Part3’s Crisis Launch Playbook: Why They Started During the Pandemic and How It Became Their Advantage

May 2020 might seem like the worst possible time to launch a construction technology company. The world had ground to a halt, uncertainty loomed large, and traditional in-person industries were scrambling to adapt. Yet for Part3, this moment of crisis became their greatest opportunity. In a recent episode of Category Visionaries, founder Jack Sadler revealed how they turned pandemic disruption into market advantage.

The Counterintuitive Launch

“No, it wasn’t,” Jack admits frankly when asked if May 2020 was the best time to start a company. “But in the same time, as well as it being the worst time to start just about anything new with so much uncertainty going on, it was also the catalyst.”

The pandemic was forcing rapid change across all industries, but its impact on construction was particularly dramatic. “I feel like it would probably go down in history as a year when I would guess we saw more startups started than ever before,” Jack notes. “I dont know how many of them turned out to be successful, but it was a great time.”

The Digital Transformation Catalyst

The construction industry’s traditional resistance to technology suddenly vanished. “We saw in the construction industry where its notoriously difficult to get people to change what they do, people suddenly adopting things like cloud based software and chat tools like teams and slack and Zoom and conferencing tools,” Jack recalls.

This shift eliminated what had been a major barrier to adoption. “When we first started this and we first had the idea it was sort of pandemic was still kind of this thing that might only last a few weeks, were not taking it too seriously,” Jack explains. “So when were first speaking to folks who are now our customers, there was still an education on what is cloud? Is cloud safe? We have, all of our data is stored on premise.”

From Challenge to Opportunity

The pandemic’s impact went beyond just accelerating existing trends. “I can’t imagine where the industry that I care about, the construction world, would be without it,” Jack reflects. “It really did change the game overnight.” The crisis created an opening for new solutions that might have taken years to gain traction otherwise.

Part3’s timing allowed them to capture this momentum. They secured their first customer in November 2020, and their growth trajectory has been impressive since: “In 2022, the first year, having raised up pre seed round, we increased top line revenue by six x. And in 2023 it was a little over 2.5 x.”

Building During Uncertainty

The team’s approach focused on solving immediate problems created by the pandemic while building for the long term. “If it wasn’t for that catalyst, I don’t know if Part3 would be here. It certainly wouldn’t be here in the state it is today,” Jack acknowledges.

Their platform strategy reflected this dual focus: “What we’re really trying to do here around construction administration is create the de facto platform that connects every one of these professionals that’s involved.” By helping architects and engineers adapt to remote work, they were able to demonstrate the broader value of their platform.

Looking Forward

The construction industry’s digital transformation, accelerated by the pandemic, shows no signs of slowing. “Construction tech kind of feels like where fintech was ten years ago, maybe 15 years ago, where you’re starting to see this influx of new innovation,” Jack observes.

For B2B founders, Part3’s story offers valuable lessons in crisis leadership. Sometimes the worst times to start a company can actually be the best – if you can identify how market disruption creates openings for new solutions. The key is recognizing when short-term adaptation needs can become catalysts for long-term transformation.