🎧 START pod: Gavin Brennen, Cofounder, Lance "The Future of Hospitality"

🎧 START pod: Gavin Brennen, Cofounder, Lance "The Future of Hospitality"

Author: Fondo March 18, 2026 Duration: 9:14

Some hotel software is still DOS-based. Sometimes pen and paper (that's why guests are waiting 45 mins to get towels)

Gavin's dad has worked at Marriott for the last nine years. When he showed Gavin the old software, that was the spark

Lance builds AI agents that answer calls, handle back office operations, run sales workflows & more

Started with voice, got inside the hotels, and realized how much more they could automate

With coding agents one engineer acts like five

Big contracts need custom solutions. Now they can deliver

🎙️ Gavin Brennen, Co-Founder, Lance (YC W26) on Fondo START pod

01:02 The reality of hotel software
01:53 The insight that sparked the company
02:01 A better way to handle guest requests
02:46 Why Lance had to build desktop agents
03:08 The centralized dashboard layer
04:00 Why hotel problems are highly custom
04:32 One engineer can now act like five
05:51 “Go all in”


Behind every startup's big idea is the less glamorous, but utterly essential, work of building a real business. The Startup Growth Podcast, from the team at Fondo, digs into that reality. Fondo itself is an all-in-one accounting platform designed for startups, handling everything from closing the books to filing taxes and even helping secure cash back from the IRS. This practical experience informs every conversation. You’ll hear founders and operators talk not just about vision, but about the tangible systems, financial decisions, and marketing pivots that actually fuel growth. Episodes move beyond theory to explore the operational choices that separate promising companies from sustainable ones. It’s a resource for entrepreneurs who understand that strategy is meaningless without execution, and that a healthy bottom line is the truest measure of progress. Tune in for honest discussions that bridge the gap between entrepreneurial ambition and the business fundamentals required to make it last.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 48

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