The Digital Executive — Ep. 1061
Guest: Joseph Noor (Co-Founder & CTO, Ownwell)
Host: Coruzant Technologies
Date: May 11, 2025
Episode Title: Joseph Noor on Sneaker Bots and Real Estate Tech: Solving Complex Problems with Code
Episode Overview
In this concise, idea-rich episode, Joseph Noor shares how his entrepreneurial spirit and diverse technical background converge in Ownwell—a startup using technology to demystify and reduce property ownership costs. Noor discusses his family's multigenerational real estate legacy, his journey from sneaker bots to AI research, and how Ownwell educates and empowers homeowners. The conversation closes with speculation on the merging paths of health tech and real estate tech, spotlighting the potential of future smart homes.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Entrepreneurial Roots and Real Estate Legacy
[01:41]
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Family Influence:
Joseph describes a family history steeped in entrepreneurship and real estate, from his great-grandfather (a property tax collector in Lebanon) to his father (a U.S. immigrant and real estate investor). -
Personal Journey:
Despite initially feeling he was diverging from the family path by entering computer science, the convergence with real estate came when co-founding Ownwell.“Real estate’s always been in my family…when my co-founder presented this problem…that we could use technology to identify those gaps and help people make sure they’re not paying any more than they should in property taxes…I could merge [software] with my ancestral history.”
— Joseph Noor [02:58]
2. Technical Versatility: From Sneaker Bots to AI Optimization
[04:13]
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Tinkerer Mindset:
As a lifelong builder, Noor pursued software solutions whenever he encountered inefficiencies or exciting problems—even beyond academic pursuits. -
Breadth of Experience:
His technical journey (high school projects, sneaker bots, delivery apps, MMORPGs, AI research) exposed him to multiple software architectures and problem-solving methodologies. -
Benefit to Ownwell:
This “many at-bats” approach allowed him to rapidly identify, prioritize, and build scalable solutions for complex challenges.“Whenever I was dissatisfied with something, and I felt like I could build some software to solve that problem, I just dove in…So really just gave me this really nice breadth of knowledge.”
— Joseph Noor [04:34]“When my co-founder presented this idea…before I even went up to him and introduced myself, I was already thinking about, ‘How am I going to build this? What are the tools I’m going to use? How am I going to scale it?’”
— Joseph Noor [05:32]
3. Ownwell’s Value Proposition: Education and Savings for Homeowners
[06:45]
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Initial Focus:
Started with helping clients appeal property tax assessments to ensure fairness and savings. -
Two Types of Clients:
- Educated clients who know they can contest taxes.
- Unaware homeowners, a majority, for whom Ownwell must both provide solutions and build awareness.
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Long-Term Vision:
Evolving into a “digital assistant” that optimizes all aspects of home finances: insurance, refinancing, expenses—especially important since housing comprises over half the average American’s financial outlay. -
Bridging Educational Gaps:
Noor highlights how many homeowners are unaware of their financial options due to lack of education—Ownwell positions itself to fill that void.“We really want to basically provide what we think the classroom education failed to provide…how to truly own your home well and make sure you’re optimizing every single aspect of those finances.”
— Joseph Noor [08:20]
4. Convergence of Health Tech & Real Estate Tech — The Future of Smart Homes
[09:35]
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Personal Goals:
Noor’s aspiration to live to 100 years fuels his interest in health optimization. -
Smart Homes as Lifestyle Assistants:
Drawing from his PhD work on embedded systems and his hobby of smart home tinkering, Noor envisions homes using AI and IoT to monitor and encourage healthier living—not just longevity, but quality of life. -
Speculative Outlook:
Although not currently combined in Ownwell, he acknowledges future intersections where smart homes could analyze resident habits and guide healthier behaviors.“You could certainly see a world where, especially with these recent advancements in AI, that the home itself could become smart and could almost be listening and watching how we’re living and try to steer or recommend us towards ways to improve our health—not just so we can live longer, but we can live better and we can live healthier.”
— Joseph Noor [10:35]
Notable Quotes & Moments
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On Serendipity:
“It felt very serendipitous and…is what drove me to kind of want to build this company.”
— Joseph Noor [03:25] -
On Learning by Doing:
“I was always just building things. So I got exposed to all these different ways of trying to build software systems. Some of them worked, some of them failed, and I had to try again and try again and try again.”
— Joseph Noor [04:45] -
On Homeownership Education:
“For the majority of Americans, [the home] is the largest expense…we want to basically provide what we think the classroom education failed to provide.”
— Joseph Noor [08:05] -
On Smart Health Tech:
“It’s a wonderful thought experiment.”
— Joseph Noor [11:18]
Key Timestamps
- [01:41] Joseph’s family and entrepreneurial roots
- [04:13] Technical tinkering, breadth of experience, and building scalable tech
- [06:45] Ownwell’s approach to property tax savings and homeowner education
- [09:35] Speculation on health tech and the future of smart, wellness-oriented homes
Summary Takeaways
Joseph Noor’s journey embodies the fusion of diverse technical expertise with personal and ancestral drives that converge in practical, scalable solutions for homeowners. His focus on education and optimization extends beyond finance, hinting at an interconnected future where homes not only save money but actively promote better living. The episode is a fast-paced, earnest exploration of how the mindset of relentless problem-solving can transform industries and everyday lives.