### The Opportunity
We're seeking a visionary entrepreneur to partner with our venture studio in
building a large and impactful new company – WorkHero. This is a unique
opportunity to be a co-founder and CEO, but with a running start, building on
nearly a year of research and initial development. The founding CEO will co-
create and helm a company that's not just talking about AI—we're actively
applying it to solve real-world problems for an essential yet underserved
market. As CEO and Co-founder, you'll drive WorkHero's strategic direction,
scaling our AI solution to address the critical workforce challenges in the
HVAC industry and beyond.
### About WorkHero
WorkHero is an AI-powered virtual assistant designed to streamline business
management for owners of small businesses in the skilled trades, beginning
with HVAC. Why HVAC? It's an industry crucial for both the economy and our
climate goals, but small contractors face real challenges with business
management and workforce shortages. We see a huge opportunity to make a
tangible impact with the right technology.
We combine multiple narrow solutions into a single, comprehensive tool that
understands and executes tasks through a combination of AI and human support,
simplifying operations and improving efficiency and business outcomes. Our
mission is to give diverse local small business owners all the sophistication
of a corporate contractor while retaining their local ownership and love for
their work.
### About Workshop
Workshop is a venture studio that partners with founders to build startups in
climate and education. Our team of entrepreneurs, engineers, and strategists
leverages deep industry and customer insights to identify urgent unsolved
problems and supports founders to develop breakthrough innovations to address
them. We are led by Eleanor & Chad Laurans, co-founders of SimpliSafe, which
they built and scaled into one of the largest home security companies in the
U.S.
### Why Partner With Us?
* Co-found a startup with nearly a year of research and development already completed
* Work with a dedicated team and enjoy the full support of Workshop Ventures' resources
* Shape a product that has the potential to transform an entire industry
* Address a significant gap in the market for affordable, scalable business management solutions for over 400,000 small skilled trades businesses in the U.S.
* Be part of the solution to the workforce challenges in the skilled trades, which are essential for the U.S. economy and climate transition ### What You’ll Do
* Partner with Workshop to refine and execute WorkHero's strategic vision
* Lead product development and go-to-market strategy
* Engage directly with small contractors, initially in HVAC, to ensure our product continually evolves to meet their needs
* Build and lead a high-performing team
* Secure additional funding and manage investor relationships as we grow
* Oversee the expansion of our product into other trades and deeper service offerings
* Drive partnerships with key stakeholders in the climate tech and workforce development ecosystems
### Who We're Looking For
We are seeking an entrepreneurial leader with a passion for empowering small
business owners and a demonstrated bias to action. You would be an ideal
candidate if you have:
* A deep understanding of the challenges faced by small skilled trades contractors
* Passion for the potential of AI to revolutionize small business operations
* Prior experience founding or leading an early-stage venture, ideally in SaaS, proptech, skilled trades, or workforce development
* Proven ability to build and execute on a strategic plan, with a nimble approach to managing processes and teams
* Experience partnering with product and engineering teams on software development
* Strong product vision and sales acumen
* Ability to articulate complex tech solutions in simple terms that resonate with small business owners
Ideally, you'd also have:
* Experience working in or with the HVAC industry
* An understanding of the current state of AI & how it's changing the way we work
* Track record of successful fundraising
* Understanding of finance & accounting, including cash flow management and related back-office systems
### How We'll Support You
As a Co-founder partnering with Workshop, you'll receive comprehensive support
to build and scale WorkHero:
* Dedicated support from Workshop's experienced team of operators, business strategists, and engineers
* Access to Workshop's playbooks and advisor network to support critical business needs
* Proprietary tools, processes, and resources to develop the product and business
* Pre-seed funding already secured to accelerate growth
### Compensation
As a Co-founder, you will receive significant founder's equity (10 - 30%) in
addition to salary ($75,000 - $150,000) and benefits, giving you a substantial
stake in the company's success.
### Join Us in Empowering the Trades
At WorkHero, we believe the true heroes of the skilled trades deserve cutting-
edge tools to thrive in an increasingly complex business environment. Our
comprehensive solution tackles everything from scheduling to customer
management, all through a conversational AI interface that includes the
ability to:
* Respond to customer inquiries and automate customer communications, empowering contractors to easily respond to customers while on the go.
* Automatically create professional quotes and proposals to close more leads and improve job profitability.
* Manage customer records and work to be done so contractors can know exactly what needs to be done for whom at any time.
* Handle routine billing, collections, and procurement tasks, so that contractors can focus on their real work.
* Integration with common industry tools like QuickBooks, Jobber, and HouseCall Pro.
If you're excited about the opportunity to co-found and lead a company that's
simplifying trades business management through AI innovation, we want to hear
from you.
Join us in our mission to empower the backbone of America's economy—one small
business at a time.
Questions about the role? Email us at
[[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])
