London to Dubai: The vibes are high

Welcome to the October issue of The Adventure Capitalist! It’s been one of the busiest months in a long time and included a lot of travel, big breakthroughs, new podcasts, etc.

Here’s what you can expect this week:

• Austin’s trip to London to meet with the President of Guyana

• 5 things I learned from 24 hours in Dubai

• An investment breakdown on “the next Solana”?

Let’s go.

Notes from the Field:

This last week, I hopped on a flight to London to meet with the President of Guyana and Geoffrey Kent, the Founder and Chairman Emeritus of Abercrombie & Kent.

Abercrombie & Kent is the largest (and most successful) luxury travel operator in the entire world, and Geoffrey is one of my business heroes. He is credited with creating and popularizing the world’s first photo safari. It’s hard to believe, but before he started offering photo safaris, the only option was to go hunt in Africa.

We had breakfast and discussed the future of tourism in Guyana. Guyana is expected once again to be home to the world’s fastest growing economy. President Ali was the former Minister of Tourism and is committed to diversifying from the oil wealth that has flooded the countries coffers. He’s an incredibly thoughtful person and has a big vision for how Guyana can diversify their oil wealth with tourism.

The Guyanese government has earmarked US$7 million to train locals in hospitality, they have many programs to support local entrepreneurs, and they are actively pursuing investors to help them expand their tourism offerings.

All this is why I continue to be massively bullish on Guyana.

24 hours in Dubai: 5 things I learned

On my way to London, I spent an evening in Dubai. I was eager to visit because the hype surrounding Dubai is out of control and many people tout Guyana as “The Next Dubai”.

The real estate market in Dubai is BOOMING, it boasts the world's second-busiest airport, and you can't scroll through Instagram for more than a few minutes without encountering an influencer shilling it.

But what does it actually feel like on the ground?

As a first-time visitor, I had one evening to explore. I visited the world's largest mall in in the world, took pictures at the tallest building ever built, and had a chance to eat some food and get a feel for what it’s like.

#1 Emirates is the best airline I've ever flown.

American carriers reflect the state of our country. The service is poor, the flights are often delayed, the food is terrible (or non-existent), and the vibes are just bad.

Emirates is the opposite. The service is excellent, the booking process is easy, and the entire experience of flying is incredible. It really makes you wonder what is going on in our home country.

Upon arrival in Dubai, I breezed through customs and was whisked away in a private black BMW directly to my hotel. Emirates had graciously covered my accommodation due to my layover with their Dubai Connect program. If you get a chance, go Emirates.

#2 Dubai feels like a land of opportunity.

I chatted with several local cab drivers who had relocated from Pakistan and India to work in Dubai. Their enthusiasm for their new home was infectious. I was struck by Dubai's proximity to Pakistan and the sheer number of people who had left their home countries for greater opportunities here.

The city has prioritized ease and cleanliness—credit cards are universally accepted, the streets are immaculate, and construction is omnipresent. Like Singapore, it feels a bit sterile, but you can tell they are executing a vision.

#3 The Dubai Government understands marketing.

On the flight in, the default audio on the plane is a well produced government-sponsored podcast featuring interviews with high-profile individuals extolling Dubai's virtues. Plug in your headphones, and you're instantly transported into a conversation with a renowned chef, successful entrepreneur, author, or world leader, all singing Dubai's praises as the land of the future.

It's a meticulously coordinated effort—and an effective one at that. Everywhere you turn, you're met with government-sponsored, high-production-quality videos showcasing Dubai's attractions and real estate opportunities. There are drone shots over the city, music video style There is much to learn from how they are operating.

#4 They have a plan and they're executing it.

As you wander through the city and airport, you'll notice posters displaying the 8 Principles of Dubai everywhere you go. I took a picture and added it below.

A couple of things I noted from the 8 principles:

“Dubai does not invest or involve itself in politics, and does not rely on politics to ensure it’s competitiveness. We extend a hand of friendship to all those who hold good intentions towards Dubai and the UAE. Dubai is a politically neutral business-friendly global hub that focuses on creating economic opportunities.“

“Our new goal is to create at least a new economic sector every three years that will be productive, contribute to our GDP, and generate jobs.”

I feel like we could learn a lot from this.

#5 America is making people fat worldwide.

No matter where you go, the Americans have a hold on the food that makes you sick. Cheesecake Factory, Five Guys, KFC, New York Fries, McDonalds, etc. Wherever I looked in Dubai the American hot spots were there….and they were PACKED with people.

The Adventure Capitalist Podcast:

This week’s podcast, we discuss how there is trouble in the world’s supply of semiconductors, why China has fired the money cannon at their economy (and how to profit from it), and is Sui the next Solana?

Listen to the episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts

The Lifestyle:

🌎 Global Adventure

Redeeming credit card points for travel is confusing and challenging. This week I’ve been using a couple of tools to make it easier.

First, Seatspy.com allows you to set up alerts for reward tickets on a bunch of major airlines. When a ticket pops up, they will send you an email or text so you can pounce on it. Second, Points.me will allow you to put in your route and search for the best option. Both of these tools are really helpful for maximizing points.

💰Wealth, Business, and Life

Listen to this interview with JD Vance. The stark difference between how the media portrays him and the way he comes across in a long form interview is simply shocking. (link)

The 5 biggest business opportunities in Guyana (link)

Siete foods was bought for $1.2 billion by Pepsi Co and people are freaking out. My friend Anthony Gustin put together a great breakdown of why this is actually a good thing (link)

🚁 The Best of the Best

The world’s best hotels of 2024 is OUT (spoiler alert: 7 out of 10 are in Asia) (link)

This what you get for $150k in the “Switzerland of France”. LFG (link)