Name: Daniel O’Gorman
Title: Chief product officer, Locale
What I do: Bring digital innovation to real estate to create connected communities. Locale currently serves over 80m sq ft of UK commercial, residential and mixed-use real estate.
Why I got into the property industry: I’ve been drawn to property from as young as I could remember. Whether it’s architecture, interior design, or the impact property has on individuals and society as a whole. Property is all around us and shapes who we are.
How I did it: Working as a technology partner to the property industry, my route has been an unusual one. From building computers at a young age with my brother and doing freelance software development, through to studying city and regional planning with real estate management. I’ve managed to mix my interests of technology and property, which have converged as the industry embraces digital transformation with disruption of traditional operating models.
My first proper job: My first real job was at Research Machines PLC, a supplier of technology infrastructure and services to the education sector. It was a fantastic introduction to the challenges of large scale and complex technology implementations.
My first big break: Having met Guy Windsor-Lewis and joined Locale, I feel fortunate to say that we had a series of big breaks that put the company on an upward trajectory. Despite being a young organisation, we won contracts with multiple high-profile developments including the King’s Cross redevelopment being masterminded by Argent, the conversion of the Olympic Village to East Village, and an iconic building in The Shard. We had the fortune of working with some of the industry’s most forward-thinking individuals and to understand the challenges they faced.
My inspiration(s): I pick up inspiration from lots of different sources. Industry peers, books, podcasts, articles, architecture, design – it all goes into the mix. For business inspiration, I follow Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson’s approach to organically building a business with Basecamp. I’m currently binging on the podcast 20VC with Harry Stebbings, which has insightful interviews with leaders in the tech industry.
The biggest challenge I’ve encountered to date: Growing a company organically in an industry resistant to change can be stressful! Locale has always been organically grown and profitable year on year; it’s provided us with both a lot of freedom and ensured an unrelenting focus on the customer, never losing sight of who we’re building for and solving real problems. The balance between being customer-driven and creating a scalable technology platform is a fine one.
My greatest achievement/proudest moment to date: Personal life events aside, I love seeing our product in action at landmark buildings. The Shard have been a client since before the building was finished and we’ve evolved the system hand in hand with the management team. It’s fantastic to see ideas that were once sketches come to fruition and be so successfully adopted, interacting with every single user of the building and improving their experience.
The biggest misconception people have about the property industry: That it’s stuffy or old fashioned. The industry is going through several major upheavals with digital disruption, climate change, changes to working patterns, the list goes on. The industry is embracing a new way of working that requires fresh mindsets.
My biggest bugbear about the industry/the one thing I would change about the industry: Whilst there’s been a sea change in perception of technology in the industry, speed of innovation still lags compared to other sectors. We’ve had the fortune of working with some very forward-thinking individuals and organisations that drive innovation, but the industry as a whole still has some catching up to do! In the consumer space, the expectation is digital-first services on demand; that mentality is slowly being adopted in property, but it entails a mindset shift from how things have traditionally been done.
Why I’m so passionate about DE&I: I’m proud that Locale puts its money where its mouth is in terms of DE&I. We have gender equality at all levels of the business, including a 50:50 split on the product development team which is traditionally a male domain. We work hard to create a culture where team members feel empowered to share different experiences and opinions. Our values and operating principles, shaped by the team themselves, champion the creation of an inclusive environment where individuals can thrive.
Where I’d like to be in five years’ time career-wise: Working with inspirational individuals to improve the industry through technology. A sea change is underway and technology adoption will only go one way. I’d love to be pivotal in leading this at scale to benefit the industry.
Who I’d invite, living or dead, to a dinner party: Albert Einstein, Steve Jobs, Stephen Fry, Robin Williams, Phoebe Waller-Bridge. I’m sure Rik Mayall would be fun company. Stanley Tucci could serve cocktails. Perhaps Sam Altman too, the CEO of OpenAI, to understand the impact AI is going to have on society.
What I do in my downtime: I have a young daughter that keeps me on my toes! Exercise is an important part of my life; health is the foundation that everything else is built on. Other than that, I enjoy cooking, reading, films, and travelling.
The job I’d be doing if I was not doing this: I find psychology fascinating and love helping people, so perhaps something along the lines of psychotherapy.
My advice for someone just starting out: Persistence is key. Have a vision of where you want to be and don’t rest until you’re there. The path forward is rarely clear or direct, the most important thing is that you keep moving forward.
My motto/mantra: To steal from Nike – Just do it. Nothing happens without action. Keep moving forward in the direction of your goals and course correct as you go. Funnily enough, product development follows the same principles.
