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 Tommy Nguyen, co-founder and COO of StoragePug—a company that started with one family-owned facility and evolved into one of the most beloved tech brands in self storage. From his early days as a pre-med student to becoming a bootstrapped founder serving over 2,000 facilities nationwide, Tommy’s story is one of grit, humility, and relentless optimism.In this episode, we explore:The journey from agency life to SaaS and how StoragePug found its niche.Lessons from bootstrapping—why taking the long road built a stronger culture.Balancing product discipline with customer-driven innovation.Competing (and thriving) in a crowded proptech ecosystem.How fatherhood reshaped Tommy’s leadership, time, and definition of success.If you’ve ever wondered how to scale a business without losing your soul—or how to stay customer-obsessed while saying “no” to the wrong ideas—this conversation is a masterclass in building with heart.

From Vietnam to Knoxville—Tommy’s immigrant story and the inflection points that shaped his path.

Helping small operators compete head-to-head with REITs.

Are we a product company or a service company? Defining the StoragePug identity.

Bootstrapping in a world of venture-backed startups—and why it worked.

What Tommy believed as a first-time founder (and doesn’t anymore).

The three-part framework for deciding which features to build.

When to kill a product—and why sunk costs don’t matter.

Staying focused in a crowded landscape of new tech.

Why small operators can’t afford to look “small” online anymore.

AI as augmentation, not replacement—and what’s next for StoragePug.