VRWS Leadership Interview of the Day
In approaching the 12th edition of the Vacation Rental World Summit, we’re releasing a series of interviews to leaders, key players and highly motivated people in our industry whose companies make a deep impact in our space and will be present at VRWS.
The aim is to get you some insight into these leaders and the company they founded, manage or work for, as well as getting some behind the scenes on their thinking, their motivation and their drive.
JOHN DEROULET
- What inspired you to enter the vacation rental industry?
It was a bit of an accident actually. I was working in Youth development and studying fine art. My friend suggested I join this small start-up where they “drank beer in the office.” I joined as employee number 9 and that start-up ended up being Stay Alfred being one of the urban STR pioneers in the US followed shortly by Sonder, Lyric and eventually Domio.
- What sets your company apart in the vacation rental industry, and how do you ensure you stay ahead of the competition?
Wheelhouse is more than just a dynamic pricing system. We are an entire revenue management platform and really the only platform in the space designed for enterprise level and professional revenue managers. What keeps us ahead of the competition is a number of things:
- Excellent Data Science [And Data!] -> we have multiple data scientists on staff developing our approach to pricing constantly. These data scientists have been with the team for nearly a decade also giving us tons of continuity as we build on the best in class pricing engine. We are proud of the work we are doing and our research is published on our website!
- Design -> We invest a ton in UI and UX to make what is otherwise a complicated field approachable and intuitive. Even though we build a complex product for the professionals, our focus on design allows hosts and small PM’s to use our platform significantly leveling up their Revenue Management capabilities and giving them room to grow into the system as they grow their portfolios.
- Team -> Honestly I love our team. I think it is the best part and that is saying something because I think our product is definitely top notch as well. We invest in customer service [and have 24/7 live chat with answer times in minutes at all times of the day]. We provide dedicated account management service to our clients and have multiple revenue managers on the team to consult with our clients. Finally, Wheelhouse has actual property management experience. Though we are exclusively a revenue management software now we previously directly managed over 600 listings and the team understands both what is at stake and what it takes to be a PM in this space.
- If you attended the 2024 Vacation Rental World Summit in Porto, what was the most exciting or valuable takeaway for you? And looking ahead to the 2025 edition in Rome, what are you hoping to gain or experience this time?
I did attend the 2024 VRWS and I think it has to be one of the best trade shows in the space. This is not just me being able to take a trip to Europe for work. Rather the format is fantastic and feels extremely intimate and personal. The table setup in particular I think is especially genius. It gives you the opportunity to have direct conversations with people at the conference and since those table assignments rotate you get to make connections with a variety of people at the show. This entire table experience is bolstered by the presentations all occurring in the showroom together and there not being a focus on superfluous presentations for presentation sake. Connection is the key at VRWS.
- Beyond business, what’s one experience or destination that left a lasting impression on you, and why?
I am an artist. I studied painting in college for 6 years before entering the industry and still continue to show new work every couple years. Last time I was in Rome I was excited to see the Bernini Marbles at the Borghese Villa. Daphne and Apollo is one of my favorite mythical stories and Bernini’s rendition is exquisite. I am hoping to go back for VRWS 2025 [and hopefully convince the company to allow me to invite some clients and industry friends!]. I often try to bring clients to museums during conferences and Rome will be an excellent opportunity.
- What’s one fun fact, hidden talent, or little-known secret about you that other attendees should know to spark a great conversation with you?
I suppose I just said it above! I studied painting in school and continue to paint. [www.johnderoulet.com, IG:modus_pwnen ]. Aside from that I am a big student of mythology. I’ve read nearly all of Joseph Campbell’s work and enjoy chatting about it. It’s an easy crossover with art history since so much of art is the visual artefacts of our cultural symbolism.
You’ll have the opportunity to meet John directly at VRWS in Rome
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