In this episode, we welcome Katharine Lau, an accomplished entrepreneur and innovator in the real estate and proptech space. Katharine is the Co-Founder and CEO of Stuf Storage, a fast-growing self-storage startup that’s reimagining how we use urban space.
Katharine shares her journey from a decade-long career in commercial real estate—working at firms like Prudential Real Estate Investors, Equinox, and coworking pioneer Industrious—to launching Stuf in 2020 with a mission to transform underutilized spaces into tech-enabled, hospitality-inspired storage.
She opens up about the “aha” moment that led her to start Stuf, how her experience outside the storage industry shaped her approach, and why she believes the future of storage is local, software-enabled, and design-conscious.
In this episode, we discussed:
(00:02:31) The path from Shanghai skylines to storage startups—Kat’s early inspiration from global cities.
(00:03:55) From hotel dreams to gritty strip malls—Kat’s career climb through real estate.
(00:05:26) The pandemic pivot—how ghost kitchens, sourdough fails, and basements led to founding Stuf.
(00:07:15) Customer-first storage—why Stuf is works for women and local communities.
(00:10:28) Why Kat loves self-storage—and how she makes the mundane magical.
(00:11:21) What is Stuf? A tech-enabled, AI-powered, remotely operated self-storage marketplace.
(00:13:59) Operating 30+ locations with 3 ops staff—how proprietary tech makes it all possible.
(00:14:10) Meet Sidney, the AI agent—Stuf’s newest “employee” managing sales, service, and collections.
(00:15:09) The landlord play—how Stuf structures rev-share partnerships with property owners.
(00:17:08) Is Stuf a brand? A tech company? A marketplace? Kat explains why the answer is yes to all.
(00:19:01) Letting fires burn—how Kat decides what to prioritize as a CEO.
(00:21:33) Staying grounded—how notebooks, air traffic control boards, and muffins keep her centered.
(00:23:19) Lessons from Equinox and Industrious—building with a tech-first, asset-light mindset.
(00:26:40) Balancing automation and humanity—what AI can and can’t (yet) replace in storage ops.
(00:29:04) AI adoption advice—Kat’s tips for beginners and skeptics to just start exploring.
(00:31:27) Surprising the engineers—how Kat became the AI evangelist in her own home.
(00:34:32) The inevitable human craving—why Kat believes we’ll soon swing back toward connection.
(00:37:00) The vertical city vision—how Kat sees future buildings transforming into stacked communities.
(00:41:05) Beyond storage—ideas for retail pop-ups, last-mile logistics, and urban honeybee farms.
(00:46:13) Expansion strategy—how Kat thinks about selecting new cities (and what she got wrong at first).
(00:49:35) The self-storage paradox—same four walls, radically different product.
(00:51:33) Doubling revenue in 2025—what’s next for Stuf, including new markets and product launches.
(00:52:25) Hot takes—why every storage brand doesn’t need neon colors or another box logo.
