Right at Home: Why I Joined Zeus Living

Guthrie Dolin
Jan 10 · 3 min read

I long, as does every human being, to be at home wherever I find myself.

—Maya Angelou

An undeniably charming studio in Venice, CA

Design Challenge Criterion:

Ask those that know me well and they’ll tell you that I’ve been fascinated (ok, slightly obsessed) with examining, dissecting, and ultimately creating hospitality experiences for many years. The reason is simple: The problem is beautifully complex and utterly human.

Hospitality provides a unique design challenge with a breadth of experiential touchpoints — a user journey that is literally a journey. That journey contains a multitude of moments to consider, opportunities to design thoughtful, even exceptional, experiences every step of the way. It’s a design problem rooted in fundamental human needs, from the most basic (a roof over one’s head) to the most aspirational (expanding one’s horizons). In fact, at every tier of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, I can see incredible possibilities.

So I was very intrigued when I was introduced to Kulveer Taggar, Zeus Living’s Co-Founder and CEO, and keen to hear more about the business and the team. Immediately I was impressed with the company’s bold vision, the commitment to their values, and obvious passion to build a superior service and a brand that is human-centered at its core.

But one particular vector flipped a switch for me: Extended stays. Not vacations, getaways, or leisure travel. This was about providing hospitality for everyday life, or living as a service. Be it for a work contract or internship, a relocation for a new job, or a family home remodel, Zeus Living is providing housing solutions for people in transition. That means helping people dealing with major change. I remember having the realization, “Wow, this is big. Doing this really well is freakin’ important to people’s lives.”

Like it does for many of us, when the stakes get raised, so do my interest and focus. From that moment on, I couldn’t stop (I haven’t stopped) thinking about this design challenge and how bringing a human-centric, deeply empathic approach to all facets of the experience can produce a profoundly positive impact for people in such a personal arena.

In my conversations with Kulveer and the team, I shared my early thinking. I let my excitement and aspirations be seen. My thoughts were echoed (and built upon); my excitement and aspirations were clearly shared. Needless to say, when they offered me the role of VP of Design, my answer was an emphatic “Yes!”

I’m now writing this at a desk in Zeus Living’s San Francisco HQ, hoping that if you get as excited about this challenge as I do, that you’ll reach out. 😉

PostScript:

A few thoughts on human truths, macrotrends, and my personal aspirations.

I’ve been thinking about permanence. What defines it? Why does it matter to people? In the past, I think the idea of home was deeply rooted in a physical place — a city, a neighborhood, a house, a couch — as well as people’s desire to make a claim on those things.

There is growing evidence that the desire for people to “own” things is changing. Many people are more than happy to rent their music, cars, homes, even their clothes. It may even be that relinquishing that desire to “own” is freeing, and opening people up to try more things, explore more places, consider more opportunities — and hopefully gain a deeper understanding of themselves and the world they live in.

I was born and raised in the Bay Area. Nothing will change that. My worldview, sensibilities, and values will always reflect that fact. But the city I live in, the house I occupy, even the couch I sit on, don’t define what home is to me. For me, “home” is feeling, and I’m excited to explore that feeling more.

About:

Guthrie Dolin is a seasoned creative executive and a serial entrepreneur. He has founded two award-winning creative consultancies and partnered to launch numerous brands/businesses. Currently he is VP of Design at Zeus Living, as well as an investor and advisor in early-stage startups. Guthrie also lectures at the Institute of Design at Stanford (the d.school) on branding and design innovation for entrepreneurs.

Zeus Living offers thoughtfully furnished and fully equipped homes for 30+ day stays — so you can feel at home wherever opportunity takes you.

Guthrie Dolin

Written by

Founder/Creative Executive. Designer, Entrepreneur, Investor, Connector of dots.

Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade