. He reminded me I am one of his few friends he has dined with on 3 continents.

Today we booked a $45 British Airways flight to Venice. It took about 3 minutes on my phone. It will take 30 seconds in 2 years. The taxes were more than the flight. Thank god they don’t know how to use yield management software in Europe.

Brexit Shmexit.