Software from frontline work
How experience running shows can reveal product needs that a generic business tool misses.
The Bay Signal · Recorded conversation
Cruz Arnett · Stagera
Cruz Arnett comes to software through live event production. He is building Stagera to connect the equipment, crews, quotes, and logistics that sit behind every show.
Recorded · Coming soon
The person behind the work
About Cruz
Cruz Arnett is the founder of Stagera, with a background in the work that happens before the audience sees a live show. He produced a hip-hop event at sixteen, later worked stage crew at Hayden Homes Amphitheater, and went on to operate a production company while working as a lighting director. Talking with AV companies and rental shops helped him identify a recurring problem: equipment, people, and billing were managed through disconnected tools. In a public founder update, he announced a leave of absence from Oregon State University and plans to build Stagera full time in San Francisco.
The company
What Stagera is building
Stagera is operations software for live event production, AV, staging, and lighting businesses. It connects equipment tracking, crew scheduling, quoting, invoicing, and logistics in one system. AI and workflow automation handle routine coordination, with the aim of giving teams a clearer view of each job and less administrative work between shows.
Visit StageraEditorial context
Questions around Cruz Arnett's work
Context from Cruz Arnett’s work. Full episode and show notes are coming soon.
One show, many dependencies
The relationship between equipment availability, crew schedules, quotes, and the final invoice.
AI behind the scenes
The opportunity to automate routine coordination while production teams focus on delivering the live event.
Making the founder leap
The practical tradeoffs between university, paid production work, and building a company full time.
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