A. Toby Espinosa’s Post

DO TO THE KITCHEN WHAT UBER DID TO THE CAR LinkedIn members familiar with my posts and articles know that I believe the grocery and food industries are ready for severe disruption. In 2013, I wrote articles, LinkedIn posts, and I spoke on podcasts about what I consider to be the Holy Grail of disruption - leverage infrastructure and robotics to reduce the cost of food production and delivery cheaper than the price of going to a grocery store to buy groceries and cook the food at home. In the video I have attached, Travis Kalanick, co-founder of Uber, and one of the most brilliant and influential entrepreneurs in history, outlines his vision for his company, CloudKitchens. According to Travis, this is the opportunity: “Can you get the preparation and delivery of food so high-quality and cost-efficient, that it starts to approach the cost of you going to the grocery store. If that happens, you do to the kitchen what Uber did to the car.” I believe the answer is yes. I agree 100% with Kalanick as I designed nearly the exact same model. However, I desgined the model for Amazon to leverage, and Travis launched CloudKitchens. Amazon is a customer of CloudKitchens, and the relationship is growing. Travis believes that his strength is “digitizing the physical world.” This means manufacturing, logistics and real estate. CloudKitchens has a software division and a robotics division. (A video is played in the podcast that shows the ecosystem CloudKitchens has created via their software and robotics). I believe we are about to witness how powerful CloudKitchens ecosystem is due to their partnership with Starbucks and their new CEO Brian Niccol. Niccol wants to resore the vibe of Starbucks being the “third place.” CloudKitchens can make it a reality. I strongly encourage Niccol to THINK BIG and push the frontier of what’s possible using robotics and automation inside CloudKitchens facilities strategically located in the majority of cities. CloudKitchens facilities can be leveraged for drinks and food preparation. Completed orders can be delivered in minutes to nearby actual Starbucks. Expanding the partnership with CloudKitchens is arguably the most strategic move Niccol can make. Travis and CloudKitchens are creating a new model for how Americans THINK about eating, and they’re also providing the infrastructure and ecosystem to introduce new options for food. The food and grocery industries are a $2T business. Little has changed in the industries over the last 100 years. The potential impact of CloudKitchens is nearly limitless. We are witnessing the next Uber in CloudKitchens. I encourage everyone to watch the video. I wish Travis and the team from CloudKitchens the best. Note: I have tried to get Travis to agree to an interview but so far, I have been unable to convince Travis to do so. #retail #management #leadership #future Chamath Palihapitiya Jason Calacanis David O. Sacks David Friedberg All-In Podcast

Grocery and Food industry disruption! Brittain Ladd You certainly stimulate thought! This reminds me of Ryanair original business model - to make air travel cheaper than any other way of getting to a destination. Crazy at the time, yet Ryanair is still doing fine and largely created a model that met its vision. Perhaps CloudKitchens can be the Ryanair of food production and distribution. Will watch this space. #distruption #innovation #foodinnovation #cpg #foodservice

If Allon Korem is excited, so are we! Thanks, Statsig for having our CEO as one of the speakers @ A/B Talks: Berlin. If you're interested in learning more on #abtesting from top industry leaders and experts, make sure to save your spot: https://lnkd.in/g7D23S9m HelloFresh, N26 & Statsig, see you soon! #berlintech #productmanagement #advancedanalytics

Recently, our partners at UpMeals shared that CEO, Drew Munro spoke at the Self-Service Innovation Summit offering his expertise on smart vending and fresh food retail. The multiday event highlighted transformative trends in smart vending technology reshaping the industry, focusing on cashless and mobile payments, sustainable packaging, interactive displays, and the integration of AI and IoT. Cashless and Mobile Payments: The trend towards cashless transactions, including contactless and mobile payments, is growing. Driven by consumer preferences for hygiene and convenience, vending machines are increasingly incorporating technologies like NFC for contactless payments. Sustainable Packaging: Environmental concerns are driving a shift to sustainable packaging in the vending industry. Alternatives like biodegradable, compostable, and recyclable materials are becoming more prevalent, reducing environmental impact and appealing to eco-conscious consumers. Interactive Displays: Vending machines are adopting interactive displays using touch-screen technology. These displays, featuring advanced capabilities like facial recognition and augmented reality, are revolutionizing the way customers interact with vending machines. Artificial Intelligence and Internet of Things: The integration of AI and IoT technologies is leading to more advanced vending machine operations. These technologies facilitate efficient inventory management, predictive maintenance, and enhanced customer interaction, improving both operational efficiency and user experience. These trends showcase the vending industry's evolution towards being more user-friendly, efficient, and environmentally conscious, driven by technology and changing consumer expectations. Congratulations Drew on providing industry leadership and innovation for #smartvending. #smrt1tech #retailinnovation #brandgrowth #ai #selfservice

🌟 Joining the conversation on genius marketing moves! From a pristine Whopper to the bold moldy transformation, @BurgerKing's #MoldyWhopperCampaign takes us on a journey of authenticity. 🚀💬 Kudos to challenging norms and sparking discussions! Let's celebrate innovation and menu evolution together. 👑💚 #MarketingGenius #BoldCampaigns"

Have you noticed our fresh new look? 🟦 🟪 ⬜ ⬛ Last week we celebrated the #rebranding of Adevinta across our offices. This represents a milestone in our journey aiming to unite all our #marketplaces under one purpose: changing commerce together, connecting people to make more sustainable choices by helping everything and everyone find a new purpose. During this celebration, we heard inspiring speeches from our CEO Antoine Jouteau, our General Managers and Vertical Leads, and our brand experts. #ChangingCommerceTogether #AdevintaLife #CircularEconomy

Today is Innovation Day. I'm seeing a lot of posts that celebrate innovation. We should be promoting innovation and highlighting our successes. A lot of the "daily holidays" are fantastic for social media posts, pats on the backs, and making sure that we promote whatever it is. (I personally love Chocolate Day and Ice Cream Day!) To foster innovation I think that we should change what we celebrate. How many ideas did it take to have a successful innovation? If we only celebrate the victories, most people won't want to look like a failure so they won't take risks. Promote successful innovation through conversation and risk evaluation. I recommend we change the day (or add another) to “The best idea that didn’t work.” Throw a party or have a dinner. Without these, you typically don't get what you want. #takerisks #innovation #fostergrowth #victories #successformula #definefailure #ideas #ocs #officecoffee #pantry #coffee #micromarkets #unattendedretail #vending #consulting #mergersandacquisitions #orrinhuebner.com

I am quickly seeing that this is going to be the "year of change" with big, bold moves. There are going to be quite a few companies left behind if they have not been planning for the future. The increase in the pace of technological advancement continues to skyrocket and only the best prepared will survive. Buckle your seatbelts.... #Mediocracy will no longer be accepted. I can't wait to see where #2024 takes us! #innovation #restauranttech #hospitalitytech #restauranttechnology #hospitalitytechnology #foodservice #technology #ai #xr #ar #vr #vrar #metaverse #digitialtwins

It's Monday morning - which only means one thing… Time to check out this week’s early access opportunities on Crowdcube. ⏰ RON DORFF - RON DORFF is a premium menswear brand on a mission to upgrade iconic sportswear staples combining Swedish functionality with French style. AppyWay - AppyWay is the award winning intelligent kerbside platform helping cities, businesses, fleets and drivers from the kerb up. MICREGEN LTD - Manipulating stem cells with the aim of producing 'off-the-shelf' products promoting longevity to extend an active quality of life. L.A BREWERY | NON-ALCOHOLIC - Award-winning non-alcoholic drinks company based in Suffolk founded by Louise Avery. Stockists include Leon, itsu, Nandos, Dishoom & Ocado. onezone - onezone’s vision is to be the ultimate discovery platform, curating the best restaurants, bars, cafes and hotels around the world. Head over to our website now to sign up to these opportunities and more: https://lnkd.in/e6nY3q44 -- Don’t invest unless you’re prepared to lose all the money you invest. This is a high-risk investment and you are unlikely to be protected if something goes wrong. Take 2 minutes to learn more: https://bit.ly/3TlfpgO

Admiring Disruptors, but is there Real Commitment? As an ambitious food start-up looking to scale sustainably and meaningfully, I’ve always admired brands that shake up the status quo in our industry. But recently, I've found myself wondering - do the companies showcasing these brands truly have skin in the game? Here’s why: On a recent flight with British Airways, I noticed that Grind, a brand making waves in the coffee industry, was proudly featured in BA's High Life Café menu. Yet on the early outbound flight, they had run out of coffee - or perhaps forgotten to restock! The crew continued to serve Twining's tea but in Grind’s bold, pink single-use coffee cups. 🤔 It got me thinking—is this a sign of real commitment to supporting new brands, or is it just a case of virtue signalling? When larger companies align with disruptors, they must support these partnerships meaningfully—because running out of stock or mismatched branding can ultimately dilute the very essence of what makes these new brands stand out. I’d love to hear your thoughts—are these partnerships genuine, or are they more for show? #StartUpLife #BrandPartnerships #DisruptorBrands #GrindCoffee #Sustainability #plantbased #britishairways