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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
014: From Road to Air: How Drone Delivery Is Reshaping Last-Mile Economics and Guest Experience
In this episode of STR Global Unlocked, Bobby Healy, Founder and CEO of Manna Drone Delivery, joins Simon Lehmann for a grounded discussion on why last-mile delivery is structurally broken and how autonomous aerial delivery could reshape logistics, cities, and the short-term rental guest experience.
Bobby brings decades of experience building travel and infrastructure businesses. Today, he leads Europe’s largest commercial drone delivery operator, running real operations at scale across Europe and the United States in dense urban environments.
From airline software to car rental distribution and now drone delivery, his perspective cuts across regulation, economics, and operational reality.
In this conversation, we discuss:
● Why last-mile delivery is structurally broken and constrained by road-based economics
● How drone delivery changes the unit economics of logistics at scale
● Why regulation is required infrastructure, not a blocker to innovation
● Where payload limits, flight availability, and use cases define what drones can realistically deliver
● Why drone delivery only works if it replaces road delivery rather than supplementing it
● How autonomous delivery intersects with hospitality and short-term rental guest experience
Explore more:
Connect with Bobby Healy on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/bhealy] to learn more about Manna Drone Delivery [https://manna.aero/]
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/