(0:01) Hi everyone, welcome back to the AI Interconnect podcast. I'm your host Lauren. On this show, I speak with
(0:09) founders, operators, and investors. We are building and shaping the next generation of technology across prop
(0:18) tech, fintech, and AI. AI interconnect is designed as a platform for real conversation with the people building
(0:27) the infrastructure of tomorrow. No pictures, no re narrative, just honest insights from people we are in the area.
(0:38) Okay. Today I'm joined by Shahar Goldwin,
(0:43) founder and CEO of Boom. And Boom is an AIdriven property management platform designed
(0:51) to help short-term rental operator and hospitality companies automate operation
(0:58) and move toward autonomous business system. Jahar, thanks for being here. Very happy to have you [clears throat]
(1:06) on the show.
(1:07) Lauren, really happy to be over here and thanks for inviting me. Chapter 2: Shahar’s Journey Across Industries
(1:12) Very nice. can't wait with this conversation and
(1:18) I let me start you have a fascinating background across multiple
(1:26) industries retail operation across the US e-commerce real estate investment
(1:35) and eventual building a large short-term rental operation before
(1:40) starting boom Um Shahar, how how did your journey across those industries lead you to eventually build boom?
(1:54) That's a good question. I guess it's being curious being entrepreneur.
(2:02) Coming to United States in a young age started like to work in retail understanding I can do it by myself. Chapter 3: Identifying Opportunities in Real Estate and Vacation Rentals
(2:11) building location across 20 states then getting into real estate as an investor as a broker
(2:19) did hundreds of million dollar transactions then understanding like I did a startup
(2:28) to real estate to find return in the market meaning like every time I went as an investor to find a property
(2:36) I would look okay what's the return I can make on it so what's a property that sold all around it, what's the rentals that was around it and then how much I
(2:44) can get for it and understand what's the return I can make on my money. I said why there isn't like a software that doing it automatically. So we build a
(2:52) software like that. During that time a friend came to me and told me hey remember the house that we got to my parents in Eastern Shore which is a fancy community in Miami.
(3:04) They decided not to move into it and I want to do it Airbnb. I told him, "It's great that you want to do it in Airbnb,
(3:11) but what's the connection to me?" So he told me, "Everything that you do, you do good."
(3:16) So he told him, "You know what? Let me think about it." And I found a company in Australia that can implement interior design on top of empty
(3:22) pictures. So I took that pictures and we implemented the furniture on it. And we created a fake listing on Airbnb
(3:31) with the address of the house, the picture of the house, but with fake furniture in it. And we started receiving a lot of reservations.
(3:40) And then my wife, she's an interior designer. So I asked her, do you want to design a home?
(3:43) We got like I think we have like a really good business over here. So she said, hell yeah.
(3:51) And then we wrote everybody that we are sorry that the house got flooded, but we put new furniture and from here to there we started to operate it.
(4:02) It was really successful business.
(4:06) And then I had an investment like I had a flip that we got stuck with. So we changed it also to an Airbnb. Chapter 4: Building Tech-Enabled Property Management Tools
(4:14) A friend asked me like we bought for him a multifamily on the ocean.
(4:19) So we also changed that to vacation rental and all of a sudden he has a property management company.
(4:27) And then using the tools I decided hey you know what it's not good enough let's build on top of those tools and we built a tech enabled company that grew up to be a
(4:34) company that manages $150 million under portfolio.
(4:41) So I guess it's moving from opportunity to opportunity and rolling with it and understanding the business concept into it and understanding the suffering.
(4:54) I had a lot of suffering as a businessman right like you're using software that not necessarily working for you. Chapter 5: What Is Boom and How It Transforms Property Management
(6:13) your operation needs to be really good but also the technology and the ability to control everything must be good as
(6:21) you scale. So this is how I created boom. Okay. I just love it. Bravo.
(6:31) [laughter and gasps]
(6:32) This sounds great. Chapter 6: Boom as a Business Operating System and ERP
(6:41) Let's go on to Boom. Boom is not just another property management software. Your vision seems to be
(6:50) building a platform that moves from traditional SaaS toward something you describe as business as a software.
(7:01) When you explain Boom to someone outside the proptech and hospitality industry, how do you describe what the company actually does and who it helps? Chapter 7: AI and Automation in Vacation Rental Operations
(8:49) Somebody is asking for an early checkin. If I want to give him an early check-in it means I
(8:56) need to check my task management to see if there is a toilet that needs to be fixed
(9:04) and then I need to see if somebody did a late checkout and then I need to see if cleaning was done. Chapter 8: Who Benefits Most from Boom’s Platform
(10:59) Right now our major clients are property managers in the vacation rental sector that have above 80 properties normally that they manage.
(11:11) These are our clients but in the end of the day our clients also have clients. Chapter 9: Scaling Boom and Overcoming Implementation Challenges
(12:09) What feels like the hardest part of running or scaling boom?
(12:18) Implementation. To come to a company and change all of their tech stack is hard. Chapter 10: Operational Frictions and How to Overcome Them
(13:14) Operational friction. Can you explain it better? Chapter 11: Market Education and Internal Challenges
(14:00) It's also implementation it's taking their whole team and moving them to work on different software. Chapter 12: Technological Shifts in Hospitality and PropTech
(14:40) The point is that you will be able to talk to the system rather than click it. Chapter 13: Underestimated Impact of AI in Professions
(16:39) From your vantage point in proptech and hospitality technology, what major shift is happening that people underestimate? Chapter 14: Trust in AI and System Improvement
(17:01) I had a conversation with my accountant around a year ago. Chapter 15: Future Vision for Boom and AI in Hospitality
(20:02) Elon opened the opportunity to do auto drive. Chapter 16: Goals for Growth and Impact
(21:16) Systems we build today need to get better and better as models improve. Chapter 17: Scaling Technology and Infrastructure
(21:44) Data collection is getting better. Chapter 18: Lessons for Founders in PropTech
(23:15) To be a property manager is really hard because you need to be 24/7. Chapter 19: Mindset and Family Business Dynamics
(29:18) Born to the right family like both of my brothers build with me boom. Chapter 20: Advice to Younger Self and PropTech Entrepreneurs
(30:26) Advice to your younger self. Chapter 21: Final Advice for PropTech Founders
(31:33) Proximity is power. Chapter 22: Closing Remarks and Contact Information
(32:27) Shahar thank you so much for joining.
(32:46) Thank you it was great being here.
(33:02) You can find me on LinkedIn and boomnow.com.
(33:39) That's it for today's episode of AI Interconnect.
(33:56) See you next time.
"Boom allowed us to centralize all of our tech stacks which make it less confusing with the team and overall more efficient."
Freddy
Eason Stays
Eason Stays is a growing short-term rental operator with more than 45 properties across the UK, offering stylish and reliable accommodation for leisure and business travelers alike. The company has always prioritized hospitality and smooth operations. But as the business expanded, their internal systems struggled to keep up.
"We're now in a position to attract creatives and true hospitality lovers to our team, because it is no longer a call center. It is really a space to create magic for travelers."
Sab Mulligan
Head of Teams
Zzzing is a fast-growing property management company based in Malta, managing a diverse portfolio of hotels, vacation rentals, and boutique guesthouses.Over the past two years, they’ve grown from 20 to 360 properties, and they’re showing no signs of slowing down. But with growth came new challenges and a critical decision to rethink the systems that held their business together.
The relationship has felt like more than just business. I’ve felt the genuine interest in helping us grow.
Jonathan Ellse
Managing Director
Perch Short Stays is a high-performing property management company based in Cape Town, South Africa. With over 300 properties in their portfolio, including a boutique hotel, the company has built its reputation on premium guest experiences.
