Rob Walling

Self-taught Rails developer and a military spouse with three kids at home. That's almost the definition of an atypical founder, which is a term that you've discussed at length with your co-host on your podcast. Colleen's path to building a startup is perhaps a bit non-traditional. Let's dig deeper into her story and find out what led her into tech.

Self-taught Rails developer and a military spouse with three kids at home. That's almost the definition of an atypical founder, which is a term that you've discussed at length with your co-host on your podcast. Colleen's path to building a startup is perhaps a bit non-traditional. Let's dig deeper into her story and find out what led her into tech.

I feel the same way about software development. I'm also self-taught. I was a kid. I had the luxury of my parents were able to afford an Apple IIe in the 1980s. And I wrote code because we couldn't afford to buy any games for it. And so it came with a book, I Speak Basic to My Apple. And I learned basic programming and then we started, I know it's sad, but it's the history.

I feel the same way about software development. I'm also self-taught. I was a kid. I had the luxury of my parents were able to afford an Apple IIe in the 1980s. And I wrote code because we couldn't afford to buy any games for it. And so it came with a book, I Speak Basic to My Apple. And I learned basic programming and then we started, I know it's sad, but it's the history.

I was eight years old and it was the first code I ever wrote, you know? And then, and it absolutely changed my life, right? The entire trajectory of what, and what I've built today is based on that got me into tech. That is what got me into tech. After I graduated from college, I worked construction, but I had this coding knowledge from like 15 years prior. Yeah.

I was eight years old and it was the first code I ever wrote, you know? And then, and it absolutely changed my life, right? The entire trajectory of what, and what I've built today is based on that got me into tech. That is what got me into tech. After I graduated from college, I worked construction, but I had this coding knowledge from like 15 years prior. Yeah.

And all those nights and weekends of doing it then and then I had to reteach everything because basic didn't do anything, right? In the late 90s. So I went to the library and HTML and Perl and basically had to teach myself how to do it again. I would say the same thing about entrepreneurship.

And all those nights and weekends of doing it then and then I had to reteach everything because basic didn't do anything, right? In the late 90s. So I went to the library and HTML and Perl and basically had to teach myself how to do it again. I would say the same thing about entrepreneurship.

I like and want to underscore what you said, which is the internet or social media somehow glorifies the easy path or that it's easy. And maybe it's someone trying to sell a course. Maybe it's someone trying to sell their point of view. It's weird. It's easy and it's hard, I think. I remember it being a lot of hard work and just a lot of hours, that 10,000 hours to get good at something. Yeah.

I like and want to underscore what you said, which is the internet or social media somehow glorifies the easy path or that it's easy. And maybe it's someone trying to sell a course. Maybe it's someone trying to sell their point of view. It's weird. It's easy and it's hard, I think. I remember it being a lot of hard work and just a lot of hours, that 10,000 hours to get good at something. Yeah.

But I also remember thinking this is easier than my day job where I would literally sit next to a backhoe with it. I was with a shovel and in the mud and it would rain and we were like digging ditches to lay pipe, you know, to lay electrical cable next to a building that you couldn't get things into. And I thought that sucks. That was actual hard work. This is a lot of hours.

But I also remember thinking this is easier than my day job where I would literally sit next to a backhoe with it. I was with a shovel and in the mud and it would rain and we were like digging ditches to lay pipe, you know, to lay electrical cable next to a building that you couldn't get things into. And I thought that sucks. That was actual hard work. This is a lot of hours.

But it was stimulating. It stimulates your mind. And you see that there's a light at the end of a tunnel of like, this could feasibly change the trajectory of my life. And it sounds like it did that for you, just learning to develop. And I think that being an entrepreneur is that next stage for you. You know what I mean? It's the next thing that's going to change your life in the same way.

But it was stimulating. It stimulates your mind. And you see that there's a light at the end of a tunnel of like, this could feasibly change the trajectory of my life. And it sounds like it did that for you, just learning to develop. And I think that being an entrepreneur is that next stage for you. You know what I mean? It's the next thing that's going to change your life in the same way.

I often use the phrase think in terms of years, not months. As a founder, especially as someone who is bootstrapped or mostly bootstrapping a company, you've already done that. You've already been thinking in years, right? Because you started 2011, is that right? Yes. Learning the code? Yep. Which, you know, we're recording this in 2023, so like what a journey.

I often use the phrase think in terms of years, not months. As a founder, especially as someone who is bootstrapped or mostly bootstrapping a company, you've already done that. You've already been thinking in years, right? Because you started 2011, is that right? Yes. Learning the code? Yep. Which, you know, we're recording this in 2023, so like what a journey.

How do you think being a military spouse impacted this journey? I imagine you, I'm making guesses. I've never, not in the military, never had a family in the military. I'm imagining you moved a lot. Yes. And you probably, as you were learning the code, did not have many peers around you, as you said. So how does that shape your story?

How do you think being a military spouse impacted this journey? I imagine you, I'm making guesses. I've never, not in the military, never had a family in the military. I'm imagining you moved a lot. Yes. And you probably, as you were learning the code, did not have many peers around you, as you said. So how does that shape your story?

Can you give us an idea of where Hammerstone slash Refine stands today in terms of the progress that you're making as a company?

Can you give us an idea of where Hammerstone slash Refine stands today in terms of the progress that you're making as a company?