Tushar Garg of Flyhomes
An exclusive Tech Tribune Q&A with Tushar Garg (co-founder and CEO) of Flyhomes, which was honored in our:
- 2021 Best Tech Startups in Seattle
- 2020 Best Tech Startups in Washington
- 2020 Best Tech Startups in Seattle
Tell us the origin story of Flyhomes – what problem were you trying to solve and why?
While pursuing my MBA at Kellogg, I met my co-founder Stephen Lane. He asked me to join him for a class in which we tried to start a company that would help save energy in every house. We realized that people did not upgrade energy in their house because the capital investment did not pay-back in time and the housing market was opaque in pricing for the energy updates. That made us look at the home buying and selling process as a whole.
In order to get access to all of the data available to realtors, we each got our real estate licenses, and the dream of building a company that would bring transparency to home buying was born. I ended up selling a house to my former boss from Microsoft so that we could boot-strap our new company.
I never thought I would be a realtor selling houses. However, I knew that acting as a realtor would be a great way to learn about the process. I found it both very meaningful to help families find their dream homes and learned quickly that the process itself was broken.
That was the start of Flyhomes. We are simplifying home buying by doing every part of home buying better. The biggest difference is that we level the playing field by enabling every buyer to be a cash buyer and also allow people to upsize or downsize (buy their next home before they sell their first home) while living in the comfort of their current home.
Looking back, my background in tech, MBA experience, and interest in working with people directly all seem to connect, but the journey to this point was a lot more spontaneous.
What was the biggest hurdle you encountered in your journey?
As a founder, every aspect and detail of the company is ultimately your responsibility. It’s a tremendous undertaking filled with highs and lows that one should expect and embrace. I’d say the hardest times were those where I had to balance major life events like growing our family or navigating personal loss. I have realized that no one can do this alone. Having a robust support system, both in your personal life and in the company, really keeps you going in these difficult times.
What does the future hold for Flyhomes?
Our goal is to solve problems for home buyers that impact every part of the real estate transaction. We not only save money and heartache, but also unlock more of the market for our buyers.
In 2019, we expanded our services to three additional markets (Boston, Portland and Los Angeles + Orange County) in addition to our existing markets (Seattle and the Bay Area). In the future, we will be expanding to additional cities across North America.
Additionally, COVID-19 has uncovered challenges and opportunities for improvement in every single industry. Real estate is no different and at Flyhomes, we are working hard to identify these opportunities to build new products and processes clear obstacles to homeownership.
What’s your best advice for aspiring entrepreneurs?
People burn out because they don’t give themselves enough credit. I think it’s critical for founders to take a moment to look back and see how far they’ve come. It’s important to celebrate successes, not just focus on what you haven’t yet accomplished. Look back, acknowledge the impact that you’ve created. If you don’t pause, it’s hard to keep the energy going for the future.
Recognize and admit that you won’t meet every expectation, even your own. I take a moment to boil it down to fundamentals – what are the two or three things I want to achieve each week? Even a simple framework to evaluate on a daily or weekly basis will give you structure and a sense of momentum.
Also, make space, time, and energy for the parts of life that aren’t your job. For me, that’s my family. Make space for kids and parents, friends, and hobbies – the things that keep you connected with life and give you a greater perspective.