Parag Garg, the former Amazon architect who worked briefly as Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen’s top tech adviser, has landed at Porch, the fast-growing home-improvement data startup.
Garg has joined the Seattle-based company as Director of Product, Real Estate and MyHome — overseeing areas including the Porch Home Report for home buyers, partnerships with sites including realtor.com, and the MyHome feature that gives home owners detailed information on their own properties.
In an email, Garg said he was attracted to Porch’s culture, its ambitions for building the next big Seattle tech company, and its approach to solving challenges for homeowners and home-buyers.
“As a homeowner who’s taken on renovation, I have seen first-hand how difficult it can be to find a professional to work on your home,” he said. “As a home buyer, I’ve been through the struggles of investigating and researching property before making the purchasing decision. We spend so much time in our homes, and it’s one of the biggest financial decisions that people make.”
So why did he leave Paul Allen’s Vulcan after four months?
“I enjoyed my time at Vulcan, it was a good experience with Paul and his team. Vulcan is doing a lot of amazing things for Seattle and the world, I’m grateful that Paul let me be a part of that,” he said. “In the end, there were different expectations of what my role was going to do at Vulcan.”
He described his departure as a “mutual decision” between Allen and himself.
Garg worked on products including the Amazon Fire TV during his time at the company. Before going to Amazon, Garg worked at Microsoft, on projects including the Xbox One, the unreleased Courier tablet and Windows Embedded.
Porch, led by CEO Matt Ehrlichman, has compiled large amounts of data on home-improvement projects across the country, allowing homeowners to see how much their neighbors spent on projects, and which professionals have done work in their area, among other information.
The company offers its service for free to homeowners, charging pros for market insights and promotional exposure in specific geographies. Porch has been growing rapidly with the help of a high-profile partnerships including a national rollout in Lowe’s stores.
