Inspired to build
Surrounding yourself with builders and founders creates a flywheel that inspires you to build. I hosted a founders dinner last night in Austin with six real estate technology company founders and am so grateful for their perspective and time. Founders come in all shapes and sizes but when you put them together they can speak the same language. They all started with a vision and a problem they wanted to solve. They all understand the disillusionment of things going sideways or endless rejection. They all recognize and appreciate the messy middle of building and dealing with endless problems. All told, they appreciate how incredibly grueling, self-sacrificing and yet fulfilling it is to start something from nothing.
Some founders set out methodically with an idea that they want to build a solution for a large market. Others set out to solve their own problems. Many seek it out for an emotional calling. If I could categorize the reasons for starting their companies for the six founders last night, I’d put them in the following thought bubbles:
1) "I set out to solve my own problem”
2) “I saw a void in the market where capital could solve it”
3) “I wanted to take down the 30 year old 800 pound gorilla in the room”
4) “I wanted to democratize access to a great thing”
5) “I wanted to save people time, money and headache”
6) “I wanted to create a great experience for travelers”
As the world continues to evolve and change with the first chapter post pandemic, the opportunities to create something new are endless. There are always problem to solve and when there are solutions to be offered, you have a market. These six founders chose real estate as their target. Real estate is an asset class that we all recognize as instrumental to our lives and so it naturally lures builders to solve marquee problems. Whether its short term stays, real estate accounting, moisture monitoring, property management, investment management, or mortgage financing, there are innovative approaches, and thus companies to build.
I bid my guests farewell knowing they’d be back in the saddle tomorrow morning, building, clawing, and fighting their way to dominance in their industry - and that is inspires the heck out of me.