Today we’d like to introduce you to Nico Larez.
Hi Nico, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I’ve always been drawn to building things that solve real, everyday problems. My background is in sales and operations, where I spent a lot of time working with contractors and small businesses and seeing firsthand how much unused value sits in equipment, tools, and gear that people already own but rarely maximize.
Over time, I also became more interested in the sharing economy and platforms like Airbnb and Turo, and I kept coming back to the same thought: there’s still so much “idle inventory” in our local communities that isn’t being unlocked in a simple, trusted way.
That’s really what led me to start Totes. I wanted to build a peer to peer rental marketplace that feels easy, safe, and community driven, where people can turn the things they already own into income, and where others can access what they need without having to buy it outright.
Today, I’m focused on growing Totes from the ground up in Austin, learning directly from users, and shaping the product around real behavior and trust. It’s been a mix of building, testing, and iterating quickly, but the goal has stayed the same: make underused assets useful again in a way that benefits both sides.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It definitely hasn’t been a straight or easy road. We’re a small team, and building something like this from scratch takes a lot longer than you expect, especially when you’re trying to get both the product and the trust layer right.
It took us roughly a year to build the platform to a point where we felt confident launching it publicly. A big part of that time was figuring out not just the tech, but also the user experience, safety, and how to make a peer to peer rental marketplace actually feel simple and trustworthy for both sides.
Once we launched, things got really exciting, but also very real very quickly. Growth started picking up faster than expected, which was great, but it also surfaced new challenges like onboarding users properly, managing expectations, and improving the platform based on real usage instead of assumptions.
We’ve also had to stay scrappy and iterate constantly with a small team, which means wearing a lot of hats and prioritizing what actually moves the needle. It hasn’t been perfectly smooth, but that’s also been the most valuable part of the process, learning directly from users and improving the product in real time.
Now we’re at a few hundred users and growing, and the focus is just continuing to build trust, improve the experience, and scale what’s working.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I work in sales and focus on being a problem solver for my customers. My role is really about understanding a company’s challenges and helping them find solutions that drive growth, efficiency, and profitability.
What I’m known for is building strong relationships, asking the right questions, and really understanding the business behind the surface-level need. I don’t just sell a product, I try to connect the dots on how it actually impacts their bottom line.
What I’m most proud of is consistently helping companies grow their business and seeing the measurable impact of the solutions I’ve brought in. That’s what motivates me most.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
A lot of credit goes to my wife from the very beginning. She believed in this idea before it was even in motion and has been a constant supporter and sounding board throughout the entire journey. She still plays a role today in helping me think through decisions and stay grounded.
My team also deserves a huge amount of credit. Totes truly doesn’t exist without them. We’ve built this as a small, scrappy group, and everyone has had to wear multiple hats to get us to where we are.
Outside of that, we’ve had early users and supporters in Austin who have really helped shape the product by giving honest feedback and trusting us early on. That kind of input has been critical in helping us improve and grow quickly.
Pricing:
- Its free to list and we only charge a fee if you item is rented out.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://gototes.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/totesatx/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61575579359362
- Other: https://maps.app.goo.gl/tdcCJ1JXWRjJgwex6
