Value Qualifier

Ramp Travel 2.0

Transforming $2.4B in travel spend from cost center to strategic lever.

📈 Valuation: $7.65B
💰 ARR: $1B+
✈️ Travel Inflation: +17% YoY
The Problem

Distribution ≠ Adoption

40% of travel spend is still expensed, not booked. Controllers can't enforce policy if employees can't book compliant options easily.

The Opportunity

Policy ≠ Constraint

Policy becomes invisible when it's intelligent. Dynamic limits + "soft blocks" capture intent without losing transactions.

$2.4B
Travel Spend
80%
Capture Target
$12M
Revenue Unlock

Competitive Landscape

Feature
Navan / TravelPerk
Ramp 2.0
Policy Engine
Separate System
Native Integration
Override Handling
Hard Block
Soft Block + Reason
Group Travel
Manual/Email
Self-Serve Dashboard
AI Concierge
Ava (Read-only)
Write Actions

The Product Thesis

Bet 01: The Wedge

Group Travel Dashboard

Self-serve offsites for EA's, not email threads. One link to manage 50+ attendees, enforce lodging caps, and track spend in real-time.

Bet 02: The Moat

AI Concierge with Write Access

Auto-rebook canceled flights within policy. Proactive savings alerts. The only AI that can act on your behalf—without asking first.

The Wedge: Group Travel

The Pain: Coordinating 50-person offsites today means spreadsheets, Slack threads, and manual reconciliation.

  • One Link: EAs share a booking portal, not a calendar invite
  • Policy Built-In: Room caps, flight classes, per-diem limits—all enforced automatically
  • Real-Time Dashboard: Finance sees spend accrue as people book

The Moat: AI Concierge

The Paradox: Convenience usually kills Control. Our AI acts autonomously only within policy bounds.

  • Flight canceled? Auto-rebook within policy
  • Price drop? Auto-rebook and save
  • High stakes? Ask for confirmation first

The UX Innovation: The "Soft Block"

We don't block. We capture intent.

⚠️Policy Alert: $100 Over Limit

This flight is $100 over the dynamic limit. You can still book it—just tell us why.

"The hard block loses the transaction AND the data. The soft block keeps both."

Strategic Risks

⚠️ Risk 1: The Loyalty Problem (Marriott Status)▼

The Reality: Marcus won't book through Ramp if it costs him his Marriott Platinum status.

Mitigation: We accept this isn't a 6-month product solve.

  • Parallel Track: Product builds GDS spec (Q2) → BD negotiates Loyalty Passthrough (Q3)
  • Interim: Expedia sync—we capture expense data even if we don't win the booking (yet)
📉 Risk 2: Priceline Inventory Gaps▼

The Gap: We lack Southwest and boutique hotels—real blocker for ~20% of travelers.

Mitigation: Target mid-market offsites first (simpler inventory needs) while BD expands supply.

Defining Success

North Star Metric
Booking Rate: 40% → 80%

Proxy for wallet share. Moving spend from "expensed" to "booked" unlocks ~2.6% interchange.

Guardrails
  • Override Rate: <20% (or policy is too tight)
  • Agent Hallucinations: 0% tolerance
  • Support Volume: Flat per transaction

90-Day Execution

Days 1-30

Validate

Customer discovery with 5-10 controllers. Hands-on with Navan (Ava), TravelPerk. Establish baseline for policy overrides.

Days 31-60

Spec

Hi-fi prototypes for Dynamic Policy + Soft Block UX. GDS integration spec for Loyalty Passthrough (BD artifact).

Days 61-90

Build

Ship Group Travel MVP to 3-5 design partners. Instrument metrics. Prep roadmap for AI Concierge Q2 start.

Why Me

"I build platforms that make complex operations feel simple."

JD: "0→1 Product Market Fit"

Built 0→1 platforms in regulated markets ($485M volume).

JD: "Upmarket Solutions"

Led API-first strategy unlocking $13.3M incremental revenue.

JD: "Cross-functional Leadership"

Aligned Engineering, Finance, and Legal to ship infrastructure.

My Superpower

Converting skeptical stakeholders through working prototypes.

The Ask

I'd welcome the opportunity to discuss how I'd approach these first 90 days—validating Dynamic Policy Control, building the team, and shipping Group Travel as the first proof point.

Discuss the Roadmap →