5 Questions for Allan Ziegler, Stake SVP of Revenue

Stake is thrilled to welcome Allan Ziegler as Senior Vice President of Revenue. Allan is a go-to-market expert, having led impressive growth at companies like Knock, Square, and Groupon. Get to know what #EmpowerRenters means to Allan, the best advice he’s ever received, and what gets him out of bed in the morning (aside from a triple shot of espresso, of course).

Why does Stake’s mission, #EmpowerRenters, resonate with you?

I’ve been a renter almost my entire life, so I can empathize with a lot of the pain renters are going through and the feeling that they’re throwing money away. Traditionally, home ownership has been seen as the path to building long-term wealth — and renters previously did not have that opportunity. Now they do, thanks to Stake!

You’ve worked at a few companies in their early days. What do you enjoy about the process of helping a company grow?

I’ve been at four different startups over the past 12 years, everything from e-commerce to fintech to proptech to automotive. I love being part of companies’ series A or series B hyper-growth periods — wearing many different hats and creating processes that deliver products at scale.

What’s some of the best advice you’ve ever gotten?

1. Always think about what a seven-star experience could look like with your product. Ask: what would totally delight and surprise the customer?
2. Be careful about taking what you’ve learned in past experiences and just assuming that it will work in a new situation. Experience is valuable because you can draw from it and apply it to new problems. But there is also a danger in getting stuck in a certain way of doing things. Don’t ignore what you’ve done before, but accept that when you’re building something new, it won’t look like the old way. It’s essential to be open-minded about outcomes that are completely different from what you’ve done in the past.

What are you looking forward to doing as senior vice president of revenue?

I want Stake to become even more of a household name, so both renters and owner/operators see Stake as an innovative solution. Until now, a lot of our growth has been from early adopters — from owners and operators who recognize they have a challenge with attracting or motivating their renters and are looking for a solution. But most owners and operators are not aware that, for example, their company can achieve more punctual payments if they provide the right incentives. I want to show owners and operators across the country that Stake provides a win-win solution for all sides.

What gets you out of bed in the morning?

Three shots of espresso! That and knowing that my day is going to look completely different from yesterday with a whole new set of challenges and opportunities. I like being kept on my toes, and working in an early-stage startup definitely makes that possible.

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