Welcome back to Self Storage Lab, the podcast where we deconstruct how operators are adapting to today’s technology-driven landscape—and what it means for the future of the industry.
This episode’s guest is Jackson Stevens, co-founder and CEO of SpareBox Technologies. From classical musician to building one of the most operator-informed tech stacks in self-storage, Jackson’s path is as unconventional as it is compelling. Before SpareBox, Jackson played a pivotal role in building Red Dot’s internal FMS platform, scaling SpareBox Storage to over 7 million square feet, and launching tech that bridges the gap between traditional management and remote-first ops.
In this episode, we explore:
If you’ve ever tried to build tech that actually works in the real world—or wondered what the future of remote operations looks like—this episode’s for you.
Also in our queue: Episode 25: The Modern FMS with Cubby CEO Matt Engfer
In this episode we discussed:
(00:00:20) From Baroque music to bold tech—Jackson’s winding path to storage.
(00:02:31) Pattern recognition, CrossFit, and life as a percussionist.
(00:06:50) Why most music school grads now work in tech.
(00:09:00) Creativity, culture, and leadership rituals inside a lean startup.
(00:14:30) Swivl x SpareBox: behind-the-scenes GTM playbook swaps.
(00:19:00) Building Redline—Red Dot’s internal FMS—and the hard lessons learned.
(00:24:45) Spending time with users: the lost art of field empathy.
(00:26:50) The surprising edge cases that complicate "simple" storage software.
(00:33:45) Auctions, automation, and designing for scale from day one.
(00:36:30) When solving your own pain points becomes a product strategy.
(00:39:15) Crossing the chasm: how SpareBox navigates adoption in a slow-moving industry.
(00:43:00) Consumer expectations vs. operator workflows—where we’re still catching up.
(00:46:11) TikTok tours and 5x5s: The REITs get social.
(00:49:45) Why most storage customers are first-timers—and what that changes.
(00:52:15) Elon Musk, agile retrospectives, and the pursuit of elegant ops.
(00:54:57) The case for remote-first ops—and what’s holding the market back.
(01:00:12) Why self-storage might lead the charge in virtual CRE playbooks.
(01:08:00) What Jackson would reinvent next—and the tech trend he thinks is overhyped.
Mentioned in This Episode:
Frameworks & Philosophies
Internal Tools & Innovations
Favorite Nuggets
🔗 More from Jackson & Team:
https://spareboxtech.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacksonstevensco/
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