Today we’d like to introduce you to Steve Reinhardt.
Steve, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Some of my best memories come from job sites around the Bay Area, working alongside my dad. Decks were our specialty, everything from patios and pergolas to awnings, and a few of our projects in Mill Valley and the Berkeley hills were big enough to feel like an education on their own. Between those and a steady stream of general renovation work, I learned the trade before I could drive.
Life took me in a different direction, though. I spent about 20 years in web development, digital marketing, and software, including a decade leading marketing technology at a B2B marketing agency. It was rewarding work, but the pull toward building never really went away. And as AI began reshaping my industry, I started thinking about what it would mean to have something solid under my feet, a real trade I could always come back to.
That’s how STORY CO. began. A couple of years ago, my wife and I started the company in Bend, Oregon, and what began as a fallback quickly became something we both love. She’s an interior designer, so she brings real design expertise to our bids and client projects, and she’s been insanely supportive every step of the way.
Running our own jobs is also what pulled me back toward software. I tried just about every estimating and invoicing app out there, and none of them felt like home. Some were too basic to be useful, others too expensive or complicated, and I kept ending up at the kitchen table late at night, turning walkthrough notes into line items after a full day on the tools. Somewhere in that frustration it clicked: I wasn’t ready to leave tech behind, and I had a rare chance to build the tool I wished existed. That became Jobkore, made for solo contractors and small crews who want something affordable, powerful, and built to work from a phone.
Fittingly, my dad helped shape it too. When I called to tell him about the early prototype, he got excited, and right before we hung up he said, “Make sure the Spanish speaking users are taken care of. There’s a huge market there.” It hit me like a ton of bricks. Most of the tools I’d used treated Spanish as an afterthought, so I went back through everything. Today every screen in Jobkore switches languages with one click, and some of the Spanish speaking contractors I’ve worked with here in Bend are using it on their own jobs.
These days I’m running STORY CO., growing Jobkore, and raising four kids, who give me a huge boost of motivation to keep chasing what’s next. In a lot of ways, it all comes back to those days on job sites with my dad. I’m still building, just with a few more tools in the box. You can find Jobkore at getjobkore.com.
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?
Not at all, and honestly, I wouldn’t trade the hard parts for anything. They’ve taught me more than the easy wins ever could.
Starting a general contracting company in a new town meant starting with no roots. Getting licensed doesn’t mean work suddenly lands in your lap, and those early months were a real test of patience. What carried us through was the local community. Bend has an amazing network of people, and through those connections we landed our first jobs. Every one of those early clients has come back to us for more work, and that’s how STORY CO. found its footing. We’re on the map now, one relationship at a time.
Jobkore brought a whole different set of challenges. Marketing a new software startup today is crowded and expensive, and the channels that actually work are thin. You have to be smart about where every ad dollar goes and where you spend your energy, because there’s no room to waste either. Moving fast also means long days and late nights, often after a full day on job sites.
Balancing all of that with family is its own challenge. I love my four kids and the time we spend together, and they’re my priority. But the honest truth is I can’t always be as available as I’d like. Protecting dedicated time with them takes real intention, and it’s something I keep working at.
It’s like pushing a freight train. It might not budge right away, but if you keep pushing, it starts to move, and once it gains momentum, it’s hard to stop. That’s exactly where we are right now, and it’s an exciting place to be.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Jobkore is estimating and invoicing software built for solo contractors and small crews. It handles the business side of the job, from the first estimate to getting paid, so contractors can spend less time at the kitchen table and more time doing the work they love.
Jobkore includes Hank, our built in AI assistant, and we were very intentional about how he fits in. I know AI isn’t always the most exciting word to contractors, so Hank is completely optional. He’s there to support you, never to take over. When you do bring him in, he’s genuinely powerful: talk through a job, type out your notes, or snap a few photos, and Hank turns it into a clean, professional estimate in minutes. If you’d rather build everything by hand the way you always have, Jobkore works just as well that way, and you stay in full control either way. From there, Jobkore covers the rest of the job: client e-signatures, change orders, invoices, online payments through Stripe, and QuickBooks sync to keep the books current. It’s built for the trades, from electricians and plumbers to HVAC, roofing, and remodeling.
What really sets Jobkore apart is that it’s fully bilingual. Every screen, every email, every estimate and invoice your clients receive, and every response from Hank works in English and Spanish, with a one click switch. Spanish speaking contractors are a huge and growing part of this industry, and most software treats them as an afterthought. We built Jobkore to work for them from the ground up.
We also believe great tools shouldn’t be priced for big companies only. Jobkore is one simple subscription with every feature included, no tiers, no per user fees, and a free trial with no credit card required.
What I’m most proud of is that every feature came from a real problem on a real job. I use Jobkore on my own projects with STORY CO., so if something isn’t fast, simple, and field ready, I feel it first. If you’re a contractor who’s tired of fighting your software, come take it for a spin at getjobkore.com.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
The best way to support Jobkore is simply to try it. If you’re a contractor, start a free trial at getjobkore.com and put it to work on a real job. Our team reads every piece of feedback, and a lot of what’s in the app today came straight from conversations with contractors in the field. If something drives you crazy, tell us and we’ll work on fixing it.
If Jobkore earns a spot in your toolbox, the next best thing you can do is spread the word. Share it with a contractor friend, mention it to your crew, or leave an honest review. For a small, independent company, word of mouth from people who actually run jobs means everything.
We’re also always excited to connect with people who serve the trades. That includes trade associations, contractor coaches, bookkeepers and accountants who work with contractors, and especially organizations supporting Spanish speaking contractors. If you’re working to make life easier for the people who build our homes and communities, we’d love to talk about how we can work together.
And if you’re in Central Oregon and planning a remodel, my wife and I would love to hear about it. STORY CO. serves Bend, Redmond, Sisters, and Sunriver, and you can find us at storycobend.com.
The easiest way to reach the Jobkore team is hello@getjobkore.com. We’re always up for a good conversation.
Pricing:
- Monthly plan: $29/month, every feature included
- Annual plan: $190/year (saves about 45% vs. monthly)
- Free 14 day trial, no credit card required
- No tiers, no per user fees, no setup fees
- Full English and Spanish support included at no extra cost
Contact Info:
- Website: https://getjobkore.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getjobkore
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-reinhardt/
- Other: https://storycobend.com
