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.

(00:02:11) From Vietnam to Knoxville—Tommy’s immigrant story and the inflection points that shaped his path.
(00:09:01) Helping small operators compete head-to-head with REITs.
(00:13:16) Are we a product company or a service company? Defining the StoragePug identity.
(00:20:38) Bootstrapping in a world of venture-backed startups—and why it worked.
(00:28:34) What Tommy believed as a first-time founder (and doesn’t anymore).
(00:36:23) The three-part framework for deciding which features to build.
(00:41:06) When to kill a product—and why sunk costs don’t matter.
(00:47:21) Staying focused in a crowded landscape of new tech.
(00:54:56) Why small operators can’t afford to look “small” online anymore.
(00:57:47) AI as augmentation, not replacement—and what’s next for StoragePug.
(01:07:24) How becoming a dad changed Tommy’s priorities and leadership style.

Frameworks & Philosophies

• Bootstrapping over venture funding
• Value–difficulty–longevity product framework
• Founder restraint and long-term thinking
• Customer empathy as a superpower

Tools & Rituals

• Productboard for prioritization
• Slack as a company nerve center
• Gmail star system for sanity
• Time blocking and “out the door by 5:10” rule

Favorite Nuggets

• “Not every team member will row as hard—and that’s okay.”
• “If everyone in the industry copies each other, the typo repeats.”
• “Our software is used by our clients’ customers, not our clients.”
• “Turns out StoragePug didn’t need my 100% obsession to thrive.”

🔗 More from Tommy & StoragePug:
storagepug.com

Follow Tommy on LinkedIn