Scaling Up your Pool Business with PoolBrain + Orenda (w/ Adam Beech)

From Service Technician to Software Innovator: The PoolBrain Story

What happens when a pool service company owner gets tired of putting out fires and decides to prevent them instead? You get PoolBrain – a revolutionary software platform that's changing how pool service companies operate, scale, and deliver consistent quality to their customers.

In this eye-opening episode of the Rule Your Pool podcast, host Eric Knight sits down with Adam Beech, CEO of PoolBrain and former owner of a massive pool service operation in Phoenix, Arizona. Beech's journey from managing 35 trucks servicing 1,000 pools to creating cutting-edge pool service software offers invaluable insights for anyone looking to scale their pool business.

The Core Problem: You Can't Control Your Product

After years of building his pool service business "the hard way," Beech identified a fundamental challenge that plagues every growing pool company:

No pool service company without a platform like pool brain can actually control their product. And you think about that well What is your product your product is a person out in the field? That's completely unsupervised Usually on you know little to no training because you just don't have the time because the industry Unfortunately is very demanding and pools have to get taken care of every single day and they don't wait.

— Adam Beech, Rule Your Pool Podcast

This insight cuts to the heart of the scaling problem in pool service. Unlike manufacturing, where quality control happens in a controlled environment, pool service companies must deliver consistent results across hundreds of unique locations with varying equipment, chemistry needs, and environmental factors.

The traditional model relies heavily on experienced technicians who can "put out fires better than the next company." But this reactive approach becomes unsustainable as businesses grow. Memory fails, details get forgotten, and even the best technicians can't remember specific equipment pressures, chemical readings, and maintenance schedules across 80+ pools visited multiple times per month.

The Technology Solution: Guided Workflows and Offline Capability

PoolBrain's approach addresses these challenges through several key innovations. First and most importantly, the platform works offline – a crucial feature that Beech insists on maintaining:

That's one of our core core values We just don't give that up because we've been in the technician's shoes when they're out in the middle of a Job and they literally can't even do their work because the apps just spinning spinning spinning

— Adam Beech, Rule Your Pool Podcast

This offline capability ensures technicians can always access the information they need, regardless of cell signal strength. When connectivity returns, the app automatically syncs all data bidirectionally.

But the real magic happens through guided workflows. Instead of relying on technicians to remember every detail about every pool, PoolBrain creates customized checklists and procedures for each body of water. The system tracks maintenance schedules, equipment specifications, chemical history, and service notes, then guides technicians through the optimal service sequence every time.

The Integration Game-Changer: Partnering with Orenda

One of the most significant developments in PoolBrain's evolution is its integration with Orenda's industry-leading chemistry calculator. This partnership addresses a long-standing customer request that Orenda couldn't fulfill on their own.

As Eric Knight explains, Orenda customers had been asking for years to save chemical results, store account history, and maintain long-term records. But Orenda recognized their core competency:

We are not set up for that We are not equipped. We are not really a software company. We're a chemical company We're an education company, but not really a software company

— Eric Knight, Rule Your Pool Podcast

Rather than trying to become something they're not, Orenda chose to integrate with specialized software companies like PoolBrain. This partnership gives pool service companies access to Orenda's sophisticated LSI (Langelier Saturation Index) calculations while maintaining historical data and automating dosing recommendations within their daily workflows.

The Standardization Imperative

One of the most compelling aspects of the conversation centers on standardization – a topic that resonates strongly with growing pool service companies. Knight draws a powerful parallel to the medical industry, referencing "The Checklist Manifesto" by surgeon Atul Gawande.

In hospitals worldwide, simple checklists have dramatically reduced infection rates and complications, even among highly trained surgeons. The same principle applies to pool service: even experienced technicians benefit from systematic approaches that ensure nothing gets overlooked.

There's so many little variables that Can go wrong if you miss the fundamentals. So if I'm a pool guy, yes, I know how to service a pool Of course I do but I can't track it I can't be consistent on it because I don't remember everything that I did

— Eric Knight, Rule Your Pool Podcast

As companies grow, the importance of standardization increases exponentially. What works with 2-3 technicians becomes chaotic with 10-15. Without systems in place, each technician develops their own approach, leading to inconsistent results and customer dissatisfaction.

From Reactive to Proactive: The Data Advantage

Perhaps the most transformative aspect of PoolBrain's approach is the shift from reactive to proactive pool care. Traditional service models wait for problems to occur, then scramble to fix them. But with comprehensive data collection and analysis, companies can identify trends and prevent issues before they impact customers.

The system tracks everything from equipment pressures and flow rates to chemical readings and maintenance intervals. This data enables predictive maintenance – identifying a filter that needs backwashing before pressure builds up, or catching chemical imbalances before algae appears.

For business owners, this translates to fewer emergency calls, happier customers, and more predictable operations. For technicians, it means spending time on productive maintenance rather than crisis management.

The Multiplication Effect of Technology

Throughout the conversation, both Knight and Beech emphasize technology's role as a force multiplier. Just as tractors revolutionized farming by replacing the need for multiple horses, modern software platforms are revolutionizing service industries by amplifying human capability.

The goal isn't to replace skilled technicians but to give them superpowers – perfect memory, predictive insights, and systematic approaches that ensure consistent quality regardless of experience level or route coverage needs.

This becomes especially valuable during staffing challenges. When a regular technician calls in sick, whoever covers their route has immediate access to detailed history, specific procedures, and clear guidance for each stop. The replacement technician doesn't need to guess at equipment settings or chemical needs – the system provides everything they need to maintain service quality.

Key Takeaways for Growing Pool Businesses

Several actionable insights emerge from this conversation that any growing pool service company can implement:

• Acknowledge the control problem: Recognize that unsupervised field work inherently lacks quality control, and plan accordingly
• Invest in data collection: Start tracking detailed service information, even if manually, to build the foundation for future automation
• Standardize procedures: Create checklists and workflows that ensure consistent service delivery across all technicians
• Embrace integration: Look for software solutions that work together rather than trying to find one platform that does everything
• Prioritize offline capability: Ensure your chosen technology works reliably in the field, regardless of connectivity

The Future of Pool Service

As the pool industry continues to mature, the companies that thrive will be those that successfully balance human expertise with technological enhancement. PoolBrain's approach – combining detailed workflow guidance with powerful integrations like Orenda's chemistry calculator – points toward a future where consistent, high-quality pool service becomes the norm rather than the exception.

For business owners struggling to scale while maintaining quality, the message is clear: technology isn't just a nice-to-have anymore. It's becoming essential for competitive differentiation and sustainable growth. The question isn't whether to adopt these tools, but how quickly you can implement them to stay ahead of the curve.

By learning from pioneers like Adam Beech who have walked the path from small startup to large-scale operation, today's pool service entrepreneurs can avoid many of the pitfalls and accelerate their journey to sustainable, profitable growth.

Episode Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction and Integration Announcement
• 05:30 Adam's Background - From 35 Trucks to Software
• 12:15 The Core Problem with Scaling Pool Businesses
• 18:45 PoolBrain's Offline-First Approach
• 25:20 Orenda Integration and API Development
• 32:10 The Importance of Standardization
• 38:55 Technology as a Force Multiplier