Colleen Schnettler

So this is kind of a good story. My co-founder, Aaron, he was working for a tax property company and they kept getting asked for custom reports. And so he built out this custom component, this Laravel and Vue query builder. And kept the IP in his contract and decided he was going to start selling it in the Laravel space.

So this is kind of a good story. My co-founder, Aaron, he was working for a tax property company and they kept getting asked for custom reports. And so he built out this custom component, this Laravel and Vue query builder. And kept the IP in his contract and decided he was going to start selling it in the Laravel space.

And then a huge company in the Rails space, so we're talking hundreds of millions of dollars a year, ARR, came in and said, we want this for Rails. And... He's not a Rails developer. So he hired me as a consultant. So I joined, I didn't join him. I worked as a contractor for him for this big enterprise client. I did that for about eight months. I built out the product.

And then a huge company in the Rails space, so we're talking hundreds of millions of dollars a year, ARR, came in and said, we want this for Rails. And... He's not a Rails developer. So he hired me as a consultant. So I joined, I didn't join him. I worked as a contractor for him for this big enterprise client. I did that for about eight months. I built out the product.

Then I thought our contract was over. So I went and got a full-time job. And then two months after that, the original enterprise client said, no, we need full-time support on this product. And so I quit my full-time job after three months and became a full partner in Hammerstone.

Then I thought our contract was over. So I went and got a full-time job. And then two months after that, the original enterprise client said, no, we need full-time support on this product. And so I quit my full-time job after three months and became a full partner in Hammerstone.

So this company was doing a complete rebuild. So the timing was excellent for us. They were doing a complete rebuild of their product, and they're also using a Ruby on Rails framework called Bullet Train. That's an open source framework. So their philosophy is keep their team lean and small.

So this company was doing a complete rebuild. So the timing was excellent for us. They were doing a complete rebuild of their product, and they're also using a Ruby on Rails framework called Bullet Train. That's an open source framework. So their philosophy is keep their team lean and small.

I mean, they have 50 engineers, so I don't know that it's that small, but keep their team lean and basically use off-the-shelf components for everything they can. And honestly, Rob, I kind of think that they're doing hundreds of millions of dollars in business. They don't care. Like if we do 5 million a year, they don't care, right?

I mean, they have 50 engineers, so I don't know that it's that small, but keep their team lean and basically use off-the-shelf components for everything they can. And honestly, Rob, I kind of think that they're doing hundreds of millions of dollars in business. They don't care. Like if we do 5 million a year, they don't care, right?

It's just so, it's not, you know, it's critical to their app, but it's also kind of like a boilerplate thing that is not a distinguishing feature.

It's just so, it's not, you know, it's critical to their app, but it's also kind of like a boilerplate thing that is not a distinguishing feature.

Yes.

Yes.

I did not. I am a self-taught Rails developer.

I did not. I am a self-taught Rails developer.

Well, I was a stay-at-home mom. I had, you know, three kids under five or something, so I'm dripping with children. And I wanted flexible remote work. And this is back in 2014, before COVID, before, you know, that was easy to find. And honestly, at the time, I didn't know anyone that had flexible remote work except this idea of software developers. And so that's what I decided I wanted to do.

Well, I was a stay-at-home mom. I had, you know, three kids under five or something, so I'm dripping with children. And I wanted flexible remote work. And this is back in 2014, before COVID, before, you know, that was easy to find. And honestly, at the time, I didn't know anyone that had flexible remote work except this idea of software developers. And so that's what I decided I wanted to do.

So back in, gosh, 2011, I think I published an app to the iOS App Store. That was my very first foray into software development. And I made $60. But you have to pay $100 to be in the App Store.

So back in, gosh, 2011, I think I published an app to the iOS App Store. That was my very first foray into software development. And I made $60. But you have to pay $100 to be in the App Store.