The standard startup narrative often begins with identifying a market inefficiency or customer pain point. But the truth behind Aedifico’s origin is more personal and, I believe, more meaningful. It began with a pattern I couldn’t ignore: talented professionals in commercial real estate reaching a devastating career crossroads.

The Real Problem: Talent Trapped in a Broken System

Through countless conversations with highly qualified professionals in commercial real estate, I witnessed a recurring crisis. These individuals – smart, capable, experienced – would reach a point where they faced an impossible choices.

Remain in roles that brought little satisfaction, working for companies that didn’t value their contributions. Switch to another firm, knowing the culture would likely be just as constraining, with compensation increases that wouldn’t fundamentally change their lives. Strike out alone to start their own firm, facing the daunting challenges of entrepreneurship in an industry that favors established players. Or take the consulting route, only to find themselves too buried in project work to develop their business.

The stark reality was that the commercial real estate industry, despite its immense value and complexity, was failing its most valuable asset: its people. While other industries, particularly tech, offered paths to growth, ownership, and wealth creation, CRE professionals found themselves in a system that seemed designed to limit their potential.

The Spark: An Unexpected Connection

The solution began to crystallize during an unexpected collaboration. While working on rebranding my company, Inspire Consulting, I connected through Upwork with Isabel, a Colombian designer based in Italy. Her exceptional work and our seamless collaboration, despite being continents apart, triggered a revelation: Why couldn’t we create an Upwork specifically for commercial real estate?

This wasn’t just about creating another marketplace. It was about building a platform that could liberate talented professionals from the traditional constraints of the industry. A system that could enable them to work on their terms, capture their true value, and build their own futures.

Building a Global Team Through Authentic Relationships

Isabel became my first co-founder, bringing not just her design expertise but her perspective as someone who had successfully built a career across cultural and geographic boundaries. Her experience embodied the future we envisioned – one where talent could transcend traditional industry limitations.

The search for technical leadership led me to Priyanka, an exceptional engineer based in the UK. While my initial search targeted Upwork experience, what I found was something far more valuable: a brilliant technology leader who brought deep expertise in building complex systems and a natural talent for fostering engineering connections. As a mother balancing family life with her career, she embodied the kind of flexibility and opportunity we wanted Aedifico to create. Priyanka dove into the challenge with remarkable enthusiasm, leveraging her industry connections and continuously expanding her knowledge to help us build something truly innovative.

Our team grew stronger with the addition of Carrie, a veteran of business development in commercial real estate. Her deep industry knowledge and carefully cultivated relationships brought invaluable insight to our mission. But beyond her professional expertise, Carrie brought a genuine understanding of how relationships drive success in our industry. Her ability to build and maintain meaningful connections has been crucial in helping us understand how to create a platform that serves real human needs.

Creating Connection in a Remote World

What makes our story unique isn’t just that we’re building a platform to transform an industry – it’s how we’re building it. Despite never having met in person, our team has developed deep, meaningful friendships that transcend our professional relationships. We’ve been intentional about creating space for personal connection, dedicating time in our meetings to share our lives, our challenges, and our victories.

These aren’t just casual check-ins. Over eight months of working together, we’ve created a culture where personal bonds are as important as professional goals. We share stories about our families, discuss our hopes and fears, and support each other through life’s ups and downs. This approach has transformed what could have been just another remote team into a tight-knit community of friends who happen to be building something revolutionary together.

Looking Forward: Building More Than a Platform

The future we’re building at Aedifico extends far beyond creating a marketplace for commercial real estate talent. Each day, as our team connects across continents and time zones, we’re writing a new playbook for what business can be. One where late night calls (thanks Isabel and Priyanka) become moments of shared laughter, where our Teams ‘Stuff we Talk About’ channel overflows with both professional insights and personal celebrations, and where the lines between colleague and friend blur into something richer than either label alone.

The old blueprint for success in commercial real estate demanded sacrifices we’re no longer willing to make. Geography shouldn’t limit talent. Professional growth shouldn’t come at the cost of personal fulfillment. And true innovation doesn’t emerge from transaction focused relationships – it springs from trust and creativity that flow through genuine human connections.

At it’s heart, Aedifico isn’t just a platform – it’s living proof that when you give talented people the freedom to work on their own terms, magic happens.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on building authentic relationships in remote teams. How do you maintain personal connections while working across borders and time zones? Share your experiences in the comments below.