Joel Montaniel is the Co-founder, and CEO of SevenRooms, a private software company devoted to improving the way hospitality operators leverage their data to enhance business operations, build better direct relationships with customers and deliver an unforgettable customer experience. In their own words, SevenRooms allows ‘the big to feel small and the small to feel big’ when it comes to customer relationships. The conversation traverses a wide range of topics; from scaling a global business from day one, leading with empathy and its power on customers and employees, and the great frameworks for how SevenRooms prioritises product innovation, given the breadth of their customer base. Named among the ‘Best Places to Work’ in New York, it’s clear that SevenRooms culture-first mentality is deeply embedded in the company’s DNA. With this in mind, Joel talks to how SevenRooms is investing in its employees and the programs they have put in place to enable them to do their best work. Show Notes; Founding story and inspiration behind SevenRooms (3:15) Empathising with customers to better understand the problem and re-think the solution (5:27) SevenRooms Value Proposition for restaurant operators (7:04) Transitioning the hospitality industry from systems of record to systems of intelligence that drives outcomes for businesses (11:31) SevenRooms competitive advantage to streamline operations, personalize service and maximise revenue profitability for customers (13:41) Pain points when scaling a global business – how your greatest weakness can become your greatest strength (16:50) Implementing a prioritization framework to inspire product innovation and identify where SevenRooms can uniquely serve their customers (18:57) Fostering innovation to drive the hospitality industry forward as the company scales (23:00) Supporting customers and managing interactions during the pandemic (27:27) Inspiration to build a culture first company (30:00) SevenRooms core values (33:54) Career planning with employees to resolve cultural tensions and find an intersection between company and employee needs (37:46) The importance of investing in employees and providing recharge periods – Fresh Start Program and 7 R&R (41:13) How the leadership team catches cultural bugs and detractors in the company (45:35)

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