We interviewed Duct founder, Joe Schnetzler, on creating a subcontractor management platform that helps contractors manage their contracts, payments, and paperwork. Joe is the co-founder of Pital & Co, a startup that provides affordable valuations for businesses of all sizes. After building his first startup on Bubble, he decided to build Duct using the no-code platform, which he described as “far superior to traditional coding.”
What problem does your company solve?
Joe Schnetzler: Duct is a subcontractor management platform that helps general contractors and subcontractors get paid while allowing them to manage their contracts and human resources paperwork efficiently. We created Duct to fill in the industry’s digitalization gap and increase productivity. One of the most underdigitized industries, construction is rife with projects that are over budget or unable to meet projected timelines.
How does your app work?
With just a few clicks and inputs, you can sign up for free. Duct allows you to send invoices and get paid with Duct Escrow, as well as manage and find construction projects on the simplest construction platform on the market (and we did this on purpose!). Thanks to our message command interface, you can perform tasks without leaving the messenger. Need to request a new change order? Simply type #newchangeorder order in the project messenger for the given project and boom--we walk you through the rest of the process.
Tell us a little about your background and how you discovered no-code tools like Bubble.
I believe that I discovered Bubble on Google, after researching ways to learn web development and design skills while also building a product. As soon as I discovered Bubble, I became engrossed in the no-code revolution. Since then, I have researched and found many other no-code tools, including Zapier and Webflow. I know quite a few programming languages, but using Bubble and other no-code tools is far superior to traditional coding. No-code tools have allowed me to develop solutions faster than using traditional coding languages. In fact, I used Bubble to build my other startup, Pital & Co, which is a valuation company that uses machine learning techniques.
Why did you build your app on Bubble?
A quantitative developer and data scientist by trade, my partner and I initially did not have the web development experience to build our product. After teaching myself JavaScript, I decided to use Bubble, which enabled me to build the product while learning how to use the no-code platform itself. Aware of how quickly one can develop a project using Bubble, I will probably never leave the no-code platform, as long as the server capacity and uptime continue to be great!
What has been your traction or success so far?
So far, we have had fantastic traction. In addition to receiving our initial beta users, Duct was accepted into a GAN Accelerator (Start Co. Accelerator in Memphis). After private testing, we plan to launch our public MVP.
What are your future plans for your app?
As for next steps, we are currently in the early phases of developing machine learning algorithms, which we plan to integrate into our platform. In addition, we will keep adding new features for our users, which we hope will help us become the go-to construction management platform for small- and medium-sized contractors and subcontractors.
Learn more about Duct: LinkedIn | Instagram
About Bubble
Bubble is a leader in the no-code movement. Bubble offers a powerful point-and-click web editor and cloud hosting platform that allows users to build fully customizable web applications and workflows, ranging from simple prototypes to complex marketplaces, SaaS products, and more. Over 400,000 users are currently building and launching businesses on Bubble - many have gone on to participate in top accelerator programs, such as Y Combinator, and even raise $365M in venture funding. Bubble is more than just a product. We are a strong community of builders and entrepreneurs that are united by the belief that everyone should be able to create technology.
Join the no-code movement today.
Do you want your app featured by Bubble? Reach out to us and tell us about your app. In addition to this series, we sometimes select our best apps to showcase on our website.
