| February 27, 2026
When We Started, We Thought It Would Be Fast
When we started Workmind last August, we made the same optimistic assumption a lot of startups make:
We know this space. We’ve built automation before. We can ship fast.
And we did move quickly.
We had working prototypes, internal demos, and a solid early version of QuoteSter.
On paper, we thought we’d be live by December.
Real franchise workflows had other plans.
The Timeline We Didn’t Expect
We began structured beta testing in November with one franchise partner to refine real quoting workflows.
Once real teams started using QuoteSter on real jobs, we discovered what every operations product eventually learns:
Real workflows are more complex than any spec.
We ran into things no document had mentioned:
- Edge cases that only appear on real projects
- Steps in the quoting process we didn’t know existed
- Assumptions that worked differently in practice
- Needs users didn’t realize until they tried the product
Some fixes were small.
Some required redesigning workflows.
Some made us rethink how quoting should work across franchise locations.
So instead of forcing a launch, we slowed down.
We listened.
We rebuilt.
We tested again.
Today, QuoteSter is live in the field in active beta testing — months later than we planned — and far better than what we would have shipped in December.
The Mistake We Almost Made
We didn’t underestimate engineering.
We underestimated operational reality.
Franchise businesses have variation in:
- Services
- Pricing structures
- Approval rules
- Staffing
- Customer expectations
Automation touches all of it.
You don’t see that in demos.
You see it when someone is trying to finish a real quote at the end of a long day.
That’s where real products get built.
Why You Didn’t Hear From Us As Much
If our blog posts and marketing slowed down over the past few months, that was intentional.
We were spending our time working directly with the people actually using QuoteSter.
Instead of promoting a half-finished product, we were:
- Walking through real jobs with beta users
- Fixing edge cases as they surfaced
- Adjusting workflows based on real quoting scenarios
- Rebuilding parts that weren’t good enough yet
That work isn’t flashy.
But it produces reliable software.
For us, credibility with franchisors matters more than noise in the market.
Products Have to Stay Alive
One of the biggest lessons from this journey is simple:
A product isn’t something you ship once. It’s something you grow.
At Workmind, our approach is to:
- Scope clearly
- Build carefully
- Release early
- Listen constantly
- Improve relentlessly
QuoteSter will keep evolving as franchise operations evolve.
That’s how durable software gets built.
Where We Are Now
QuoteSter is currently live in the field in active beta testing. Real teams are using it in their daily quoting workflows while we complete final refinements based on their feedback.
We expect full production launch within the next couple of weeks.
If you’re a franchisor or operator who wants to see how QuoteSter works in real workflows, we’re scheduling a limited number of walkthroughs now so teams can be ready when the full release is available.
Contact us to schedule a walkthrough
Because the goal isn’t to ship software quickly.
The goal is to build automation franchisors can rely on for years.