Cottage, a startup based in San Francisco, is rethinking the process of design, permitting, and construction in residential projects, starting with accessory dwelling units (ADUs). The company aims to lift the burden on homeowners by providing an efficient and streamlined approach. To achieve this, Cottage uses no-code automation tools like Zapier to automate workflows, connect disparate tools, and gather data from various stakeholders. By leveraging automation, Cottage can scale its operations, focus on strategic work, and execute on its roadmaps towards the future of residential design and construction. The company's Design Systems Lead, Yongjoon Kim, emphasizes the importance of automating repetitive tasks and rules-based work to free up his team's time for more creative and strategic initiatives.