A new chapter begins: building a home renovation marketplace in Montreal
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I entered the world of tech in 2015. Since then, I have worked across 5 continents with 2 hyper growth tech startups (Uber, Branch) in two different industries (ridesharing, fintech). I visited 30+ countries & 100+ cities, I met inspiring mentors, I became a mentor for a few and I made many friends across the globe along the way. It’s been 5 intense years of personal & professional growth, accomplishments & failures, adventures in emerging markets, new encounters & personal losses. I’m grateful for all of it. Throughout these 5 years, I would say that my biggest learning was to learn how to embrace uncertainty: be mentally comfortable & confident when everything is uncertain, while being able to forge the most effective path to reach my goals.
Over the last 4 years, I thrived & grew professionally as a Launcher at Branch & Uber (with a break in 2017 leading the Uber marketplace team for Sub-Saharan Africa). As a launcher my job consisted in assessing new expansion opportunities across the globe, launching new operations & new products in several countries. I developed deep operational experience in running a marketplace and a fintech company while also developing a global perspective on their challenges, competitive dynamics, regulatory landscapes and consumer trends. Not one day was the same as every day was filled with uncertainty. I repeatedly had to answer the following questions over and over again: What’s the best law firm to work with in country X to learn about the regulation? How do I get in touch with Y person at Z company to discuss the market? How do I even start to think about the market entry strategy for this country where I’ve never been to? What should be our pricing strategy vs competition? Which payments & KYC companies should I work with? What’s the best way to acquire customers? How do I even say “hello” or “thank you” to my Uber / Grab driver in the local language? Damn, where should I even eat and live in this new city? Where should I find an office? Who should I hire locally? etc.
Being a launcher was such a stimulating job for a 20-something professional! Over the next few months, I’m planning to start a Launcher series where I’ll cover a few topics such as: the responsibilities, what to look for when hiring a launcher (core competencies, mindset, etc), also touching on the pros & cons of the role for folks considering a similar role in a start-up.
The time has come for me to start a new chapter: I decided to step out of the launcher arena. From a professional perspective, I enjoy working on the challenges that come with uncertainty. Figuring out how to solve new problems in unknown environments stimulates my brain. I get bored if I don’t have a challenge to undertake that truly scares me. Therefore, when I thought of what would be next after my launcher days, a few options came up to mind but only one would provide me with the ultimate scare & profound uncertainty: starting my own company. I’m leaving a well-paying job to start something new, knowing failure is the most probable outcome for most people choosing that path.
I’m fortunate and grateful that some of my best friends are also in a position to take a risk at the same time as me and joined me on this adventure. We’ve been jamming on a couple of ideas for the last 2 years, before landing on the idea where our passion, complementary skills & competencies would naturally align best: we decided to build Billdr, a home renovation marketplace. Renovating a home is a complex activity where the flow of information is broken from the start between all stakeholders involved (homeowners, general contractors, subcontractors, suppliers). Homeowners have no clue how much any renovation job costs, how long it takes to complete, and which general contractor can be trusted to perform a task with high quality. Homeowners often have no clue of the dynamics that exist in construction between suppliers, subcontractors, general contractors and their employees: which often leads to misconception, miscommunication & contribute to the lack of trust in the industry. Unfortunately, many general contractors lack the relevant communication & project management skills to match homeowners expectations throughout the renovation project. General contractors also lack simple & easily accessible tools to enhance their productivity outside of the construction site. We believe that the home renovation market lacks a one-stop-shop platform that brings more transparency, efficiency and accountability to the home renovation project experience in order to increase trust among all stakeholders involved. We’ll share our thesis in more detail in the coming weeks.
Time to start a new chapter, embrace uncertainty once again but this time, I will be with my pals. I don’t know how long this new chapter will last but I’ll give it my all (like always): for real, very few things out there are more fulfilling than building a company with some of your best friends. If we succeed, we’ll spend the next decade working among friends. Life is giving us a shot and just for this opportunity I’m once again tremendously grateful. Our journey starts in Montreal and I’m excited to be back home after all those years away.
Cheers to my old friend “uncertainty”, I’m ready for a new dance in a new arena: entrepreneurship!
To know more, visit Billdr: home renovation montreal.
