Why I joined Silkhaus

People often ask me how I got so lucky with joining Silkhaus. I say that it wasn’t luck. My decision to join Silkhaus as a hyper-growth proptech venture came after much thought and deliberation. 

Startups are an excellent opportunity for growth and learning. Being a part of a small team means that everyone gets a chance to wear many different hats. Or is likely forced to wear different hats and take on a variety of responsibilities, to begin with! This allows for a much broader range of experiences and the chance to learn new skills. In this way, I look forward to solving different problems at Silkhaus and making a real impact on the business. Being a part of a small team ensures that my contributions have a direct and significant impact on the company's success. This is incredibly rewarding and motivating for me and is something that was missing during the early days of my career as a consultant.

Successful startups usually solve one critical problem for a specific industry. If I was going to work with one, it was crucial that I find a startup that aims to solve a problem that resonates directly with me. Short-term rentals soon became the obvious choice, and here’s why.

The short-term rental industry has seen significant growth in recent years. The rise of platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo offers travelers more flexibility and choice when it comes to accommodations. Instead of being limited to traditional hotels, travelers can now choose from a wide variety of accommodation formats, including apartments, houses, and even unique spaces like treehouses.

My wife and I used Airbnb extensively when traveling through Europe during our IESE days. We found these alternate accommodations way more interesting than standard hotel rooms. However, the experience was not always consistent when it came to the quality of the apartments. Our apartment in Vienna was by far the best property we stayed at while during the same trip, our apartment in Prague could not have been worse. It seemed that each choice was a hit or a miss despite booking the units hosted by super hosts. 

It became clear that this was not just a European issue but an issue that impacts $100bn+ global industry.

Now that I knew which problem to chase, it was important to find the right team to partner with. When I learnt that this is exactly what Silkhaus is trying to build - organize and aggregate supply in the hyper-fragmented world of short-term rentals, I was super interested in learning more about the founders and their team.

The founding team is crucial in a startup because they are responsible for the initial direction, strategy, and execution of the company. They set the way forward, and can have a trickle-down effect on the company as a whole. I decided to spend some time with the team before making my decision. Aahan and Ashmin put together a dynamic team with diverse skills and experience. The team worked cohesively on everything from identifying a clear vision, mission and goals for the company, to developing a plan to achieve them. I was impressed with the fact that the team approached the issues with an open mind and mutual respect for the diverse opinions of the rest of the team members. I sensed humility and trust in everyone, which goes a long way in determining the success of the company. It was a team with a culture that is open, supportive, and inclusive.

Most importantly, I saw a team I would enjoy working with through highs and lows. And I do. We have grown 10x over the last year and we are just getting started. I can’t wait to see what we build together at Silkhaus over the years to come.