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