Today we’d like to introduce you to Jon Driscoll.
Hi Jon, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I spent over 20 years building a successful career in the software industry at companies including Trilogy, pcOrder.com, Convio, Mass Relevance, and Spredfast. I focused on everything go-to-market, from marketing and sales to customer service. However, I have always owned an older home in the Tarrytown area and was always frustrated and left feeling unsatisfied with the traditional home services area. I felt like everyone who came to my house was trying to sell me things I didn’t fully understand, especially when I needed an air conditioner down, a clogged drain, or whatever it might be. Another thing that always bugged me was whenever I had someone work on my house, they seemed to uncover some exciting or valuable tidbit from behind a wall, underground, or in the ceiling, but that insight was never captured. There was no way for it to be shared and utilized by someone doing work in the future. I kept thinking there had to be a better way. So, I spent roughly four years ideating, writing about, researching, and talking to everyone, from potential customers to plumbers to builders, about HomePoint. Mainly, I heard about a lot of reasons it would never work. I would take all of those seriously but also wouldn’t accept that there wasn’t a way to make it work. In July of 2019, HomePoint was officially launched.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
We are constantly dealing with setbacks and learning new lessons. We initially prioritized hiring individuals based solely on their skills. While this approach seemed logical then, we encountered several struggles. Many people we hired based on skills alone ultimately didn’t work out for our organization. One major challenge was that some of these individuals brought their pre-existing bad habits into our company culture. These habits, which didn’t align with our values or the positive customer experience we aimed to provide, posed significant hurdles. Through these challenges, we learned an invaluable lesson: hiring for core values rather than just skills is essential. Skills, we realized, can be developed and improved over time through training and experience. However, values are deeply ingrained in an individual and are less likely to change. As a result of this insight, we shifted our hiring approach. We began focusing on hiring veterans who often exhibited strong character, discipline, and a commitment to teamwork – values that align with our company culture. To ensure that every team member aligns with our values and delivers a consistent customer experience, we introduced an intensive four to six-week training program that all new hires must complete. This new approach has led to a more cohesive and values-driven team and significantly improved our overall customer satisfaction and business performance. While our journey may not have always been smooth, these challenges and lessons have ultimately contributed to our growth and success as an organization.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about HomePoint?
I started HomePoint because owning a home is overwhelming. There is always something that needs maintenance or something that is breaking. I was very frustrated with the traditional “break-fix” services model and companies where everyone is reactionary and paid a commission or by the job. There had to be a better way. So, after over 20 years of experience in the software industry, I decided to create a better home maintenance and service solution. HomePoint’s mission is to be the homeowner’s trusted partner in effectively maintaining their home. It is like having a general care doctor for the house, not the people. The annual subscription and all the services that come with it ensure that HomePoint’s incentives align with our customers. On top of the proactive and preventative nature of the HomePoint service, we also become the one number our customers call for anything their home needs, from roof to foundation, inside and out. We take care of the small things like hanging pictures and TVs to the largest of large like installing new roofs and even backup generators. I am most proud of the team at HomePoint. We hire a high percentage of military veterans. Every HomePoint employee is also a part owner with stock options in the company and is paid by salary vs. by commissions or by the job. This means that everyone at HomePoint is focused on the primary goal, which is happy customers who renew year after year. One of the things I am most proud of is the team we have built. We are uncompromising on hiring to core values and culture fit with an understanding that skills can be learned. We hire primarily military veterans. Everyone feels and believes we are on a mission to revolutionize an industry. Everyone knows they make a big difference with their contributions. Everyone takes a tremendous amount of pride in HomePoint and describes their colleagues as being like family.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting?
There are a lot of old sayings that turn out to be true. Be careful what you wish for. It will always be harder than you thought, take longer than you planned, and be more expensive than you budgeted. If you are passionate about what you are doing, fight through the setbacks, and do your best to enjoy the journey, it will be more satisfying than you could have imagined. Focus on hiring and surrounding yourself with a team that shares your core values.
Pricing:
- >3,000 sqft house $2,160/yr
- 3k-5k sqft house $2,970/yr
- 5k-8k sqft house $4,050/yr
- <8,000 sqft house $5,130/yr
Contact Info:
- Website: www.gohomepoint.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gohomepoint/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GoHomePoint/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gohomepoint/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@gohomepoint
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/homepoint-austin
