Tell us a little about yourself.

Hi, I'm Dave Rupert and I'm the lead developer for a small web design and development company called Paravel based in Austin, TX. I also co-host a weekly tech podcast with tens of thousands of listeners called ShopTalk Show. I live in Northwest Austin with my wife and two children.

What problem(s) did you face before using our product?

As I'm sure we're all familiar thanks to the pandemic, working from home with kids in the house can be challenging. It took me a while to realize that not only are the kids in my workspace, I'm also in their play space. At our previous residence, I had a backyard office (from a competing prefab company) and we already knew having a dedicated workspace helps with our family's work-life balance. Being able to physically separate myself from work is helpful for everyone.

It wasn't for lack of trying. I tried co-working, got quotes, hired architects, drafted plans, paid contractors, applied for permits, fought the city on easements but after nearly two years of setbacks and plan changes we had nothing to show for it. I needed people who could get the job done in a reasonable timeframe for a reasonable cost.

Why did you choose our product/company?

I did not have a good customer experience with my previous prefab company, so I needed a different vendor. I nearly bought a prefab structure from another out of state company but they didn't have a team in Austin for assembly.

When Kyle from Backyard Office told me they had put up dozens of sheds in the last few months, I was sold. I didn't want to deal with flaky contractors and knowing Backyard Office had crews available and engaged to get the work done was confidence-boosting. It told me they could deliver it as quickly as possible on a short timeline.

They were nice. They were local. And everyone who worked on the site was nice and respectful of the property.

Anything else you’d like to share?

Instead of kids hollering and wearing headphones all day in a spare bedroom, my new environment is a tranquil office with the sounds of birds chirping as they zip through the trees. I love it and my lazy dog loves sleeping on the patio.