AI is giving Trivago and its CEO Johannes Thomas a new playbook on how to beat back disruption

Trivago, a hotel search platform, defies expectations despite being smaller and narrower than competitors like Booking Holdings and Expedia. Despite the threats of expanded sanctions on Iran, the company remains profitable and experienced a 20% year-over-year revenue growth. CEO Johannes Thomas attributes this success to AI, now dedicating over half his time to AI transformation.

Thomas argues that small or medium-sized companies with a tech DNA are in a sweet spot due to fewer bureaucratic layers and union politics. He created a "role evolution agent" that scans employee data to provide personalized plays on automation and future job roles. Thomas himself spent 10 extra hours a week working on AI and recommends all CEOs invest at least one or two hours into AI to rethink their work.