In this episode of the Tacos & Tech Podcast, host Neal Bloom chats with Jeremy Yamaguchi, Founder and CEO of Cabana. A longtime builder in the home services space, Jeremy is now focused on modernizing the pool care industry, one of the largest yet most overlooked service sectors in the U.S.

Jeremy shares how his product and marketing background led him to build Cabana with a blend of operational efficiency, software tooling, and local team empowerment. He dives into his strategy around vertical SaaS, customer experience, and the importance of trust and taste when scaling service-based businesses.

Key Topics Covered

• Why the pool industry is primed for tech-enabled reinvention

• Cabana’s approach to building a national brand through software and service

• How acquisitions, W-2 teams, and onboarding systems set Cabana apart

• Why founder psychology and team culture matter in field operations

• Applying tech tools (including ML) to streamline quoting and scheduling

• Lessons from going through Y Combinator

• What “slope over Y-intercept” really means in early team building

• Jeremy’s San Diego taco go-to and what makes a taco technically superior

Links & Resources

• Cabana Pools

Connect with Jeremy

• LinkedIn

Connect with Neal Bloom

• LinkedIn: Neal Bloom
• Twitter: @NealBloom