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STR Global Unlocked with Simon Lehmann: Unfiltered knowledge for the short term rental industry
The short-term rental industry is evolving fast, and Simon Lehmann isn’t afraid to say what others won’t.
STR Global Unlocked is where property managers, STR tech founders, vacation rental investors, and hospitality leaders get real about the business. Each episode breaks down what’s working, what’s broken, and what’s coming next: property management operations, direct bookings, vacation rental software, pricing strategies, mergers and acquisitions in real estate, professional host challenges, and the future of automation, AI, and tech stacks.
Hosted by Simon Lehmann, CEO of AJL Atelier and one of the most trusted voices in the global STR space, the show delivers unfiltered conversations with the people shaping the industry. Simon has decades of experience in vacation rentals, travel tech, and hospitality, including leadership roles at Vacasa Europe, PhocusWright and HomeAway.
If you’re scaling a property management company, building short-term rental technology, investing in vacation rentals, or entering this fast-moving market, this podcast is your seat at the table.
STR Global Unlocked with Simon Lehmann: Unfiltered knowledge for the short term rental industry
005: Behind the Scenes of Guesty’s Rise to Global PMS Powerhouse with Amiad Soto, Co-founder & CEO
Amiad Soto is the co-founder and CEO of Guesty, one of the most recognized property management software platforms in the short-term rental industry. His journey started in Tel Aviv, where he and his brother Koby launched the company more than a decade ago, before taking it through Y Combinator in Silicon Valley. Under his leadership, Guesty has grown into a global player, shaping the way property managers and hosts scale their businesses across markets worldwide.
Our conversation dives into Guesty’s growth story, the lessons learned along the way, and what’s next for the short-term rental industry.
In this conversation, we discuss:
- Amiad Soto’s journey from a side project with his twin brother in Tel Aviv to scaling Guesty into a global property management platform.
- Key lessons from Guesty’s time at Y Combinator and how that experience shaped the company’s growth.
- Why short-term rentals are a core part of hospitality and how the industry has evolved over the past decade.
- The challenges of scaling technology across fragmented, international markets and Guesty’s approach to solving them.
- How Guesty builds tech for real-world operators, from streamlining daily operations to enabling smarter, data-driven decisions.
- Amiad’s perspective on leading through change while building customer trust and strong team culture.
Explore more:
- Guesty Property Management Platform [https://www.guesty.com]. Explore how Guesty supports property managers with end-to-end solutions.
- Connect with Amiad Soto, Co-founder & CEO of Guesty, on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/amiadsoto].
Resources
- AJL Atelier – Global STR Consulting [https://www.ajlatelier.com]. Led by our host Simon Lehmann, AJL Atelier is a boutique advisory firm helping professional hosts, property managers, and investors succeed in the short-term rental industry.
- Connect with Simon Lehmann on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-lehmann-8375753b/]
Stay connected:
- Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/str-global-unlocked-with-simon-lehmann-unfiltered/id1842946960
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3kke4wOx0tNv0duq9MMWtO
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLWVkmUOkmhSHcFjzi28AhaQNR98vaG65O
- Website: https://www.ajlatelier.com/podcasts
- Newsletter: https://str-global-unlocked.beehiiv.com/