Scaling UX for a category-defining PropTech unicorn
Orchestrating the design strategy and organization that supported an 800% revenue surge and a $1.5B valuation.
Client
Pacaso
Industry
Proptech
Role
Design Leadership
Secondary role
Product Design
Date
Location
Remote
Live Website
Scaling a mission of fractional homeownership
At Pacaso, we viewed our $1.5B valuation as a byproduct of our mission. We focused on the families whose second home ownership dreams we realized. My role was to architect the co-ownership infrastructure that allowed people to create lasting memories in homes once considered out of reach.
Metric | Outcome |
|---|---|
Revenue growth | Supported an 800% revenue surge through the delivery of luxury buyer and owner experiences. |
Org growth | Scaled the design organization by 300% during a hyper-growth phase, implementing rigorous hiring loops to maintain a high bar. |
Valuation | Delivered critical features (Booking Calendar, Tours, Media Center) that propelled the company's $1B+ valuation. |
Retention | Redesigned the Booking Calendar, solving complex multi-owner logistics to drive owner satisfaction and repeat engagement. |
Story mapping: We were driven by a deep commitment to customer needs.
High-trust luxury & operational complexity
The challenge at Pacaso was two-fold: creating a high-trust luxury buyer experience while solving the "scheduling nightmare" of co-ownership.
Luxury conversion (Home detail page): I led the redesign of the Home Detail Page to pivot from a standard real estate listing to a high-intent, emotional luxury experience. The goal was to bridge the gap between "buying a share" and "owning a dream home."
Logistical mastery (Booking calendar): The calendar redesign wasn't just a UI update; it was a complex algorithmic challenge. We had to balance equitable access for up to eight owners per home while maintaining a frictionless "one-tap" booking experience.
Strategic pivot: During economic shifts, I successfully pivoted from high-level leadership to hands-on IC work, personally delivering the Media Center and Virtual Tours to ensure product momentum never stalled.
I led the evolution of the Home Detail Page and the updated home Booking Calendar experience.
Engineering a strategic Design Org
I built the operational framework that allowed Pacaso’s Design team to keep pace with a company that reached "Unicorn" status faster than almost any other in history.
Team architecture: Grew the org by 300%. I didn't just hire designers; I built a culture of "Leader-Practitioners" who could own their product domains while adhering to rigorous quality standards.
Rigorous hiring loops: Implemented a standardized hiring process that ensured every new hire raised the team’s collective bar for craft and business thinking.
Deep collaboration: Established the working cadence between Design, Product, and Engineering that enabled us to ship critical features (like the Media Center) at a wicked pace with great accuracy.
I set and executed on strategic and structural initiatives for the Design organization.
