Those who face problems should solve them directly.
MyRealTrip, a travel startup, emphasizes this principle as it undergoes a company-wide transition to artificial intelligence (AI). The company is moving away from a model where only specific development teams or experts utilize AI, aiming instead to empower all employees to define and solve problems using AI, creating an 'AI-native' organization.
Since 2024, MyRealTrip has implemented an internal AI consulting group called 'AI Lab' and an internal experimentation program known as the 'AI Champion System,' integrating AI across services and operational methods. The company has focused on enhancing AI capabilities for all employees by providing onboarding support, learning subsidies, and unlimited access to AI tools.
As a result, employees from various departments, including marketing, sales, and finance, are now able to improve services and automate tasks without being hindered by technical knowledge or skills.
A notable example is the AI-based flight search service 'Lucky Glide.' When marketers identified a demand from customers who had flexible travel dates but no set destination, one marketer created an initial prototype, marking the start of service development. In the past, such ideas would have been passed to a development team for implementation, but now, frontline employees can directly address customer issues using AI.
Changes are also evident in the business-to-business (B2B) sales organization. Sales representatives have automated the sending of cold emails to potential clients by building their own customer relationship management (CRM) systems. This shift allows them to reduce repetitive tasks and focus on core responsibilities like customer engagement and sales strategy development.
MyRealTrip is expanding AI from a specialized skill to a tool for all employees. Previously, when improvements were needed, teams would request assistance from the development team and explain the background. Now, the person who understands the problem best can quickly devise a solution using AI.
As part of its organizational changes, MyRealTrip has also established a new role called 'Product Engineer (PE),' which encompasses development, planning, design, and data functions. This role is not merely a job consolidation; it aims to create a 'problem solver' structure where one individual is responsible for the entire process from planning to implementation, ensuring customer issues are fully addressed.
In practice, there are increasing instances of marketers writing code and designers launching services, as employees engage in multifunctional problem-solving beyond their traditional roles.
MyRealTrip has determined that the culture of AI utilization has become entrenched throughout the organization, leading to the conclusion of AI Lab operations in May, nearly two years after its inception. This signifies a shift from having a dedicated team driving AI usage to each employee applying AI in their work processes.
The company has also shared its achievements globally. Huh Won-jin, CTO of MyRealTrip, took the stage on June 11 at the 'Code with Claude: Extended' conference in Tokyo, where he discussed how to build and deploy AI workflows that transition prototypes into actual services, showcasing how MyRealTrip operates as an AI-native organization.
This year, MyRealTrip has elevated its AI transformation (AX) goals. Previously focused on improving AI literacy among all employees, the company is now shifting towards generating tangible business results through AI. The criteria for performance evaluation have also changed, now including AI-native aspects that position AI as a fundamental and core engine, measuring productivity and business impact through AI utilization.
Recently, the PE role has been involved in a 'Sales Lab' initiative, where team members spend three weeks directly engaging with sales and customer interactions. This allows them to experience firsthand the challenges faced in the field and connect those insights back to product improvements.
A MyRealTrip representative emphasized, "For startups operating with limited personnel and resources, how quickly AI is integrated across the organization is a key factor in productivity. The ability of frontline employees, who best understand operational issues, to create solutions through AI is leading to both internal efficiencies and improved customer service."
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.