Jonathan Eppers is the eldest of five brothers. In the same way that he takes pride in watching his siblings grow up, he derives energy from mentoring the team he’s assembling at his startup RadPad. According to Jonathan, being an older brother prepared him to be a better CEO.
Founded in 2013, RadPad is the first rental platform that’s ‘Pro-Renter.’ The app enables you to simply search for a new place, pay your rent, and communicate with your landlord.
“We’re a friend in your pocket who’s going to be there for you,” Jonathan said, reflecting on the team’s goal is to be more than a rental app.
Everyone on the RadPad team, except one individual, is among the 100 million Americans who are currently renting.
“We understand you and your lifestyle. We want to build something that fits into that,” he shared.
In addition to the product’s simplicity (It’s so user-friendly you’ll want to search for fun), RadPad’s committed to developing a welcoming and light hearted voice for the brand.
You can feel it the moment you log onto the site where the team quotes Drake saying, “Just hold on we’re going home,” to invite you to search their listings.
The laid-back tone is weaved throughout the platform and in the company’s marketing efforts, led by Mike Pelletier, the former marketing director for Call of Duty at Activision.
This summer they offered to help President Obama find his next place in DC.
“If we are lucky to be around in 100 years no one is going to remember me or anyone here today. What they will remember, and be a part of, is the culture we create that drives the innovation engine of RadPad,” he expressed.
The long-term perspective infuses a standard of excellence and unwavering focus for the Los Angeles based team.
“We don’t cut corners. It’s easy to do as a startup when you’re fighting against capital and competitors. It requires more work and creativity but we’re building for a sustainable future.”
Doing it right may take longer but that’s value at RadPad.
The team’s grit stems to the early days when Jonathan and his co-founders Tim Watson and Tyler Galpin built the first version of the app in his apartment.
They declined two acquisition offers, were once left with 55 days of runway, and Jonathan was served a lawsuit the day before Thanksgiving.
Fortunately for RadPad, Jonathan, Tim, and Tyler persisted like cockroaches, as Boost VC’s Adam Draper describes, and refused to die.
Shortly after, Jonathan had a long awaited meeting with Scott Ingraham, the founder of Rent.com, who connected RadPad with investors, changing the company’s fate. To date, RadPad’s raised $12.8 million.
Despite feeling the extreme highs and lows characteristic to entrepreneurship, Jonathan describes his role at RadPad as addicting.
Someone once described to me that working at a startup is like being a cocaine addict. You have really high highs and really low lows. You’re trying to shoot for somewhere in the middle.
To gain deeper insight into Jonathan’s work navigating life as a founder and leading the team at RadPad, watch his episode of Beyond the Headline, follow him on Twitter, and tune into the company’s blog.
Image credits to RadPad.