Interview with ViziSmart
Bianca Pietersz & Mirna Baloul
JUNE 19, 2024 | 00:43 | Episode 17
ViziSmart is going after the $3.9B property management software market
Bianca Pietersz and Mirna Baloul, co-founders of ViziSmart, discuss their journey in creating an AI-powered property management solution. Bianca, originally an artist, became a property manager and experienced the stress and lack of work-life balance that came with it. She saw an opportunity to use AI to streamline communication and coordinate maintenance in the property management industry. Mirna, with a background in cutting-edge technology, joined Bianca in creating ViziSmart. They are currently at the MVP stage and are looking to partner with customers for product-market fit.
ABOUT MY GUESTS
Bianca Pietersz CEO and Founder of ViziSmart & Mirna Baloul CEO and Founder of ViziSmart
Bianca Pietersz is a visionary entrepreneur at the intersection of property management and technology, with a rich background in both domains. As the founder of BMH Property Management and ViziSmart Property Management software, she brings a comprehensive skill set in property management operations, and AI innovation to the forefront of the industry. Her expertise extends from efficient lease and notice drafting, eviction processes and proceedings, to experimenting with AI development, animation, content creation, and authoring and plublishing an augmented reality children’s book. She has a unique blend of technical prowess and creative flair while also excelling in difficult decision-making for nuanced tenant problems and fostering harmonious relationships within her properties. She has a deep commitment to achieving tenant, landlord, and maintenance satisfaction. Bianca’s drive for leveraging technology to streamline property management processes and improve lives is fueled by her role as a mother of two. Her ambition to merge innovation with societal betterment positions her as a key disruptor in the real estate property management sector.
Mirna Baloul is a computer engineer, a corporate/IP attorney, a strategist, and a startup executive, has over 15 years experience in innovation and building technology and running boards. She has deep experience in both enterprise entities and startup companies. As president and COO, she was an integral part of building a robotics and AI company. Mirna leverages her diverse background in business, law, and engineering to lead startups. Using her experience, she has crafted successful corporate and intellectual property strategies that drive growth and enhance company valuation. As faculty at University Of Texas at Dallas in the Innovation and Entrepreneurship department, Mirna shares her proven methodology for building impactful IP portfolios. Formerly Senior Counsel and Global Strategy Manager at Texas Instruments, Mirna played a key role in supporting the $8 billion Analogue and Video Processing Divisions. She has successfully negotiated and executed contracts with Fortune-100 companies. Mirna's decade-long hardware and software engineering background includes contributions to projects at renowned organizations like NOAA (NEXRAD), Motorola Inc. (Bluetooth Engineer) and Nielsen Media Research (Mark II Project).
Summary
Bianca and Mirna, co-founders of ViziSmart, discuss their journey in creating an AI-powered property management solution. Bianca, originally an artist, became a property manager and experienced the stress and lack of work-life balance that came with it. She saw an opportunity to use AI to streamline communication and coordinate maintenance in the property management industry. Mirna, with a background in cutting-edge technology, joined Bianca in creating ViziSmart. They are currently at the MVP stage and are looking to partner with customers for product-market fit. Bianca and Mirna discuss their property management software and their plans for scaling and growth. They talk about their target market, their use of offshore developers, and their plans for expansion. They also discuss the importance of grit and resilience in the startup world, as well as their hobbies and interests outside of work. They mention their focus on the Texas and Oklahoma markets and their plans to expand nationwide. They also mention their plans for an affiliate program and partnerships to spread the word about their software.
Takeaways
The property management software market is valued at $3.9 billion in North America and is growing due to factors like the housing crisis and interest rates on mortgages.
ViziSmart aims to streamline communication and coordinate maintenance in the property management industry using AI.
Bianca and Mirna have identified competitors in the market and believe they have a good chance of gaining market share.
They have experienced early difficulties, including IP theft, but remain confident in their ability to succeed.
ViziSmart is currently at the MVP stage and is seeking partnerships for product-market fit. The property management software aims to automate manual processes and provide a more efficient solution for property managers.
They are using offshore developers to build their software and are looking for talent globally.
They are initially focusing on the Texas and Oklahoma markets and plan to expand nationwide.
They plan to use an affiliate program and partnerships to spread the word about their software.
Grit and resilience are important qualities for startup founders.
They enjoy hobbies such as painting and spending time with family outside of work.
Sound Bites
"I became really interested in things like chat GPT and AI when it came out."
"The combination of us is just, to me, it has been miraculous."
"We bring visibility, right? That's really the bottom line."
"We get to test it firsthand before anybody else does"
Links
Bianca and Mirna’s ViziSmart site: https://vizismart.com/
Please leave us a review: https://www.podchaser.com/AdventuresOnTheCanDo
The book Think Like a Startup Founder (early access): https://www.manning.com/books/think-like-a-startup-founder
Jothy’s site for speaking, podcasting, and ruminating: https://jothyrosenberg.com
Jothy’s non-profit foundation The Who Says I Can’t Foundation: https://whosaysicant.org
Jothy’s TEDx talk on why people with a disability over-achieve: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNtOawXAx5A
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Background
01:20 Becoming Co-CEOs and Identifying the Problem
05:16 Working with an Incubator
06:00 Background and Motivation
08:09 Naming the Company
09:22 Market Size and Potential
10:23 Competition and Market Share
11:51 IP Theft and Overcoming Challenges
15:02 Using AI to Solve Property Management Problems
18:02 Stages and Future of the Company
18:59 Automating Property Management Processes
19:23 Using Offshore Developers for Global Talent
23:37 Focusing on the Texas and Oklahoma Market
26:30 Scaling and Expanding into New Markets
30:59 The Importance of Grit and Resilience in Startups
33:30 Hobbies and Interests Outside of Work
