May 24, 2022 · 38m · we-live-to-build
His Partners Said No, So He Funded the App Alone (It Hit $4.5M)
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gold bands on the timeline = statements, start to end. Hover to read, click to jump. CC turns on captions
In this episode of the 'We Live to Build' podcast, host Sean Weisbrot interviews aviation entrepreneur Irakli Litanishvili on managing a 15-company conglomerate, bootstrapping the on-demand booking app Mirai Flights, and navigating the technological future of shared and electric aviation.
How this conversation actually went
Every chapter scored 0–10 on four independent dynamics. Hover any point for the reasoning behind the score. Sean holds 30.7% of the talking time here. How this is scored →
Sean as informed peer 3.0 Guest teaching 2.3 Guest disagreement 0.7 Sean pushing back 1.7
speaking balance: gold is Sean, purple is the guest (3 minute bins)
Sharpest disagreement ▶ 27:04 Irakli rejects dismissal of Mirai Flights' value proposition
Irakli immediately pushes back against Sean's claim that his app is not unique, walking through how the system unlocks discounted empty-leg routes.
Hardest push from Sean ▶ 26:53 Sean challenges the innovation of the Mirai Flights appSean bluntly minimizes the platform's novelty, characterizing it as simple automation rather than an inflection point.
Biggest teaching moment ▶ 10:18 Irakli educates Sean on growing high-net-worth market demographicsIrakli counters Sean's skepticism about charter flight pricing by citing data forecasting 8.6 million European high-net-worth individuals by 2025.
Sean holds their own ▶ 34:26 Sean deconstructs clean energy manufacturing assumptionsSean demonstrates deep structural understanding by detailing how electric flight still depends on fossil-fuel-driven mining, manufacturing, and grid infrastructure.
the scores for every segment, with the reasoning behind each
| Chapter | Topic | Sean as informed peer | Guest teaching | Guest disagreement | Sean pushing back | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Irakli Litanishvili's Journey from Broker to Aviation Group Founder | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | Sean opens with standard interview prompts about Irakli's career trajectory. Irakli recounts his background from working as a charter broker in London to founding a multi-company aviation conglomerate. | |
| Democratizing Private Jet Travel and the Ferry Flight Model | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | Sean pushes back on Irakli's pricing accessibility claim, comparing a 3,000 to 7,000 euro short flight against long-haul commercial business class. Irakli responds by citing European wealth statistics and ferry flight optimization. | |
| Experiential Travel, Market Growth During COVID, and Utilitarian Flying | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | Sean playfully challenges Irakli's label of people earning five million dollars as middle class. Both share anecdotes on experiential travel before Irakli advocates for viewing private aviation as utilitarian transportation. | |
| Managing a Multi-Company Group and the Three-Year Profitability Rule | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | Irakli explains his management strategy, partner profit-sharing, and his strict rule of closing ventures that fail to break even within three years. Sean validates this approach with his own founder experience. | |
| Bootstrapping Mirai Flights App and Introducing Outside Capital | 3 | 4 | 2 | 4 | Sean challenges Mirai Flights, asserting that digitizing flight booking is an obvious automation rather than a unique innovation. Irakli defends the platform by highlighting its dynamic empty-leg matching and carbon-offset integration. | |
| The Future of Shared Aviation Fleet Models | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | Sean asks whether aviation will follow the autonomous and shared mobility trends seen in automotive tech. Irakli agrees and provides market analysis on why fractional club models will scale first in the US before Europe. | |
| Debating Electric Aviation and the Sustainability Paradox | 6 | 1 | 1 | 3 | Sean delivers an extended systemic critique of green technology, arguing that electric aviation is limited by fossil-fuel-powered manufacturing, mining, and electrical grids. Irakli concedes to the environmental paradox. |
Statements from this episode (12)
Irakli Litanishvili Founded Mirai Flights in 2019 for Uber-Style Jet Booking
“And in 2019, we decided that we should go digital and we set up the company called Mirai flights, which today presents service to book your private jet or any jet, which you would like the same way as Uber or any other least or any other companies who provides…”
Mirai Flights Sells Short Private Jet Trips For €3,000 to €5,000
“Today by our app, you know, we sell small trips up to between three to 5000 euros”
Litanishvili: Europe Will Have 8.6 Million Earning Over $5M by 2025
“According to the well fix in 2025th, I think it's gonna be 8.6 million people in Europe who earns more than five million dollars per year.”
Pandemic Drove 64% Surge in Commercial Flyers Moving to Private Aviation
“During the COVID, as you mentioned, our group got. 64% more clients, the new clients from business class and from the first class who start to move down to the private jet service.”
Litanishvili: Private Jets Should Be Utilitarian Transportation, Not Luxury
“This is what I think private jet should be. It's just not the luxury. It should be the transportation service.”
A Light Jet Costs $5M Plus $300K to $500K Annually to Operate
“This airplane costs five million, and you spend annually when you own this airplane up to between 300 to 500,000 dollars.”
Litanishvili Gives New Ventures Three Years to Break Even Before Closing Them
“In terms of how I putting the new business into the group, I'm giving three years to each project. If after my investment within three years, the company not goes to the operational zero, I just close the company.”
Mirai Flights Generated $4.5 Million in Revenue During Its App Testing Phase
“Within testing regime by our app, we've got the revenue 4.5 million dollars.”
Mirai Flights Users Save Up to 70% by Booking Empty Ferry Flights
“Our platform helps to take out of this route empty ferry flights, which will help you to save up to 70% of your flight.”
Shared Aircraft Programs Will Develop in the US Before Europe
“I mean, my personal opinion that that's going to happen first in U.S. And it's going to be then coming to the Europe because U.S. Still, you know, More mature with aviation, and there are lots of airplanes can be easily integrated to this program. In Europe, i…”