In the competitive landscape of AI, Booking.com stands out as one of the pioneers who harnessed agentic AI long before its mainstream adoption. As someone who has bootstrapped my own startups and navigated challenging terrains in tech-driven industries, I can't help but admire how Booking.com managed to blend speed with trust, proving the potential of small models and larger systems working hand in hand. It's a lesson many of us startups can learn from , scaling tech without over-complicating operations.
Let’s unpack their approach. One of their key strategies involves layering modular AI systems. Booking.com integrates smaller, travel-specific models for quick tasks like recommendations or searches that require instant responses. Larger models, often leveraging advanced language capabilities, step in for more nuanced tasks like personalization or trust-driven decisions during booking interactions. This layered system doesn't just improve efficiency; it also raises the bar for maintaining trust, especially in sensitive customer data scenarios.
Booking.com has been very deliberate in its scaling decisions, avoiding what many founders dread, going all-in on a costly "one-way door" tech setup that locks you into a rigid architecture. Instead, their AI agents remain flexible, adaptable, and replaceable without requiring an overhaul of the entire system.
This modularity has delivered tangible results. In recent discussions shared through Hospitality Today on hybrid AI agents, it was noted that their booking-related retrieval and ranking accuracy doubled, while automation quality was maintained. As an entrepreneur working to increase efficiency while keeping operations affordable, I find it fascinating how they successfully balance tech innovation with practicality.
How Entrepreneurs Can Implement AI Models Without Overloading Efforts
AI models for startups aren’t always about grandeur; they’re about the right fit. Booking.com’s journey shows us that even compact AI systems can deliver major milestones.
Here are steps to consider for female entrepreneurs bootstrapping their startups:
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Define AI Needs Clearly: Don’t chase trends. Instead, assess where AI can save time and enhance efficiency. Booking.com focused on a well-defined travel-specific domain. What niche are you tackling?
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Layer AI Models: Start small. Use accessible APIs or your own small architectures to address specific tasks first. Add larger models only when precision becomes critical, just as Booking embraced OpenAI APIs for its experimental insights.
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Scale Gradually: Don’t build tech walls around your operations. Modular setups allow pieces to evolve independently without full system rewrites.
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Privacy and Ethics: Keep user trust as your guide. Booking.com demonstrates cautious yet confident strides toward personalization without overstepping boundaries.
Mistakes to Avoid When Scaling AI in Startups
Rushing headlong into AI without foundational strategy can cost dearly. Here’s what entrepreneurs should steer clear of, drawn from Booking.com’s disciplined approach:
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Over-committing to Large AI Models Early: Your business isn’t Google or OpenAI. Test scalability before investing heavily in a system that may not bring proportional growth.
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Adopting AI Without Customer-Centered Design: Even the smartest models can flop if they’re detached from real customer struggles. Avoid the pitfall of hoping advanced tech alone will solve problems.
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Skipping Regular Updates: AI models evolve. Training them consistently ensures relevancy, even in niche domains.
Lessons for Female Entrepreneurs (Particularly Based in Europe)
As someone who has bootstrapped multiple initiatives, seeing Booking.com scale with cautious foresight makes me even more confident about modular strategies in AI adoption. Europe is becoming a major hub for AI development, and small, agile teams shouldn’t feel pressured to compete with giant corporations. Here’s why Booking.com’s case should inspire us:
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Tech Synergy with Local Talent: Europe boasts rich talent pools, and Booking.com harnesses this through partnerships. Don't discount regional accelerators and ecosystems like Brightlands or TU/e Launch.
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Understanding Customers: Booking.com’s approach reminds us that knowing your users’ needs deeply beats building massive systems just because they’re trending.
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Speed Without Sacrificing Quality: Relying on smaller models for immediate results helps startups avoid bottlenecks while proving outputs quickly.
A Simple Guide for Entrepreneurs Ready to Start Working on AI
Building agentic AI systems shouldn’t intimidate small business owners or startup founders. Here's a no-frills roadmap:
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Research Modular AI Options: Tools like OpenAI APIs enable direct experimentation for specific problems.
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Pilot Small Tasks: Test AI for rapid pain points like customer support or predictive analytics before bigger commitments.
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Balance Speed and Complexity: Develop faster-churning solutions for routine tasks and leave more refined systems for nuanced customer personalization.
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Collaborate with Mentors/Accelerators: European startups are thriving within communities like Yes! Delft or the OECD Blockchain forums. Don’t stay isolated.
Final Thoughts
Booking.com’s approach, as detailed in Venturebeat’s coverage, shows the rewards of maintaining disciplined yet scalable AI experiments. For startup founders and especially female entrepreneurs, it’s a reminder that the tech race isn’t about speed but strategy.
Scaling AI while keeping operations lightweight can save both time and capital. It's something I've experimented with myself through my startup incubator, and I see its value echoed in Booking.com’s methods. Let us use these stories as inspiration to build systems that don’t just dazzle but actually deliver remarkable results.
FAQ
1. How did Booking.com pioneer the use of agentic AI?
Booking.com began experimenting with agentic AI systems when many companies weren't even considering such technologies. They utilized a modular, layered approach combining small and large AI models for different tasks, emphasizing flexibility and scalability. Read more about Booking.com's agentic AI journey
2. What makes Booking.com’s AI strategy unique?
Booking.com employs modular AI systems, using smaller models for quick tasks (e.g., recommendations) and larger models for complex tasks like personalization and trust-reliant decisions. This setup avoids over-reliance on rigid architectures. Discover how Booking.com builds hybrid AI agents for traveler support
3. How has Booking.com balanced speed and trust in its AI integration?
The company’s approach involves smaller, faster models for immediate, less critical queries, while larger, more accurate systems handle tasks requiring higher trust or customization. Learn more about Booking.com's approach to AI personalization
4. What are the results of Booking.com’s AI strategy?
Their modular AI systems have led to a doubling of booking-related retrieval and ranking accuracy, maintaining automation quality while scaling. Explore the outcomes of their scaling efforts
5. How long has Booking.com been using AI?
Over a decade. The company leveraged traditional machine learning and gradually transitioned to more advanced AI models like OpenAI’s APIs for personalization and innovative travel-oriented solutions. Check out how Booking.com personalizes travel at scale
6. What is the significance of modular AI setups in Booking.com’s architecture?
Modularity lets Booking.com improve or replace parts of their AI system without overhauling the entire infrastructure, avoiding "one-way door" decisions that might restrict adaptability. Learn why modular AI is crucial for Booking.com
7. How does Booking.com ensure customer privacy with its AI systems?
Booking.com prioritizes data privacy, ensuring personalized experiences without invasive practices. Their AI systems balance customization with strict ethical guidelines. Read how Booking.com carefully balances trust and personalization
8. What lessons can startups learn from Booking.com’s AI strategies?
Start small with accessible, scale-friendly AI, focus on niche-specific needs, and emphasize customer-centered design. Test and layer technology progressively. Discover startup-friendly AI practices inspired by Booking.com
9. How does Booking.com collaborate with AI giants like OpenAI?
Booking.com ran pilot programs using OpenAI’s API, quickly launching innovative tools like their AI Trip Planner within weeks. This collaboration highlights the value of integrating advanced systems with internal capabilities. Check out how Booking.com and OpenAI revolutionized travel
10. Why is Booking.com’s agentic AI transformation relevant today?
Their thoughtful, scalable AI evolution sets an example for balancing efficiency, customer trust, and cost management, critical factors for both startups and large enterprises adapting to AI trends today. Explore Booking.com's disciplined modular AI strategy
About the Author
Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. Throughout her startup experience she has applied for multiple startup grants at the EU level, in the Netherlands and Malta, and her startups received quite a few of those. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.
Violetta Bonenkamp's expertise in CAD sector, IP protection and blockchain
Violetta Bonenkamp is recognized as a multidisciplinary expert with significant achievements in the CAD sector, intellectual property (IP) protection, and blockchain technology.
CAD Sector:
- Violetta is the CEO and co-founder of CADChain, a deep tech startup focused on developing IP management software specifically for CAD (Computer-Aided Design) data. CADChain addresses the lack of industry standards for CAD data protection and sharing, using innovative technology to secure and manage design data.
- She has led the company since its inception in 2018, overseeing R&D, PR, and business development, and driving the creation of products for platforms such as Autodesk Inventor, Blender, and SolidWorks.
- Her leadership has been instrumental in scaling CADChain from a small team to a significant player in the deeptech space, with a diverse, international team.
IP Protection:
- Violetta has built deep expertise in intellectual property, combining academic training with practical startup experience. She has taken specialized courses in IP from institutions like WIPO and the EU IPO.
- She is known for sharing actionable strategies for startup IP protection, leveraging both legal and technological approaches, and has published guides and content on this topic for the entrepreneurial community.
- Her work at CADChain directly addresses the need for robust IP protection in the engineering and design industries, integrating cybersecurity and compliance measures to safeguard digital assets.
Blockchain:
- Violetta’s entry into the blockchain sector began with the founding of CADChain, which uses blockchain as a core technology for securing and managing CAD data.
- She holds several certifications in blockchain and has participated in major hackathons and policy forums, such as the OECD Global Blockchain Policy Forum.
- Her expertise extends to applying blockchain for IP management, ensuring data integrity, traceability, and secure sharing in the CAD industry.
Violetta is a true multiple specialist who has built expertise in Linguistics, Education, Business Management, Blockchain, Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, Game Design, AI, SEO, Digital Marketing, cyber security and zero code automations. Her extensive educational journey includes a Master of Arts in Linguistics and Education, an Advanced Master in Linguistics from Belgium (2006-2007), an MBA from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden (2006-2008), and an Erasmus Mundus joint program European Master of Higher Education from universities in Norway, Finland, and Portugal (2009).
She is the founder of Fe/male Switch, a startup game that encourages women to enter STEM fields, and also leads CADChain, and multiple other projects like the Directory of 1,000 Startup Cities with a proprietary MeanCEO Index that ranks cities for female entrepreneurs. Violetta created the "gamepreneurship" methodology, which forms the scientific basis of her startup game. She also builds a lot of SEO tools for startups. Her achievements include being named one of the top 100 women in Europe by EU Startups in 2022 and being nominated for Impact Person of the year at the Dutch Blockchain Week. She is an author with Sifted and a speaker at different Universities. Recently she published a book on Startup Idea Validation the right way: from zero to first customers and beyond, launched a Directory of 1,500+ websites for startups to list themselves in order to gain traction and build backlinks and is building MELA AI to help local restaurants in Malta get more visibility online.
For the past several years Violetta has been living between the Netherlands and Malta, while also regularly traveling to different destinations around the globe, usually due to her entrepreneurial activities. This has led her to start writing about different locations and amenities from the POV of an entrepreneur. Here’s her recent article about the best hotels in Italy to work from.
About the Publication
Fe/male Switch is an innovative startup platform designed to empower women entrepreneurs through an immersive, game-like experience. Founded in 2020 during the pandemic "without any funding and without any code," this non-profit initiative has evolved into a comprehensive educational tool for aspiring female entrepreneurs.The platform was co-founded by Violetta Shishkina-Bonenkamp, who serves as CEO and one of the lead authors of the Startup News branch.
Mission and Purpose
Fe/male Switch Foundation was created to address the gender gap in the tech and entrepreneurship space. The platform aims to skill-up future female tech leaders and empower them to create resilient and innovative tech startups through what they call "gamepreneurship". By putting players in a virtual startup village where they must survive and thrive, the startup game allows women to test their entrepreneurial abilities without financial risk.
Key Features
The platform offers a unique blend of news, resources,learning, networking, and practical application within a supportive, female-focused environment:
- Skill Lab: Micro-modules covering essential startup skills
- Virtual Startup Building: Create or join startups and tackle real-world challenges
- AI Co-founder (PlayPal): Guides users through the startup process
- SANDBOX: A testing environment for idea validation before launch
- Wellness Integration: Virtual activities to balance work and self-care
- Marketplace: Buy or sell expert sessions and tutorials
Impact and Growth
Since its inception, Fe/male Switch has shown impressive growth:
- 5,000+ female entrepreneurs in the community
- 100+ startup tools built
- 5,000+ pieces of articles and news written
- 1,000 unique business ideas for women created
Partnerships
Fe/male Switch has formed strategic partnerships to enhance its offerings. In January 2022, it teamed up with global website builder Tilda to provide free access to website building tools and mentorship services for Fe/male Switch participants.
Recognition
Fe/male Switch has received media attention for its innovative approach to closing the gender gap in tech entrepreneurship. The platform has been featured in various publications highlighting its unique "play to learn and earn" model.
