Why I Joined Document Crunch: 10 Questions with Chief of Staff Colleen Konetzke
By: Collen Konetzke, Chief of Staff, Document Crunch
You’re a Cruncher now, Colleen! But you’ve been a part of the Crunch Community for some time. Talk about your background...
Colleen: I came to Document Crunch from one of their Seed investors, Ironspring Ventures. Everyone looked like they were having so much fun over here at Document Crunch, I just couldn't resist! Two years ago, I got involved in supporting the company while at Ironspring, doing some hands-on strategic work for Document Crunch. I dug into customer data and helped better define Document Crunch’s ICP in order to focus sales resources. I had the privilege of getting in the boat and rowing with them, albeit briefly. Since then, I remained a close friend and ally to the company, and it's been fun to watch them grow.
What are you most excited about?
Colleen: I'm so excited to be a Cruncher in practice and not just in honorary title! It's really exciting to be in the boat rowing with everyone again. And this time, I get to go a lot deeper into the boat to understand how it works. I've learned so much already about the day to day workings of Document Crunch.
What's your new role, and what will you be doing?
Colleen: I'll be Chief of Staff here working closely with CEO Josh Levy and the executive team. I'm here to give them leverage, filling in operational gaps as well as driving strategic vision for the company. The majority of my role will be keeping the trains on the tracks, and the other part of my role will be answering broader forward-looking questions such as what markets to expand into. I'm here to make sure the team has the resources and structures we need to grow.
What initially attracted you to Document Crunch, both during your time at Ironspring and now as you join the team directly?
Colleen: When I thought about my favorite moments from my time as an investor, it was those times that I felt like I was in the boat with the founders, rowing alongside them. I got to do this on multiple occasions with Document Crunch, not just during strategy work or board deck feedback. Document Crunch really brought me and its other investors into the fold, involving us in the annual offsite, Crunchfest.
An event like that is truly an opportunity to see whether a company embodies its professed values. I was nearly overwhelmed with how warm-hearted, fiercely inspired, and growth-minded the Crunchers were as I participated in the offsite, treated like part of the team. We did an exercise where Josh put us in teams that included people from every function, an investor, and a customer. We discussed what it would take to get to $100M in ARR and came up with a high level plan. The best part was seeing each Cruncher realize what it would take for them in their role in order to realize that goal. It was so incredible to feel like part of the team in that exercise. The people and the culture are unmatched!
What unique perspective do you bring from having seen Document Crunch from an investor standpoint and now from within?
Colleen: It's been like watching something grow up. It's crazy how fast Document Crunch has grown, too. I've been at the 10,000 ft view, and now I get to get down in it. I bring with me perspective on the lifecycle of venture-backed companies. I've seen across companies, stages, and industries, and so it's critical insight on where to go or what to avoid. I've taken my investor hat off, but I bring the investor perspective with me.
Having observed the company as an investor, what potential do you see that others might not recognize?
Colleen: I really appreciate Document Crunch's unique vertical approach. We are truly by construction, for construction, and being of the industry is so critical in building a successful product. This is especially important in construction. Finally, it may be sappy, but Document Crunch's team and people are unmatched.
What excites you most about Document Crunch's culture?
Colleen: All of the Crunchers are all-in, all of the time. Despite being distributed across Atlanta, Austin, and more, the team is close-knit. Everyone is bought in, and everyone encourages each other. It's been very energizing and special to be a part of so far!
What excites you most about Document Crunch's product right now?
Colleen: Something that most people don't realize is that while Document Crunch began focused on contracts, we can give you intel on a whole lot more documents than just contracts. Some exciting stuff in the works here!
Can you share something specific that you're eager to tackle?
Colleen: While the majority of my role will be operational in nature, I'm also incredibly excited about the strategic side of things. Thinking about what markets to expand into is particularly interesting to me. Document Crunch is being pulled in so many different directions, which is great, but can be challenging to navigate. Like I did a few years ago, I'm excited to come in and help them focus and become the platform I think they can be.
What do you like to do for fun, and what's your fun fact?
Colleen: I don't drink coffee or any caffeine - just never started! According to my friends I just "wake up and live." I do, however, have a weakness for sweets, particularly cookies. I love a good bike ride to a bakery. The cycling community in Austin, Texas, is a big part of my life here, and I love it. After swimming competitively for 15 years, I have mostly left the water behind, and now bike and (attempt to) run socially.
Interested in joining our amazing team of Crunchers?
Document Crunch is an AI-powered software solution that helps construction professionals understand critical information in their documents.