Unseen

We won $42,000 in a pitch competition for Unseen ?? More than the money, it validated the idea in a way I hadn’t experienced before. I don’t believe in formulas for success. I’ll never spell it all out because that’s useless... But for me, here are some general thoughts on the intangibles that (maybe) helped us win: ?? Feel the pressure & GET NERVOUS: sure, it’s a big deal to get up there on a stage in front of 150+ people and be vulnerable. But I think I used this as a superpower. Because I had such nerves getting up on stage, it made me practice more behind the scenes. It forced me to know what I was speaking about so intrinsically that it oozed out. Welcome the nerves - it means it matters to you. ?? Tone matters too: I came off the stage nervous as hell, but people in the crowd went out of their way to come up and tell me how conversational and effortless my pitch sounded. That resonated with folks. My pitch didn’t feel rehearsed, it was more like a story I was telling about Unseen. And that took reps. ?? Keep it simple: Yes, I showed some financial projections. Yes, we did a TON of market research to prep. And yes, I probably put in 100 hours of practice time on the pitch. But ultimately, this idea is simple, and the pitch deck should represent that. Our deck was meant to be complementary to the story / idea. I was able to ensure the right points were getting across on the screen, while concisely explaining the idea, our why, and how we’re going to succeed. ?? Understand your audience and what they care about: If you can, scope out the judging panel in advance. Connect beforehand if you can, and do your research. Don’t use jargon about your industry if the panel is not familiar with your space. This isn’t the time to stand up on your soapbox. It’s the time to make the most sense you’ve ever made. ??? Take feedback when it makes sense: I’m always going to understand my product/service better than anyone else. So when taking feedback, make sure you’re thinking about the why behind what that person is saying. Is it how you’re coming across while presenting? Is there a hole in your logic? Is the story not resonating? If you can understand what’s underpinning the advice, you’ll be able to understand it better and, ultimately, implement it into your pitch in a thoughtful way. I have to thank UMass Amherst | Berthiaume Center for Entrepreneurship for running the show here. We learned a lot in the process, and they provided awesome resources for all founders who applied for the Innovation Challenge. I was honored to share the stage with some other incredible entrepreneurs. In the world of startups this money isn’t life changing, but it’s allowing us to improve the product, deploy some paid marketing, make key operational changes, and more. Who knew $42k could get you so far if you have a lean mindset. PS - I’m more than happy to share our pitch deck. If you want it, just lmk in the comments below and I’ll dm ????

4 years ago, I was scammed out of thousands of dollars when moving to a new city. That demoralizing feeling stuck with me. There had to be a better way to move to new cities without spending thousands of dollars to visit and tour apartments or signing a lease from afar and never knowing whether you’re going to fall victim to scams or misinformation. The reality in NYC is that renters spend about $45,000 per year in rent, yet only 1 in 2 are happy about where they live. That’s an expensive decision to get wrong, and a lot of that gap comes from not having transparency and trust in the rental process. ?? Unseen seeks to change that. And we’re launching today. Unseen is a marketplace that connects apartment seekers with trusted, local gig workers to tour and review apartments for them, like Uber for touring apartments. Unseen lets you take unbiased, objective, in-person apartment tours from anywhere, from your couch to the office to the beach. I’m certainly not solving this problem alone. 11 years ago, Owen and I were sitting on a bench dreaming about what it would be like to found a company together. It’s surreal to be doing this for a second time with him, and I feel really lucky he agreed to join this ride ?? I also have to give a shoutout to the incredible advisory team that we’ve put together: Todd Arky, Kimberly Fay Boucher, Nick Dimichino, Jason Morrison, and Forest Richter. This is a serious team ready to get after it. Unseen is truly the product I, Owen, and countless others have needed so many times through our struggles finding apartments. And after all, they do say to solve a problem you know well. Below is a little sneak peek at some content we're cooking up @unseenapartments. Not quite a natural yet ?? #gigeconomy #marketplace #newyorkcity #realestatetech #startup

11 years ago?Charlie Goldberg?and I were sitting on a bench dreaming up what it would be like to start a company together. 7 years later we sat on a new bench having fulfilled that dream: a promising new outerwear company based in Boston with our marquee product, a pullover built for the unpredictability of northeast weather, available to the masses. But that apparel company is not what this post is about. Why? Because we failed. COVID had hit, slowing our sales and forcing each of us to consider the traditional 9-5 route. Within a year Charlie had moved to Milwaukee for a job and I had accepted an offer in Boston. Our dream had stalled, but in the back of our minds?I think we both knew there would be another bench. Today, we officially launch?Unseen, a?marketplace that connects apartment seekers with vetted locals to tour apartments on their behalf.?With Unseen you can validate that?apartments are as they seem, and take personal apartment tours without needing to be in person. When I was moving to New York City a year ago I needed a product like Unseen. I quickly realized, given the volume of folks moving to the city and the low number of vacant apartments (only ~3.5%), the only way to get an apartment in NYC would be to spend thousands to fly and stay there for the weekend, or to leverage friends in the area. For folks who don't have the luxury of friends in NYC, or if those friends keep coming up with elaborate excuses, Unseen is there for you. Special shoutout to our talented advisory team and the help they've provided to get us to this point:?Todd Arky, Kimberly Fay Boucher, Nick Dimichino, Jason Morrison, Forest Richter. We'll be documenting our journey here on LinkedIn and on all other socials @unseenapartments. ?? #startup #marketplace #gigeconomy #realestatetech #newyorkcity #nycapartments

Pumped to be a part of the Pro-Forma pitch competition! ??