The WerkerApp aims to be an application tailored to the needs of tradespeople. This way, not only the office but also the construction site is freed from paperwork. Founders Jenni and Frank told us a little more about the company's history and initial difficulties in our 7 questions.
1. Who are you and what do you do? Please briefly introduce yourselves and the WerkerApp!
We are Frank Wiedemann, an experienced digital expert who previously worked for Neue Pressegesellschaft Ulm, the Swiss telecommunications service provider Swisscom, and most recently for the digital agency mission-one, where he was responsible for digitalization and business development.
As well as Jenni Schwanenberg, daughter of a scaffolding company and, after working for the German Press Agency, Stephan Uhrenbacher (Qype, 9flats, FLIO) and mantro, quite experienced in startups.
SaaS product for the paperless construction site
We are a venture of the Munich company builder mantro GmbH and were created together with the lightning protection manufacturer DEHN + SÖHNE GmbH and Co. KG.
WerkerApp is a SaaS product for craftsmen, with which we now want to free the construction site from paper after the office.
2. But that's been around for a long time!
Sure. In the form of email, WhatsApp—we even have clients who use Trello. But it's simply not designed for the demands of a construction site. There, things have to happen quickly, and you don't have a computer, and you might not even have an internet connection.
Over 1000 companies already use the WerkerApp
3. What are the three main ingredients for your recipe for success?
• Customer proximity
• User understanding
• Safety shoes (otherwise we are not allowed to go to the construction site)
4. Let’s get down to business: How is business going?
Pretty good. We now have over 1,000 companies working with us, and we started invoicing them in June.
5. What does Munich mean to you?
We're a mantro venture, so Munich is a natural starting point. For us, this means we can draw on a fantastic network of experienced developers and founders.
“Fortunately, our test customers were very patient.”
6. How will your startup become the next unicorn? Or will we see you soon at Epic Fail Night?
When it comes to failure, we've definitely got a lot to offer! Especially in the early days, we had to learn a lot when it came to dealing with large volumes of photos. When a customer calls and complains that their 300 photos are gone—the cement is already gone and they can't take any more—it's a real heartbreak! Fortunately, our test customers were very patient, which is why we had a very secure system in place after just a short time.
7. Fish on a stick or pork knuckle?
Bean patty.
