Most founders look for an unmet need, a broken system to fix. But what if the degradation of a giant, established industry could become your most powerful marketing engine? That's the counter-intuitive insight from Andrew Collins, Global CEO of Flexjet, as he discusses the explosive growth of private aviation.

Key Takeaways

  • Commercial aviation's decline is private jet's best ad. As Collins puts it, the perceived degradation of commercial flights — from delays to shrinking seats — directly drives demand for private alternatives, effectively becoming their most potent marketing force.
  • Customers own the fleet, not just the service. Flexjet’s model isn't just selling hours; it's pre-selling shares in the actual aircraft. This means a significant bulk of their fleet is owned by consumers, creating a deeply invested, sticky customer base and shifting debt off the company's balance sheet.
  • COVID-19 turned luxury into a habit. The pandemic inadvertently introduced a new wave of customers to private aviation, an experience described as “one of the most addicting things on the planet.” Once tasted, that convenience is hard to give up.
  • Invest for expertise, not just returns, in future tech. Flexjet proactively invested in vertical lift and helicopters at the start of COVID. Their goal: deeply understand short-distance aviation and future EVTOL technologies, ensuring they build crucial expertise, not just react to trends.

The Unseen Marketing Force Behind Private Jets

Imagine your biggest competitor actively making your product more appealing without even trying. That’s the dynamic Andrew Collins describes for private aviation. “Commercial aviation is probably the best marketing force that we have in private aviation,” Collins states plainly, “in that it has degraded over time and you can see it in various ways.”

This isn't just about comfort. It's about reliability, convenience, and time saved. As commercial flight experiences worsen, the value proposition of private jets — which often use alternative airports and bypass commercial headaches — becomes clearer, almost screaming its own virtues. It's a testament to finding a competitive advantage not just in what you do, but in the glaring gaps your competitors leave behind.

The Sticky Power of a Customer-Owned Fleet

Flexjet isn't just selling a service; they're selling ownership. Their unique model centers on pre-selling shares in their fleet. This means a substantial portion of their planes are actually owned by their customers, not just by Flexjet. Collins explains, “the thing about our model is is that a lot of our consumers are the ones that are purchasing the model. We pre-sell most of our shares. So while we carry some debt on the balance sheet, a good bulk of the the fleet itself is actually owned by our consumers.”

This approach builds incredible loyalty. When customers have a tangible stake in the assets, they're not just users; they're part-owners. This creates a powerful moat against competitors and provides a distinct capital advantage, as customer capital helps finance fleet expansion. It flips the traditional service model, turning customers into equity partners in their own aviation experience.

Proactive Bets on Future Flight

While others waited for the future of flight to arrive, Flexjet invested in it. At the onset of COVID, as the world braced for uncertainty, Flexjet leaned into understanding vertical lift and short-distance aviation. “When the EVTOL movement came and and everybody thought that we were going to be the Jetsons inside of 5 years,” Collins recounts, “it was important to understand for us short distance aviation. So, we actually at the beginning of COVID invested in vertical lift and helicopters.”

This wasn't about immediate profit from EVTOLs, but about gaining crucial expertise. They bought helicopters to learn the operational complexities of vertical flight, preparing for a future where eVTOLs might become common. It’s a strategic long-game play: invest early to build institutional knowledge and experience, positioning the company to lead when new technologies mature, rather than playing catch-up.

What to Do With This

First, identify an industry adjacent to yours that is actively degrading. Can you position your product or service as the clear, premium antidote to their decline? Second, explore models where your customers can own a piece of your core assets or infrastructure, not just consume a service. This could create deeply loyal users and a unique capital structure for growth. Finally, instead of merely monitoring future tech trends, find a way to proactively invest – even if small – to build expertise now so you're ready to lead when the market inevitably shifts.