Unlocking the Future: Insights from Serge Toarca, Founder of ParseHub, Moment, and PreSupplied
When it comes to founders with visionary ideas and practical execution, Serge Toarca stands out. From his early days learning to code at seven, under the guidance of software engineer parents, to creating innovative companies like ParseHub, Moment, and PreSupplied, Serge has consistently pushed the boundaries of what’s possible in technology and education. Recently, we had the opportunity to delve into his entrepreneurial journey and his unique approach to solving complex problems.
Moment: Revolutionizing Customer Interactions
Serge’s latest venture, Moment, is a customer interaction platform with an ambitious goal: to consolidate all customer touchpoints into one seamless experience. It’s not just another CRM; it’s a product built with a recursive feedback loop. By using Moment internally for years, Serge and his team ensured it met their exact needs before releasing it to the public.
One standout feature is time travel, which allows support teams to rewind and see exactly what a customer experienced at the moment they encountered an issue. This reduces back-and-forth communication, empowers engineers to identify problems faster, and minimizes errors.
Moment’s journey wasn’t without challenges. Competing across multiple verticals stretched resources, but the long development cycle paid off. Drawing parallels with Figma, Serge emphasized how a deep understanding of the problem space—combined with patience—can lead to breakthroughs.
“If you know exactly what you want to build, sometimes you don’t need external feedback immediately. But this is a rare exception, not the rule,” Serge cautioned.
PreSupplied: Reimagining Education Through Real Estate
While Moment tackles inefficiencies in customer interactions, PreSupplied aims to transform education. Frustrated by the lack of quality schooling options, Serge explored how the misalignment of incentives hampers educational progress.
He identified a fascinating insight: the correlation between school quality and home prices. Research showed that moving from the 90th to the 95th percentile in school quality could double home prices, with another doubling at the 99th percentile. This phenomenon inspired PreSupplied’s innovative model.
The Vision
PreSupplied combines real estate and education by creating a real estate investment trust (REIT) focused on underperforming neighborhoods. The model is straightforward:
Acquire Properties: Invest in homes in a lower-income area.
Build a Top-Tier School: Establish a school with unparalleled quality, free for students.
Drive Appreciation: By improving education, increase demand for local homes, leading to property value appreciation.
Why This Works
Parents consistently rank their children’s education as a top priority, driving fierce competition for homes near excellent schools. PreSupplied aligns long-term educational benefits with immediate economic incentives, creating a win-win situation.
“The best schools shouldn’t just be accessible to those with money. We can democratize quality education while delivering returns for investors,” Serge explained.
From ParseHub to Today: Lessons from the Journey
Serge’s entrepreneurial journey began with ParseHub, a no-code web scraping tool that empowers users to extract data from the web effortlessly. While different in scope from Moment and PreSupplied, ParseHub reflects Serge’s knack for identifying inefficiencies and creating tools that simplify processes.
Each venture is a masterclass in iterative development, user-focused design, and aligning incentives. Whether it’s building tools for businesses or rethinking education systems, Serge combines technical expertise with an unwavering commitment to impactful solutions.
Advice for Aspiring Founders
Serge’s story offers several takeaways:
Master Your Craft Early: Building on skills honed from a young age can provide a competitive edge.
Deeply Understand Your Problem Space: A strong intuition often comes from years of firsthand experience.
Patience Pays Off: Great products—whether software platforms or schools—require time and meticulous planning.
Align Incentives: Whether in tech or education, aligning stakeholder interests is crucial for sustainable success.
Serge Toarca isn’t just building companies—he’s reshaping industries. With Moment, he’s setting new standards for customer interaction, and with PreSupplied, he’s challenging how we think about education. As we wrapped up, it was clear that Serge’s journey is far from over—and we can’t wait to see what he tackles next