ApartmentJet

A collection of 4 posts

A Pre-Launch Pivot

ApartmentJet: The Story of a Startup Part 1.3 5 min read

This post is part of an ongoing series of articles about my previous startup. Click here to view the table of contents.

A Pre-Launch Pivot

By the end of summer 2016, we were stuck. Our idea of a sharing economy solution for apartment dwellers had been dismissed by many of the biggest players in the multifamily industry. The handful of companies who loved the idea said there was no way they could make it work, because they had an unofficial NO-Airbnb stance.

We weren’t about to let that stop us. We knew Airbnb (and sites like it) were here to stay. We set about brainstorming.

Now, the following paragraphs highlight some of the problems we identified and how we solved them. They're not particularly

Hello, Rejection

ApartmentJet: The Story of a Startup Part 1.2 4 min read

This post is part of an ongoing series of articles about my previous startup. Click here to view the table of contents.

Hello, Rejection

In June 2016, we held our first unofficial ApartmentJet meeting at my house.

I was in the process of moving in. The rooms were empty. The cupboards were bare. Stacks of boxes lined every wall. I did, however, have two folding chairs and a whiteboard, which is all we needed.

Andy and Eric in my empty apartment.

We began with our basic idea. Something multifamily, something “sharing economy”.

We identified four primary stakeholders. Property owners, management companies, residents, and guests. Each stakeholder had separate concerns.

Guests (also known as Airbnb travelers) who stay at a property want reliability and security.

Some Origin Stories Begin with a Phone Call

ApartmentJet: The Story of a Startup Part 1.1 4 min read

This post is part of an ongoing series of articles about my previous startup. Click here to view the table of contents.

Some Origin Stories Begin with a Phone Call

It can be difficult to pinpoint the origin of a new business. Companies often mythologize origin stories for marketing purposes. Ours, however, began with a phone call.

Late on a Spring evening in 2016, I felt a buzz in my pocket. I answered, and a familiar voice dove right in. “Just talked to Eric,” Andy said. “Wanted to run a couple ideas past you.”

I met Eric Broughton and Andy Hamilton ten years earlier at a startup named Yield Technologies. We were three of the first six employees. In its infancy, the company performed software consulting projects for a range

Here We Go

ApartmentJet: The Story of a Startup Introduction 4 min read

This post is part of an ongoing series of articles about my previous startup. Click here to view the table of contents.

Here We Go

On October 29, 2018, after months of planning and preparation, Expedia Group’s communications team came alive. At 6AM pacific time, their press release hit the wire. Shortly thereafter, embargoed news outlets ran the story. One of the world’s largest travel companies announced to the world it had acquired two short term rental startups.

One of them was ours.

They had scheduled our day in fifteen minute increments. The legal team briefed us about what we could and couldn’t say. Expedia was, after all, a public company, subject to all sorts of regulations, and no one, especially us,