Michael Lukianoff

Restaurants (a $1T industry in the US) are bad at buying software. In 2024, developing a muscle in selecting and implementing technology — not making bad decisions rashly and not avoiding change due to fear — is a competitive advantage. To that end, I offer three questions that any technology buyer should ask in this process: 1) What is the turnover of your team — especially the executive team — in the last 24 months? All companies change personnel (in fact, it's healthy to bring in fresh perspective). But if you expect to build a long-term partnership, you need to know that you're aligning with a business that has a healthy culture to continue (or accelerate) their current trajectory. Extremely high turnover is a sign that something is wrong (running out of cash, asshole leadership, unhappy customers, etc). 2) Tell me about a specific customer who has migrated OFF your platform; what was their experience and (if you know) what were the results? When you make a software decision, you hope it's the last one you'll ever make in that category. But part of being a good partner is not creating technical lock-in. Good software should be easy to migrate to (and away from). To that end... 3) Show me your public API documentation, in particular my options for routing my data anywhere I want. Lots of companies brag about being an "open platform" but keep their APIs hidden or obfuscate just how to get data out (because they offer nothing more sophisticated than CSV exports — not easy or secure). These are red flags. A long-list of integrations is good but tells you very little because there's no guarantee that the current integration solves your specific use case. Far more important are the quality of APIs which demonstrate that if your need is not currently solved, it can be easily. On this last point, some of how we do this at Thanx: https://lnkd.in/gyvRHwtJ https://lnkd.in/gC2AkZZ9 https://lnkd.in/g855JSyi

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Excited to partner with the awesome Nektar.ai team to bring you a series of dinner cruises – gourmet food, incredible views, and meaningful discussions about Buyer Groups and GTM strategies. But these aren't your average networking events – we're talking gourmet food, stunning views, and deep dives into GenAI native strategies. We've got GTM leaders joining us from industry giants like OpenAI, Mimecast, MongoDB, VaynerX and more. It's going to be an evening of real talk and real insights. Here's what's on the menu (besides the delicious food): We'll explore how GTM teams can effectively target buyer groups We'll discuss how GenAI is shaking up revenue and marketing strategies I'll be sharing actionable insights that could be game-changers in the SaaS We’d love for you to join us—choose the one that fits your schedule - NYC on September 5th - Boston on September 10th - Chicago on September 12th Whether you're looking to expand your network, pick up some valuable strategies, or just enjoy a unique evening with amazing company, this event is for you. We can't wait to meet you, share ideas, and have great conversations over dinner!Space is limited, so jump on this while you can. Register here -  https://bit.ly/4dUzQZu

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If you're connected with me, you know I scream about how necessary integrations are. Check out this piece where I explain more for insideBIGDATA!

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🎯 Top Consumer Trends 2025: Powered by the World’s Largest Consumer Data Lake The Top Consumer Trends 2025 Report is here, and it’s backed by Ai Palette’s AI-driven ecosystem that’s helping CPG brands innovate, launch, and grow with confidence. In a market where 89% of new products fail, brands need more than just trend insights—they need actionable intelligence powered by data and AI. This report is your step-by-step guide to: - Hyper-personalization: Meeting consumers’ growing demand for tailored experiences. - Tech-driven engagement: Leveraging immersive technologies to connect meaningfully. - Sustainability as a standard: Shifting from trend to non-negotiable business strategy. 📊 Why trust this report? It’s powered by Ai Palette’s comprehensive AI ecosystem, trusted by global brands like KitKat and Smirnoff to drive faster, smarter innovation: 1️⃣ World’s Largest Consumer Data Lake: 200+ sources capturing real-time behavior across social, e-commerce, restaurants, recipes, and more. 2️⃣ Global Scale, Local Precision: Covering 27 countries and 17 languages, blending global perspective with local relevance. 3️⃣ Historical Depth & Real-Time Clarity: Data spanning 8+ years ensures strategic differentiation between fleeting fads and long-term trends. 4️⃣ AI-Powered Foresight: From white-space opportunities to instant concept testing, our tools like Foresight Engine and Screen Winner empower brands to get to market faster. 🚀 This isn’t just a report—it’s your 2025 roadmap, built with precision AI and actionable insights. Download the report via the link in comments. 💡 Let’s lead the future of CPG together. #Trends #Innovation #CPG #Leadership Somsubhra GanChoudhuri, Anmol Singh, Alexandria Maruska, Shreerang Joshi, Ai Palette

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I think Pete Wells' sign-off article in today's NYT is a must read for anyone interested in technology, it's impacts on society, or what a good restaurant experience should be like. I spent the first couple months of 1997 running around the country visiting innovative device makers who were doing things with Microsoft's small platform (it had a lot of names including Windows CE). I was looking for what I called a "magic box" that combined several features from different devices in a variety of very different industries. Mind you, this was a full decade before Steve Jobs did his introductory iPhone demonstration. What I was after was a small portable device on which we could install apps for use in super secure machine area networks, with white listed relationships with our switch/router infrastructure such that packets would only be sent by the infrastructure to devices that were specifically authorized to receive packets from the sending device using our own private GUID system (not MAC, EICN, etc.). I also wanted it to be able to be a VoIP phone with full telephony capability other than text, except via a "text over analog speech" channel that had been digitized. Again, this would make it safe to use around factory equipment such as AGVs, and other dangerous things. Well, you still can't buy that box. It is possible to have them made-up custom, but it's such an obvious industrial need, I did not and still do not believe that a company like Boeing should have to pay the price points that would be required for such a device. Cell phones have become a social disaster, while at the same time are pieces of unsafe crap for applications that are crying out for something very much like them, yet different.

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❓ Did you know? Washington, DC has the highest density of Michelin-starred restaurants per capita in the country!❓ Last week, we had the privilege of hosting some phenomenal restaurant operators in the dynamic DC market. The energy and insights shared were truly inspiring! 🔑 Key Highlights from Our Discussions: 1. Reservation Management Platforms: OpenTable stood out as the most popular choice among the event attendees. 2. Growth Strategies: We explored a range of innovative strategies including leveraging TikTok influencers, enhancing SEO, and collaborating with hotel concierges to boost demand. 3. Membership Programs: One of our attendees recently launched a yearly membership that offers special reservation guarantees and has been seeing great success. 4. AI: All attendees were thinking about how AI can help their businesses, and several were using ChatGPT in some way, daily. #RestaurantGrowth #Innovation #HospitalityIndustry #restauranttechnology #AI #DCRestaurants

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Should DoorDash buy Olo? $OLO's share price has never been lower. After hitting a saturation point in the enterprise segment, growth has slowed. There's a clear market shift to all-in-one solutions like $TOST. Pure middleware companies are now a commodity, with most consolidating into ordering & makreting platforms. There's also the constant threat of enterprise brands building their own tech stack. Meanwhile $DASH has been ramping its investment in 1P ordering channels through: 1/ The acquisition of Bbot 2/ Adding 3rd party loyalty integrations with its Storefront platform 3/ Building a mobile application to pair with Storefront web ordering SMB restaurants have been quick to adopt Storefront due to the no SaaS fee model and simplicity of activation when they're already on the marketplace. However, I suspect $DASH has struggled to break into the mid-market & enterprise segment with the lack of features these segments require. The above moves signal $DASH positioning itself to go upmarket from the SMB segment. Buying $OLO would add complementary SaaS revenue and strengthen $DASH position with enterprise brands. Plus, I’ve heard some chatter from sources that private equity 🦈 s are circling, potentially taking $OLO private. If $DASH wants to make a power move, this might be it.

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Instacart is now expanding into restaurant takeout thanks to a new partnership with Uber! “Consumers will see the same restaurant menu prices on Instacart that they do on Uber Eats, and couriers will be paid the same way they would be for orders directly from Uber Eats,” Uber says the motivation behind these is to drive more orders to Uber Eats restaurant partners while Instacart gets to add new businesses to its delivery platform without having to build it from the ground up. Read More Here: https://bit.ly/3JS3yAX #Restaurants #Hospitality #Technology #Business #Innovation #AI #investing #venturecapital Branded Hospitality Ventures Matthew O'Hearn Courtney Berman Jinwoo Song Ahmed Beshry Josh Rider Chris Rogers Nick Giovanni

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🚀 2024 Restaurant Tech Map: Who’s In and Who’s Missing? The latest Brizo FoodMetrics 2024 Restaurant Tech Map showcases many innovative solutions, but where are the key players in the actual delivery space? 🧐 Key Observations: 🚗 Missing Delivery Players: Companies that ensure food reaches the customer like dlivrd and DeliverThat are notably absent, while non-delivery operations are featured. 📊 The critical role of delivery drivers and logistics companies is underrepresented, downplaying the importance of last-mile delivery. Simply having software and some integrations doesn't mean you understand the complexities of real-world delivery. 🥗 Catering is lumped with other categories despite its unique logistical challenges and large market cap of +$73B according to Cater, deserving dedicated focus. 🔍 Why It Matters: By not accurately representing delivery players and conflating catering with other categories, we risk underestimating the challenges in these areas. Finding these important players and their unique categories can help the industry come up with more workable solutions. #RestaurantTech #FoodDelivery #Logistics #Innovation #RestaurantIndustry #TechTrends #DeliveryEcosystem #Catering

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With full-service restaurants experiencing an 8% drop in visits and QSRs, groceries, and convenience stores all experiencing an increase, it’s clear that the consumer perceives a difference in value between the categories. It’s imperative that restaurants take measures to align their value proposition with customer expectations. Whether through supply-chain optimizations that lead to price reductions or enhanced staff training that improves guest experience, restaurants should monitor consumer responses. Great share from Abbey. #Restaurant #CX #BusinessStrategy

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ICYMI, last week's video was a lesson in forecasting #markettrends 🔎📉 using #realtimeoptionsdata from Intrinio's #API! ⬇️⬇️⬇️ https://hubs.ly/Q02DKsJw0

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Are you using or investing in real-time analytics? If yes, you know the success of RTA hinges on -- 🏋️‍♀️ performance; 🎯 efficiency; and 💰 cost. Learn from Director of Product Research at Ocient, Todd O'Brien, how Ocient outperforms the competition in these areas (and more!) in our latest Druid benchmark: https://hubs.la/Q02JfXs20 #dataanalytics #realtimeanalytics #data

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Food tech innovation isn’t just about new features—it’s about creating real, lasting value. Reading Food On Demand and Adam Wahlberg's recent piece on Nabeel Alamgir🦄 highlights just that. Not only is he delivering solutions for restaurant partners but also building a network of “food friends”—the kind of connections that make tech more meaningful and long-term for the industry. Seeing foodtech move toward more thoughtful, collaborative solutions is promising for all of us who care about where the industry’s heading. Here’s to the teams driving innovation with purpose!

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Have you heard? dub dub data has finally launched! Not sure what it's all about? Tune in to the podcast to learn more about fractional consulting and community, plus loads more! #Data https://lnkd.in/gTVHwtss

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Catch-up on September episodes, we talked data warehousing, brand marketing measurement, revenue-driving workflows and incrementality vs MTA 👇 138: Erin Foxworthy: Snowflake's Industry Lead on the future of data warehousing, from APIs to data sharing and a unified data layer https://lnkd.in/gx-rKViD 137: Liam Moroney: Rethinking measurement by balancing pipeline, brand, and long-term value in a nonlinear world https://lnkd.in/ghUGXWVC 136: Benoit Leggieri: Livestorm’s Head of Growth on crafting revenue driving workflows with Customer.io https://lnkd.in/gvBpfRfB 135: Pranav Piyush: Why multi-touch attribution is broken and what you should do instead https://lnkd.in/g2WSjTRh

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The podcast is back! Listen to my latest episode with Gene Millman, most recently the CEO of REcolorado, as we discuss the nuts and bolts of MLSs, if they are still relevant in 2024, consolidation, reinvention, how to run an MLS like a business, why disruptors need MLSs, their top threat, the biggest tech pain point, and the critical importance of agility.

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Product companies are sitting on a goldmine of analytics that clients want integrated into their ecosystems. But how can they securely and efficiently share this data without a mountain of effort? In Ariel Pohoryles latest blog, he breaks down 4 smart approaches to sharing analytical data stored in modern data warehouses like Snowflake and Google BigQuery. Learn the pros, cons, and best use cases for: ✅ Custom APIs – for tailored control ✅ Automated Data Pipelines – the fast-track solution ✅ Client-Controlled Environments – no-code, hands-on freedom ✅ Native Data Sharing – seamless platform-native sharing Discover which approach fits your clients’ needs and how tools like Rivery simplify data sharing with minimal effort and maximum flexibility. 🔗 Read the full guide: https://lnkd.in/ekDnrZxV

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Sharing Jan Popovic’s thought-provoking post. 🤔 It’s true—hospitality’s current OTA guest acquisition model seems to prioritize profit margins for OTAs and Big Tech rather than delivering meaningful value to the consumer. But what if we shifted the paradigm? Instead of working against each other, what if hotels and OTAs truly collaborated to redefine consumer experiences? Imagine reinvesting media and ad spend—currently used for a zero-sum competition—into innovations that delight travelers in unimaginable ways. From AI-enhanced personalized travel experiences to seamless booking integrations that reward loyalty beyond price. This kind of transformation would require a new mindset: scale, trust, and long-term commitment from both hotels and OTAs. But in doing so, we’d move beyond merely competing for the same guest and instead elevate the entire travel ecosystem—serving the consumer first, profits second. It’s a bold vision, but one worth exploring. What do you think—can hotels and OTAs co-create a better future? https://lnkd.in/g6S9PNyy

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In the latest episode of Climb That Mountain, Kevin Jones and Brian Castle chat with data scientist Samuel Cummings, whose journey spans leadership at Gainsight and LinkedIn to founding his AI-powered startup, DataPlant. Samuel discusses the evolving world of AI, why diverse perspectives matter, and how tech is shaping customer success. #TechLeadership #AI https://bit.ly/3Y8oDxL

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