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Episode Summary:
Our guest today has served as president of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization and is the author of an upcoming book on how to hack happiness. Joining us is Mike Simonsen, co-founder, and CEO of Altos Research. Altos Research is a data company with a fascinating backstory on how it became the leader for real-time real estate data.
In this episode, join Mike and me as we discuss how Mike went from writing software at the age of ten to being in Silicon Valley in the late 1990s. We consider how Mike has fused his entrepreneurial drive of owning his own company with his technical data side. Listen in to hear how Mike broke into the real estate industry to become one of the leading sources for real estate market analysis for the entire United States!
Top Takeaways:
“I actually started building little models, databases for my own understanding of what was happening in the local market because I needed to know what was going on. There were some really interesting early observations…” – Mike Simonsen [16:56]
“Hacking Happiness is a process that I went through. Personal transformation time, it actually has its roots in my Entrepreneurs’ Organization group. We all go through these times where you find yourself in crisis mode.” – Mike Simonsen [30:51]
Episode Highlights:
[00:24] Intro
[00:40] Meet Mike Simonsen – Where Data and Real Estate Meet
[02:22] Growing Up Outside of Chicago
[03:54] An Entrepreneur Before Her Time
[05:43] Attending University of Nevada- Reno
[08:10] Back to Chicago for MBA with Entrepreneurship Focus
[08:59] Silicon Valley in the Late ’90s
[11:21] Knowing How to Sell with a Technical Expertise
[14:11] Breaking into the Real Estate Industry
[20:28] The Catalysts for Creating Altos Research
[24:58] Enterprise and Consumer Level Data Needs
[26:33] Entrepreneurs’ Organization
[29:54] The Hack Happiness Project
[33:16] The Philosophy Behind Hack Happiness
[37:58] Mike’s Advice for New Agents
[39:33] Connect with Mike Simonsen
[40:14] Outro
Episode Notes:
Joining us today is Mike Simonsen, the co-founder, and CEO of Altos Research, a leading data company bringing real-time real estate data to the entire United States. Mike was born just outside of Chicago and raised by his father, a high school teacher, and his mother, an entrepreneur who started her own company in the ’70s doing career development and HR consulting.
Mike Simonsen grew up skiing and went on to be an athlete skier at the University of Nevada, Reno, where he received his bachelor’s in computer systems. After graduating, Mike went back to Chicago to earn his MBA with a focus in entrepreneurship at DePaul University while also writing software for his mother’s company.
In 1999, Mike Simonsen found himself in Silicon Valley, a super exciting time with cutting edge technology as the world quickly evolved around him. Mike reflects on his entrepreneurial drive to own a company while also having a love for the technical side in data. He shares that the greatest Silicon Valley entrepreneurs have both. They are builders, they can sell, and they also have the technical skills to back it up.
Mike Simonsen can lead a product from a technical standpoint while being happy to be in front of the customers while having marketing and communication confidence. As real estate began to move online, Mike found himself starting to learn the information out there by building his databases to understand local markets. At his company, Altos Research, they look at every zip code in the country, breaking them down into price range segments to further analyze. Altos Research has enterprise data clients who seek the services for evaluations, to build market data into their technology, and to build tech systems with real estate. Altos Research also has clients on the consumer level with realtors, brokers, and title companies all reaching out for new data every week to help reach new leads.
Mike Simonson also does some great things outside of Altos Research. Mike just finished his term as president at the Entrepreneurs’ Organization, a global network of entrepreneurs worldwide. A place where entrepreneurs can learn while deep diving into their personal development in a confidential setting. For Mike, this has been truly transformational for both his company and him personally over the years.
Mike is leading and learning, but he is also teaching using the Hack Happiness Project, where he is currently working with editors to publish his new book coming this year. Hacking Happiness is a process of personal transformation after going through moments that Mike describes as crisis modes. After running his company for over eleven years, Mike found himself deeply uninspired and knew he needed to change. The observation that we can be purposeful in our internal chemistry is one that Mike focuses on. He feels that we can adjust four vital neurotransmitters to create emotional conditions that result in success.
Mike Simonsen offers new agents advice by sharing that the personal aspect of the real estate transaction is not going away. Consumers appreciate and are willing to pay for all the nuances that come with the particular aspects of real estate. Mike is convinced that the power of connection and real estate guidance from real estate agents is here for a long time and is essential to develop for any new agents!
Resources Mentioned:
Connect:
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