The Journey from Zero to One

Building GatherADU has been the most challenging and rewarding experience of my entrepreneurial journey. We didn't just build a product—we built a solution to a massive, complex problem that affects millions.

Finding Product-Market Fit

Our biggest early mistake? Assuming we knew what homeowners needed. Reality: we knew what we thought they needed.

The Pivot Moment

We launched with a marketplace model connecting homeowners to contractors. Usage was okay, but retention was terrible. Why? We were solving the wrong problem.

The real pain wasn't finding contractors—it was navigating the entire process. Homeowners were drowning in: - Zoning regulations and setback requirements - Permit applications and building codes - Design decisions and material selections - Contractor coordination and project management

We pivoted to a comprehensive platform approach. Our NPS score jumped from 32 to 78.

Technical Challenges at Scale

Building a PropTech platform has unique technical challenges:

1. Regulatory Complexity

Every city has different ADU rules. We built a rules engine that ingests: - Municipal zoning codes - Building regulations - Utility requirements - Historic district overlays

Tech Stack: PostgreSQL for structured data, custom rules engine, automated compliance checking

2. Document Processing

Permit applications require dozens of documents. We automated: - Property data extraction from assessor records - Setback calculations from plot maps - Compliance verification for building codes

Tech Stack: Python for document processing, AWS Lambda for scaling, ML for property boundary detection

3. Real-time Collaboration

Homeowners, architects, and contractors need to collaborate seamlessly.

Tech Stack: React/Node.js, WebSockets for real-time updates, AWS S3 for document storage

Team Building Philosophy

Early stage startups are about people, not just product.

Hire for Mission Alignment

We look for people who care about the housing crisis, not just a paycheck. Our best hires have been: - A project manager who built her own ADU - An engineer passionate about affordable housing - A designer who grew up in housing insecurity

Remote-First, Outcome-Focused

We're fully remote with team members across the country. Focus on outcomes, not hours. Trust and autonomy create better results than surveillance.

What's Next

We're just getting started. The ADU market is $100B+ and growing. Our roadmap:

  1. Geographic Expansion: Scaling to new states and markets
  2. Financial Services: Integrated lending and financing
  3. Supply Chain: Bringing manufacturing and materials in-house
  4. Platform Ecosystem: APIs for contractors, lenders, and municipalities

Building GatherADU has taught me that the hardest problems create the biggest opportunities. Stay focused on real customer pain, build with technical excellence, and surround yourself with people who care deeply about the mission.

The future of housing needs us to build it. Let's go.