We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Rodolfo Delgado. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Rodolfo below.

Rodolfo, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. One of our favorite things to brainstorm about with friends who’ve built something entrepreneurial is what they would do differently if they were to start over today. Surely, there are things you’ve learned that would allow you to do it over faster, more efficiently. We’d love to hear how you would go about setting things up if you were starting over today, knowing everything that you already know

I’ve been leading a tech startup based in Manhattan for over six years now, and in this time, surviving and aiming to thrive in one of the toughest cities in the world has taught me many lessons. But those lessons don’t come without hardships and failures.

Below are a few important pieces of advice that I have for anyone starting a new venture:

Don’t burn your money on Google ads.

When I opened my company, I spent more than I should have on online advertising. Our product and service significantly evolved within the first six months of our company’s existence, which is why allocating marketing dollars to online advertising naturally did not yield the best results.

Instead of spending money on ads, design affordable and creative tests to evaluate the demand for the product or service you would like to offer. Create a simple Wix website that tells people about your future product. Ask them to sign up for a newsletter if they want to be contacted once it launches. Your creative tests and MVPs (Minimum Viable Products) will give you a better understanding of your future products’ demand.

Create and Test Minimum Viable Products (MVPs)

When starting a new venture, a big piece of advice is to focus on understanding your complex idea yet simplifying it to the ridiculous. We call this a minimum viable product: building the necessary infrastructure for your product to offer just the basics.

When you focus on building minimum viable products rather than building your whole complex company before launching, you can test just how popular your product is with its target demographic. Doing so can help you quickly pivot, recalibrate your design, or even let go of the idea because you found it has little to no potential for monetization.

In other words, building a minimum viable product can help you save time and move faster.

Don’t lease office space unless you’ve earned enough to pay for it

I frequently hear future entrepreneurs say that they need an office for their business to exist. I suggest starting paying for an office when your business is profitable enough that it allows you to.

My company has existed for over six years, yet we’ve had a physical office that people could visit for only a few of those years. That is because we are a tech company, and all of our work can be done remotely. We have saved so much money by avoiding leasing an expensive office!

Rodolfo, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am Rodolfo Delgado, the co-founder and CEO of Replay Listings. I was born in a family where education was prioritized above all else, which instilled a strong sense of responsibility in me to create something of actual value for those around me. I pursued architecture and became a licensed architect by 21. However, it wasn’t until I began working at a real estate company and later studied Management of Technology at NYU that I found my true calling: a unique intersection of architecture, real estate, and technology.

Replay Listings, the company I founded in 2017, is the culmination of my passion and vision. We offer a platform that brings transparency to the real estate industry and empowers consumers through unedited video listings of available apartments for rent in New York City. This helps potential renters get a genuine feel for the property, making the home search process easier and more efficient. We aim to bring the power of real estate back to the consumers’ favor, a goal which remains our north star.

What sets Replay Listings apart is our commitment to honesty and transparency. In an industry often fraught with manipulated information and fake listings, we’ve created a platform where people can view unedited videos of properties. This way, they can experience the homes as if they were physically there, bringing more transparency and honesty into the process.

I’m most proud of the impact we’ve had since our foundation. We’ve helped over 250,000 people during their search for a new home, and we’re continually expanding our offerings. After COVID-19 hit, we realized video tours, which have always been our main offering, became essential. We responded by launching a new service, “Replay Listings: New Developments,” to help building owners create video tours of every apartment, providing a more efficient and transparent communication channel with potential customers.

What I’d like potential clients, followers, and fans to know is that Replay Listings is not just another real estate company; it’s a platform that puts power back into the hands of the consumer. We’re a technology company that seeks to disrupt the industry and put honesty at the forefront of real estate.

I’ve always been a technology enthusiast and a firm believer in the power of unedited videography. I’ve taken my passion and combined it with my expertise in real estate to create Replay Listings, and it’s this intersection of passion and industry knowledge that I believe contributes to our success. Above all, I want people to know that at Replay Listings, we believe that everyone deserves a roof over their heads, and we’re here to help make the process of finding that roof as transparent and straightforward as possible.

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

Leading my remote team has been quite an experience, with its own unique challenges and rewards. Building trust is my starting point – it’s the foundation that holds everything else together. And this comes with setting clear expectations, giving the team the tools they need, and encouraging them to take ownership of their work.

Staying in touch is a delicate balancing act. We need regular check-ins to keep track of our goals and progress, but I’m mindful of everyone’s need for personal time and space too. I’m big on celebrating our wins – no achievement is too small to be acknowledged. And then there’s professional growth. I’m committed to creating opportunities for everyone on the team to learn and develop. Because at the end of the day, we’re not just working together, we’re growing together. And that’s the kind of remote work culture I’m proud to lead.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

Absolutely, one book that’s been a game changer for me as an entrepreneur is “The Lean Startup” by Eric Ries. You know how we all have that one song we play on repeat until everyone around us knows the lyrics by heart? Well, “The Lean Startup” is that song for me, except it’s a book, and instead of lyrics, it’s brimming with practical, groundbreaking approaches to starting a business.

What I love about it is the way it demystifies the process of launching a new venture, laying out the fundamentals in a way that’s both accessible and engaging. The concepts of Build-Measure-Learn and minimum viable product (MVP) have been particularly impactful. If you’re entertaining thoughts of starting a business, I can’t recommend it enough. And yes, I know, I might sound like a walking advertisement for the book, but it’s made that much of a difference in my journey!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.rodolfodelgado.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rodolfodelgado
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/delgadorodolfo
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/delgadorodolfo
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@rodolfodelgadob/videos
• Other: www.replaylistings.com https://apps.apple.com/us/app/replay-listings-nyc-rentals/