How a Tech Executive Built a Family Office Through Real Estate
Richard C. Wilson introduces Yaya for a discussion about his path from big tech into entrepreneurship.
Yaya says he and his wife started as middle class people working regular jobs, then took opportunities as they came without a plan to build a family office.
In this video: Richard C. Wilson (Host), Yaya (Real estate investor and single family office owner)
What they said
- Decision frameworks. Yaya says his tech and consulting background led him to think in systems and focus on return on use. He and his wife designed decision frameworks, followed them and refined them over time. (at 2:30)
- Leadership hiring. Yaya says growth changed when they hired people for leadership positions instead of bringing them in only to fill roles. He gave those leaders frameworks, support and trust to make decisions autonomously. (at 4:24)
- Return on use. Yaya describes return on use as including people, time, networks, capital and resources. He says an entrepreneur can move faster by using expertise and infrastructure they can access instead of trying to build everything alone. (at 9:07)
- Barbell strategy. Yaya calls his approach a barbell strategy. In his lending example, he described taking a slice of a higher risk position within a larger loan structure he viewed as containing the risk, aiming for higher yield in a low risk environment. (at 14:43)
- Risk presentation. Yaya says a pitch should explain the risks the speaker sees and how they would respond if those risks materialize. In his view, the return matters less than understanding the risk carried to pursue it. (at 21:16)
In their words
"we started bringing in people who were taking on leadership positions"
"it's about getting the money back then some."
Why it matters if you are building or preserving great wealth
Yaya says repeat borrowers and trust meant his firm had to use recourse only twice. That helps explain why relationships sit alongside property security in his lending approach.
From Richard's exclusive Billionaires.com interviews
Lessons from Richard C. Wilson's one-on-one interviews, as published on each interview page.
- Anu Aga: Focus on one main cause. Her family found its giving more satisfying and impactful once it chose primary education for the underprivileged in India.
- Binod K. Chaudhary: Never chase a deal out of desperation. Stay cool and look at every part of the deal. Have your advisers and your finance team review it critically. Your counsel should review it too.
- Larry Connor: Learn from every mistake. Larry's team owns its failures and makes no excuses. They learn, change quickly, and keep getting better.
See the data
Frequently asked questions
Did Yaya set out to build a family office?
No. Yaya says he and his wife began as middle class people working regular jobs, with no plan to build a family office or amass wealth.
What did Yaya check before lending?
He says they would not lend against a property without walking it. They also considered how long and how much effort it could take to recover their capital, and avoided some lengthy jurisdictions and complicated corporate structures.
Sources
Quotes are copied from the video captions and checked against the transcript. Timestamps link to the moment in the video. General information only, not legal, tax or investment advice.