# Enabling People. Not Replacing Them

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/eu-startups-podcast-987009/enabling-people-not-replacing-them
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/eu-startups-podcast-987009/enabling-people-not-replacing-them.md
Podcast: [EU-Startups Podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/eu-startups-podcast-987009)
Published: 2026-08-13T09:34:47+00:00
Episode link: https://eu-startups.podigee.io/182-new-episode-perk
Audio file: https://audio.podigee-cdn.net/2569539-m-ea2c09af0da8389f7ec0245b631ea82c.mp3?source=feed
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/eu-startups-podcast-987009/episodes/enabling-people-not-replacing-them
Duration seconds: 1655

## Resource

In this exclusive interview, we sit down with Nikita Miller, Chief Product Officer at Perk, formerly TravelPerk, to discuss the company’s evolution into an AI-native travel and spend management platform and its global ambitions. Nikita joined Perk in September 2025 as the Barcelona-founded scale-up was expanding beyond travel into spend and expense management, integrating acquisitions such as Yokoy, and accelerating its growth in the US. Central to Perk’s strategy is eliminating what Nikita calls “shadow work”: repetitive tasks such as reconciling receipts, managing invoices, booking travel and navigating company policies. By automating these processes, Perk aims to give employees more time for higher-value work. Nikita argues that the debate around AI should go beyond whether it replaces jobs. While AI can handle repetitive tasks and improve reporting, strategic judgement, decision-making and understanding why a company should pursue a particular direction remain fundamentally human. The conversation also explores how AI is changing hiring and company structures. Rather than simply reducing headcount, Nikita believes AI is creating demand for new skill sets, particularly systems thinking as businesses develop increasingly interconnected AI-driven products. Perk is already moving towards a more agentic future, connecting travel, spend, invoices and events while investing in personalisation. Its years of travel and spending data allow it to improve recommendations for travellers and give CFOs and administrators greater visibility over policies, approvals and costs. Nikita also discusses Perk’s expansion into the US, arguing that its experience operating across complex European markets has prepared it well for localisation abroad. The company’s recent €300 million credit…

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## Transcript

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