When I think about our approach to building Credential Network, my mind often returns to lessons learned in my grandfather's wood shop. My grandfather raised me in a home filled with the scent of sawdust and the sound of careful craftsmanship. From the age of five, I spent countless hours there under the watchful eye of "Grandpa Dave" (a name our entire team now affectionately uses when he occasionally serves as our wood working instructor).
He started me on hand tools, slowly but surely working me up to power tools, making me incredibly self-sufficient at solving problems. He taught me to understand the wide range of tools at my disposal—a philosophy I use every day, whether I'm building software or campervans.
In woodworking, "measure twice, cut once" isn't just a saying—it's a methodology that prevents costly mistakes and ensures quality. It's the best way of taking calculated risk, hopping into the unknown, and pushing limits. Make a hasty cut without proper measurement, and you've wasted a piece of wood. Make a hasty decision when building a multi-million dollar company handling sensitive healthcare data, and the stakes become significantly higher.
For our first official company-wide offsite, I didn't book a conference room or hire a facilitator. Instead, I hosted everyone at our property here in Spokane. We brought everyone together to feel that Spokane community vibe, and we spent the entire first day in the wood shop.
We didn't do icebreakers. We built things together.
Everyone got experience with almost every tool in the toolbox. We built our Credential Network sign, with each team member cutting a different section, hand sanding, getting all the lines straight—each bringing their own style and skill level to create something unified. Grandpa Dave, just like he taught me, taught them how to use the lathe. They made pizza cutter handles, and the next night, we used everybody's pizza cutters to cut the homemade pizzas at our community pizza party.
This wasn't just team building—it was us demonstrating our core philosophy: we're building a company by hand.
The tech world often celebrates the "move fast and break things" mentality. We're taught that throwaway code is acceptable—build a lightweight demo that won't scale, test it quickly, and iterate from there.
At Credential Network, we've taken a fundamentally different approach. From day one, we knew we would be handling sensitive personal information for healthcare providers. As stewards of this data, we couldn't afford to cut corners or build something we'd eventually throw away. Instead, we took an artisanal approach:
1. Design Before Implementation:
Just as a woodworker sketches and plans before making the first cut, we invested heavily in design work upfront. We created detailed prototypes to drive company alignment and gather feedback, ensuring we were moving in the right direction without wasting engineering resources.
2. Use Sharpened Tools:
Everyone on our team works with "sharpened tools"—the right technology, processes, and methodologies that minimize errors from the start. We hired experts who understand how to build scalable, secure infrastructure that our platform can grow on, rather than relying on junior talent to hack together a minimal demo.
When it comes to direction, we provide our engineering team incredibly clean plans. Thomas and Alex, the talented craftsmen behind the scenes, then craft exactly what is practical to solve that functionality. Like master artisans in a woodshop, they transform our carefully drawn blueprints into elegant, functional solutions that fulfill our clients' needs with precision.
3. Learn From Experts:
We maintain transparent communication with our beta clients, building trust and setting appropriate expectations. They understand we aren't giving them every feature from day one—we're creating something they can depend on for years to come.
Right now, we're in the middle of interviewing 100 healthcare providers to gather their insights and experiences. This extensive primary research ensures we're building a solution that addresses the real pain points in the credentialing process, not just our assumptions about them. By investing in these conversations before finalizing our implementation, we're measuring twice to avoid costly redesigns later.
Perhaps the most significant manifestation of our "measure twice, credential once" philosophy was our decision to pursue SOC 2 Type 2, HIPAA, and NIST 800-171 compliance from the very beginning.
This was not a checkbox exercise or a future phase. It was a reflection of our core values. We are entrusted with people’s most important information, and we believe it is our responsibility to protect it with the highest standards from the very beginning.
Rather than waiting for clients to raise security concerns, we took the initiative to meet and exceed expectations. We built our platform to handle sensitive healthcare data at scale, securely, responsibly, and by design.
During that first team offsite, we also created something special from scrap wood—coasters for our first 20 clients. This wasn't about being cheap; it was about being intentional. We could easily buy nice golf balls or other corporate gifts, but that cost would ultimately come from increased platform prices for our clients.
The process was meticulous: we used the table saw to cut the coasters to size, the bandsaw to slim them down, the drum sander to finish the tops. We cut them into quadrants, used the disc sander and hand sander to curve and smooth the edges. Finally, we laser-engraved our logo on top, "help@credentialnetwork.com" on the side (to remind them we're always here), and on the bottom: "Thank you for your trust and support, [Their Company Name]."
Every offsite, we'll make more. Plain and simple.
This is our commitment: we're willing to put in extra work and extra love to make sure our clients get the best product for the most affordable price point, period. We turn something that would have been trashed into something special. It's us being intentional with money so we can provide the most affordable and competitive pricing for our platform. We’re living by our values and strengthening our relationships, both internally and with clients.
The patience and perseverance I learned in the woodshop have translated directly to how we build Credential Network. We aren't randomly hacking away, hoping the pieces will eventually come together. We're methodically creating technology that solves a significant problem with a clear path to delivery.
We're moving quickly, but we're not cutting corners. Everything we do is designed to be hyper-dependable and predictable. When we experiment, we do it with designs and drawings—adjusting measurements and modeling outcomes—before committing resources to implementation.
For investors wondering what makes us different: we're not just another tech startup chasing growth at all costs. We're craftspeople building something to last. This approach creates a sustainable, differentiated company culture where every decision—from our SOC 2 investment to our handmade client gifts—reflects our commitment to doing things right the first time.
The result is a platform built with intention, where every feature serves a clear purpose and functions within a secure, reliable infrastructure.
As we continue to grow, we're maintaining this craftsman-like approach to building credentialing technology. Those handmade wooden coasters aren't just gifts—they're a physical reminder of our philosophy. In a world of digital products and virtual meetings, we're putting our hands on real materials, creating real value, and building real relationships.
Just as a well-crafted piece of furniture can last for generations, we're building Credential Network to stand the test of time—a platform that helps healthcare professionals focus on what truly matters: providing care to patients without unnecessary delays.
We're building a company by hand, with the same care, intentionality, and love that goes into every coaster, every line of code, and every client relationship.
Curious to see for yourself? Book a demo today.
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