Landing Founder & CEO Bill Smith

In this episode of the CEO Podcast, we sit down with Bill Smith, the founder and CEO of Landing, the leading network for flexible lease apartments. Bill shares his incredible journey from growing up in an entrepreneurial family to dropping out of high school at 16, starting multiple businesses, and eventually founding Landing.

Bill discusses the challenges and triumphs he faced while building his companies, including the pivotal moments at Shipt and Landing. He also delves into the importance of unit economics, the impact of AI on business operations, and the significance of maintaining a consistent customer experience.

Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction
00:16 - Bill's entrepreneurial journey
01:16 - Founding Landing and the inspiration behind it
02:04 - The tech and business community in Birmingham
03:30 - Lessons from Shipt applied to Landing
04:46 - The impact of COVID-19 on Landing's business model
06:12 - Target market and consumer needs
07:13 - A day in the life of a CEO
08:46 - The role of AI in business operations
10:44 - Reading recommendations
11:22 - Recruiting and maintaining company culture
14:34 - Competitors and market positioning
17:22 - Funding the business and building relationships
20:10 - Market outlook and economic cycles
22:19 - Thoughts on the AI bubble
24:29 - Ensuring consistency in customer experience
26:19 - The importance of giving and receiving chances