2022
Python, Angular, React, Supabase, AWS, iOS
In 2016 I started my first company with no idea what I was doing. I didn't have any internships, so I figured what better way to learn business than to start one. That turned out to be true, as I stumbled along the path of entrepreneurship making plenty of mistakes. I was developing my software skills as I built the business, and used it as an outlet to showcase them as they grew. The first couple years I didn't expect much, honestly I didn't expect anything at all. I built a few websites and did some graphic design work for other small startups around Cincinnati. I didn't charge much, given my inexperience and my need to win over clients. After a couple of years I got my footing and started working on growing the business.
By 2019 I had just started my Masters program at the University of Cincinnati and was feeling confident in my development skills, but I knew I had a long way to go before landing bigger clients. My first real break came when I reached out to a local restaurant to see if I could help bring them into the digital age. John and Molly Caldwell at Through the Garden gave me the chance, and I didn't let them down. I became their IT guy: rebuilt their website, integrated their point-of-sale system, and updated their menus for digital and print. I did everything I could to provide value, even helping when they had issues with their personal email accounts. I'm forever grateful to them for being my first real client.
The next step was assembling a team. I brought on Matt and Josh first, both good friends and talented individuals. Matt spearheads business development and is a natural salesman; Josh is as organized as they come and keeps everything on point and on time. With my Masters finished and those two freeing up my time, I could focus on building for clients, and we landed an appliance dealer with two stores in Pittsburgh, where we focused on automating their existing processes. Then came Mike and Jade. Mike is a marketing whiz who also happens to be my brother, and Jade is a good friend and extremely talented developer with an unquenchable desire to learn everything about technology. The five of us have been working together for several years now, and we're firing on all cylinders.
We've become a full-service software solutions business, and lately that includes the thing every business is asking about: AI. We build AI-powered automation and LLM integrations for companies that don't have in-house engineering, on top of our usual custom software, websites, and process automation. Our clients are happy, our team can handle whatever gets thrown at it, and I intend to keep growing this thing for years to come. If you want to learn how we can help your business, reach out: contact@stepheneades.info
