People don't just buy software. They buy the entire service experience: kickoff, onboarding, support, training, feedback, and influence on what we build next. That's what customers are really asking: Will you be there for us when we call at 6:45 the night before the letting? Do you try to sell us stuff and then move on, or do you really want to make sure we know how to use it and are getting value?

This week is a bit of a departure from the normal construction wisdom. I want to share more about what's happening at Edgevanta and what we're learning.

We do a lot of letting prep calls with our customers to make sure they're getting the most out of Edgevanta. I've learned that nothing replaces watching people use the app (and using it yourself) to make the product better. It also goes a long way with our clients that they know we understand they're slammed (we are too!), and that we go above and beyond to make sure they're getting the support they need.

We're not perfect. I've had these calls go sideways before, but on Monday we had a couple of great ones. We've also recently brought on more seasoned, dedicated Customer Success Managers, and it's been great to watch them spread their wings. I used to run these calls myself. Watching other people take the lead was a bit scary at first, but it's great now.

On Monday, I flew to New Orleans to meet with our Go To Market (GTM) team. We were originally all remote, but we've started hiring GTM and product professionals in Nashville (where I'm based) and New Orleans (where our head of GTM, Alfredo, is based). I stayed at the Windsor Court, my favorite hotel in the world, and something small happened there that I haven't stopped thinking about. More on that next week.

On Tuesday, we met for two hours with a client who's been with us for just under five months. We went through the platform end to end and fielded questions from everyone in the room. These sessions are valuable because people are far more willing to speak up in person and give us feedback. We went over a bid analysis tool that saved someone an entire afternoon. Some of what they called out bothered me, because I know they're right. One example: they want to compare this year's bid to last year's and see exactly what changed, with near certainty. I want the software to do what users are asking for, and I know we have things on the roadmap that are ahead of what's being requested. AI lets us build fast, but building it right, so it's consistent and scales, still takes time. When I see users get excited about something, or disengage when we cover a new module, it helps me direct our engineering team on what to build next. I also got to see three former colleagues at the onsite, which was really special.

Then I scooted home to Nashville for dinner with two dear friends, Aaron Witt and Larry Baker. Aaron is the founder of BuildWitt (if you've been living under a rock!) and had just crushed an Ironman in Chattanooga. Larry is the founder of FleetWatcher and was in town to record a podcast. My friend Brian Cooney, former SVP/CFO of Barriere, connected me with Larry right after I started Edgevanta. We've been friends ever since, and he's been a great mentor to me. In fact, he's the person who introduced me to the work of Ralph Waldo Emerson (Self-Reliance and Compensation). Larry sold his business and is now doing some incredible philanthropic work. The dinner conversation centered on business, spirituality, reading, and how nobody can be better at being you than you! I also have a new challenge for myself: read a bit of the Bible every day. People like this help keep me going on the tough days and reinforce why I love this industry and the wonderful people who make it up.

Wednesday was the final day of the quarter, and we closed a large deal with a multinational contractor that piloted our software for about four months and decided to move forward for a multi-year engagement. We also had several deals push into Q4, which was not what we were hoping for. We're ahead of plan for the year, having more than doubled revenue already, and we feel good about where we're at, with a long way to go.

I feel better than I ever have about the direction of our product and what we're building: pricing intelligence to win more work and minimize dollars left on the table, and spec review to analyze bid packages faster and eliminate manual effort. Eventually we will become the AI operating system for civil preconstruction, and we're just getting started.

Finally, on Wednesday I flew up to Massachusetts for my wedding this weekend to my fiancée, Sallie. We have a small gathering planned with close friends and family. I'm super excited to start this new chapter of life together.

Have a great weekend!

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