RAMP Alumni Advice with John Brock

Entrepreneur John Brock shares his experience being part of our 2018 cohort … and offers his expertise for incoming cohort participants. Brock is the founder of BrockWorks, Inc., and Constructability3D.

Clients of custom homebuilder BrockWorks, Inc., don’t need to visit a construction site to check on their dream house.

Thanks to owner John Brock’s 3D modeling in SketchUp software, all they have to do is turn on their computer, or better yet don a virtual reality headset, to stroll through each room and see every detail down to the paint color on the walls and backsplash over the stove.

In 2017 Brock decided to use his passion for 3D modeling and SketchUp to start a spinoff business, Constructability3D, which participated in RAMP’s entrepreneurial cohort in 2018. Before RAMP, Brock says, he tried to do all the jobs in his startup company — sales, marketing, tech support, 3D modeling and design.

Guided by mentors Greg Feldmann, Chris Moore and Geoff McCarty, “I started working on my business instead of in my business.”

Before the cohort ended, he had hired two technicians from Virginia Western Community College to help run his spinoff while he devoted more time to his home-building at Smith Mountain Lake, which has taken off during COVID-19 as more people in Northern Virginia and elsewhere realize they can work from anywhere.

“The biggest thing RAMP taught me was entrepreneurship, and improving systems and processes to turn this into a well-oiled business,” he said. “I’m in the process right now of having the right people in the right seats.”