When people ask me about our RV tour or my podcast, they're often puzzled.
"Why would the CEO of a PropTech company choose to live in an RV for months, driving across America to record conversations with industry leaders?"
The question makes sense. After all, wouldn't my time be better spent optimizing our product, raising capital, or attending the right conferences?
But that conventional thinking is exactly what I've chosen to question.
The Noise of Traditional Networking
Let's be honest about conferences in our industry.
As a Co-Founder and CEO of Zuma, I've experienced firsthand the dynamics of these events: a conference hall filled with decision-makers, and vendors competing for their attention.
It's a game with unfavorable odds, especially for early-stage startups. When everyone's selling "higher conversion rates" and "increased NOI," how do you stand out? How do you build genuine relationships in a 5-minute conversation between sessions?
As Daniel Paulino, considered one of Multifamily’s few “Marketing Gurus,” pointed out during our conversation:
"It's challenging because of the lack of time and just zooming from one session to another, or one demo to another, sometimes people catch you in a moment where you have just a quick bit of attention, often fleeting attention."
Mute The World, Build Your Own
I've evolved significantly in my approach over the years.
When I first started Zuma, I lacked confidence. I'd look to investors, other founders, and "more successful" people for advice, taking an average of their guidance and applying it to my company.
This approach led to mediocre decisions that I didn't feel connected to but implemented anyway because I didn't believe in myself.
But as time passed, I learned a fundamental truth: Sometimes I need to trust my intuition over data and other people’s advice.
One of my favorite quotes is: "mute the world and build your own." This resonates deeply because for too long, I did the opposite – I amplified the world's volume and built based on that.
Breaking Down the Problem
When I reflected on how to approach industry relationships differently, I went back to first principles:
- People buy from people they like and have relationships with
- The conference floor isn't the optimal environment for building those relationships
- I needed to create a system that was genuine, scalable, and aligned with my strengths
I also recognized that I had been ignoring my strengths while focusing on weaknesses – a common founder mistake.
Instead, I needed to channel my energy into what I excel at naturally.
The Birth of the Podcast
After deep reflection, I realized that I've always loved asking questions and engaging in meaningful conversations.
I've been obsessed with podcasts since before they were mainstream – listening to TED talks when others found it weird.
The podcast became my solution – a way to sit down with industry leaders and forge genuine connections through conversation rather than pitching.
Not through a five-minute exchange on a conference floor, but through an hour-long, in-depth discussion about their life experiences, challenges, and insights.
My first episode was with the legend, Mike Wolber:
Taking It Further: The RV Tour
The podcast evolved into something even more unconventional – an RV tour across America.
Many people (including my colleagues 😅) thought it was crazy.
Why would I leave my home, my routine, and my social life to live in an RV?
That's precisely why I decided to do it.
While others might copy a website design or marketing campaign, few would commit to something so demanding. It created a unique, ownable position in the market that aligns with who I truly am.
The Unexpected Benefits
Beyond the business impact, this journey has revealed surprising personal insights.
I've discovered I'm not as attached to material possessions or routines as I thought. I've formed unexpected friendships with my traveling companions, Daniella and David, who were strangers before this adventure.
Perhaps most rewarding has been discovering how universal our human experiences are.
Through dozens of conversations with industry leaders, I've heard stories of imposter syndrome, childhood struggles, and personal growth that mirror my own journey.
Everyone has a deeply personal story – whether they're a CEO or a leasing agent. We're all humans experiencing similar emotions and challenges. This realization has made these conversations even more meaningful.
The Impact on Zuma
This approach isn't just about personal fulfillment – it's had a profound impact on Zuma.
By creating genuine connections rather than transactional relationships, we've built a network of partners who understand our mission and value proposition on a deeper level.
Our conversations aren't focused on feature comparisons or pricing models – they're about understanding the real problems in multifamily real estate and how technology can solve them.
When you sit across from someone for an hour and truly listen to their challenges, you gain insights that no market research can provide.
Finding Your Own Path
If there's one lesson I hope other founders take from our journey, it's this: don't follow the established playbook.
Understand yourself deeply – your strengths, your passions, what energizes you – and design a business approach that leverages those unique qualities.
The best product doesn't always win in our industry.
The most visibility at conferences doesn't guarantee success.
What matters is building genuine relationships and solving real problems – and sometimes that means taking the road less traveled.
In our case, quite literally.
As Daniel put it, "Anytime that someone has a creative way of capturing your attention, it’s very impactful."
As I continue this journey across America, recording conversations and building Zuma, I'm more convinced than ever that authenticity is the most powerful differentiator in business. In an industry full of noise, sometimes the most impactful thing you can do is simply listen.
Make sure you catch the full convo with me and Daniel Paulino on the Humans of Multifamily Podcast!
