Building the Home Dashboard Revolution: A Conversation with DomiSource Founder Karen Watts

Karen Watts, the founder and CEO of DomiSource, brings a unique blend of financial acumen and real-world experience to the property technology sector. With an impressive background as a CFO for high-growth tech companies and a track record of leading multi-million-dollar M&A deals, Watts has personally navigated 22 moves, remodeled 14 homes, and built rental portfolios across five states. This combination of professional expertise and personal experience has positioned her perfectly to address one of the most overlooked challenges in real estate: post-transaction home management.

In an exclusive interview with Entrepreneur Loop, Watts shares how her journey from finance executive to property tech innovator led to the creation of DomiSource, a revolutionary platform that’s reimagining home management for the digital age. The platform, which she describes as “Carfax meets ClickUp for your house,” is addressing the crucial gap between getting house keys and maintaining a home efficiently. By centralizing everything from service histories to warranty information, DomiSource is transforming how millennials and first-time homeowners approach property management.

1. Please provide a brief introduction of yourself and your professional background.
   I’m Karen Watts, founder and CEO of DomiSource. My background is in finance—I’ve served as CFO for several fast-growth tech companies, led multi-million-dollar M&A deals, and built remote teams before that was standard. But parallel to my professional life, I’ve also moved 22 times, remodeled 14 homes, and built rental portfolios across five states. My work has always been about systems—whether in accounting or housing. Every role I’ve taken—from Burger King to the boardroom—has taught me how to see what’s broken and build a better way.
2. Please tell us a bit more about your startup—what does it offer, what problem does it solve, and who is your target audience?
   DomiSource is a post-transaction home management platform built to fix what the real estate industry ignores: what happens after you get the keys. We centralize home data—think service history, warranties, vendor logs, appliance details—and layer in verified providers, moving checklists, neighborhood insights, and gamified upkeep. It’s like a Carfax meets ClickUp for your house. Our core users are millennials, renters, and first-time buyers—people navigating home life without the tools they need to stay organized, empowered, or calm.
3. What inspired you to start your own business? What was the “aha” moment?
   It wasn’t one big moment—it was 23. Each move exposed how broken and fragmented the process was. During one cross-country move with two kids, two dogs, and 15 spreadsheets, I hit a breaking point. Why was there still no tool that handled the move and what comes after? That was the spark for DomiSource. I wanted a way to track everything from service history to paint colors to appliance manuals—all in one place, designed for real life, not real estate transactions. DomiSource is the product I couldn’t find but desperately needed.

4. What were some of the biggest initial challenges you faced in getting your business off the ground? How did you overcome them?
   Our first dev team couldn’t execute the vision. I made the hard call to fire them and rebuild from scratch—midway through our funding raise. That meant renegotiating timelines, updating stakeholders, and rebuilding momentum with a new team. It delayed our launch, but we came out stronger, with a platform that actually worked and a team that understood the mission. The other challenge? Proving this was more than a “nice-to-have.” We leaned hard into user interviews, UX testing, and case studies to show how DomiSource fills a massive, underserved gap.

5. How did you identify a gap in the market or need that your business fulfills?
   Because I lived the gap. The industry treats homeownership like a finish line. But anyone who’s actually moved knows—it’s the starting gun for stress. Your vendors, your warranties, your neighborhood info, your move-in checklist—it’s all scattered, redundant, and reactive. I knew there was a better way, but no one was building it. The moment I said, “Why doesn’t my house have a dashboard like my car?”—I knew the opportunity was real. DomiSource doesn’t just fill a market gap. It fills an emotional void in one of life’s most overwhelming transitions.
6. What have been your key strategies for growth and gaining traction/users?
   We focused on trust first. That means partnerships with agents, HOAs, and service pros who already serve our users. It also meant earning credibility through verified data—not just another review site full of opinions. Our growth has come from leaning into life moments: moves, remodels, breakdowns, handoffs. We built campaigns around what people actually need—like “Where’s the breaker box?” or “How do I find a plumber I can actually trust?” Our freemium model lets users try before they commit, and our gamified system rewards good homeownership. Because yes—checking your water heater matters, and we’ll make sure you remember.
7. How do you stand out from the competition in your space? What sets your product/service apart?
   Everyone else is focused on transactions—DomiSource is focused on transformation. We’re the only platform that builds a living profile of your home—complete with documentation, service logs, and proactive alerts. We verify vendors, track tasks, and even show you what’s due based on the age of your systems. Plus, we’re built by someone who’s lived through the pain, not just studied it. That’s what sets us apart.
8. What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs who want to start their own company?
   Then build systems, not just features. If your idea can’t be operationalized, it can’t scale. And don’t chase growth before you’re ready. I’ve made that mistake—hiring too fast, launching too early, trying to meet investor expectations instead of customer needs. What matters is traction that sticks. Users who come back. A product that solves a real problem. A brand that means something.

Don’t waste your time building what looks good. Build what makes someone’s life actually easier.