Tools for the Modern Pool Pro, with Skimmer + Orenda (w/ Niki Acosta and Jack Nelson)

In an industry where technology adoption has traditionally lagged behind, one software company is revolutionizing how pool professionals manage their businesses. Skimmer, the largest routing software platform for pool service technicians, has grown from a one-person operation to a 50+ employee company serving thousands of pool pros across the country—all through word-of-mouth referrals and exceptional customer service.

In this episode of Rule Your Pool podcast, host Eric Knight sits down with Niki Acosta (Marketing) and Jack Nelson (Leadership) from Skimmer to discuss their remarkable growth story, customer-centric approach, and the exciting integration with Orenda's water chemistry calculator that's set to transform how pool professionals handle water balancing.

From Humble Beginnings to Industry Leader

Skimmer's origin story is a testament to the power of solving real problems for real people. When Jack Nelson's business partner Pete was talking to his pool service technician, he discovered something remarkable about a little-known app called Skimmer.

He's like man I downloaded this app recently it's called Skimmer. It's incredible. It does everything I want to run my entire business. It's changed my life.

— Jack Nelson, Rule Your Pool Podcast

This enthusiastic endorsement led to the acquisition of Skimmer from founder Ron Hash, who had built something extraordinary: 1,400 customers acquired entirely through referrals, with zero advertising spend. The company was lean—just Ron, his brother Ryan, their mom Donna, and two developers—but they had created a product that customers genuinely loved.

Under new leadership, Skimmer has experienced explosive growth while maintaining the personal touch that made it special. The company has doubled year-over-year in both customer base and employee count, now employing over 50 people with about 20 focused specifically on product development.

The Customer Success Philosophy That Sets Skimmer Apart

In an era where many software companies hide behind help documentation and chatbots, Skimmer has made human connection a cornerstone of their business model. This isn't just customer service—it's customer success, and there's a crucial difference.

Niki Acosta explains their unique approach:

We also have members of our success team and their primary goal and focus is to help our customers be more successful so for our customers that have you know very specific needs or requests or need a little bit of extra hand holding... every single customer that joins us is going to get a call from a member of our success team and be offered a path for onboarding support.

— Niki Acosta, Rule Your Pool Podcast

This commitment to customer success has earned them recognition, including a Stevie Award for customer support excellence. But more importantly, it's created a loyal customer base that actively promotes the software to their peers—the most valuable form of marketing in a relationship-driven industry like pool service.

The company's dedication to accessibility is particularly important given their audience. Most pool service professionals don't have computer science backgrounds, making intuitive design and human support essential for successful adoption.

Data-Driven Insights: The State of Pool Service Report

One of Skimmer's most impressive initiatives is their annual State of Pool Service Report—the largest industry-specific survey ever conducted for pool service and repair businesses. With over 1,700 respondents answering more than 50 questions, this comprehensive study provides unprecedented insights into the industry.

The report covers everything from buying habits and business concerns to payment methods and operational challenges. By collecting only zip codes as identifying information, Skimmer ensures anonymity while still being able to provide regional insights.

This data serves multiple purposes: it helps Skimmer guide their product development, provides valuable industry intelligence to manufacturers and suppliers, and gives pool professionals better understanding of the market they operate in. The report is freely available at getskimmer.com/state-of-pool-service, demonstrating Skimmer's commitment to elevating the entire industry, not just their customers.

Innovation Through Integration: The Orenda Partnership

Perhaps the most exciting development for pool professionals is Skimmer's integration with Orenda's LSI (Langelier Saturation Index) calculator. This partnership represents a perfect marriage of operational efficiency and technical expertise.

Jack Nelson explains the rationale behind the integration:

We very quickly realized why would we try to recreate that you guys are the gold standard and let's let's reach out to them and I think I reached out to you guys a couple years ago I was like let's figure out a way to work with each other we're both doing great things in the industry and let's let's partner up.

— Jack Nelson, Rule Your Pool Podcast

This integration isn't a financial transaction—it's a mission-driven partnership aimed at serving customers better. Skimmer recognized that while they excel at routing, scheduling, and business management, Orenda has perfected water chemistry calculations. Rather than attempting to recreate Orenda's expertise, Skimmer chose to integrate the best-in-class solution.

For pool professionals, this means they'll be able to access Orenda's sophisticated water balancing calculations directly within their existing workflow, eliminating the need to switch between apps or manually calculate chemical dosing.

Building Community and Expanding Horizons

Beyond software development, Skimmer is fostering industry growth through community building. They're launching the Skimmer Community—a platform for regional groups and industry professionals to connect, share knowledge, and access resources for building better businesses.

This community will serve as a hub for everything from buying and selling businesses to finding specialized services like leak detection in specific areas. By aggregating the collective knowledge of their team, customers, and industry experts, Skimmer is creating a resource that benefits the entire pool service industry.

The company continues to roll out new features based on customer feedback, including text messaging alerts that notify pool owners when technicians are en route or have completed service—small touches that improve the customer experience and help pool pros differentiate their service.

The Technology Challenge in Traditional Industries

Skimmer's success highlights a crucial lesson about technology adoption in traditional industries. Pool service has historically been a relationship-based business where success depended more on reliability and expertise than technological sophistication. However, as Eric Knight notes from his experience with various software platforms, the ability to reach a human being when you need help remains critical.

I use a lot of softwares when we're creating content... there are some that are just so big you just never hear from them... but a lot of these smaller softwares and a human being emails me back and they get on the phone with me and they walk me through it it makes all the difference in the world.

— Eric Knight, Rule Your Pool Podcast

This insight drives Skimmer's commitment to maintaining personal customer relationships even as they scale. They recognize that in an industry where many business owners are hands-on operators rather than tech experts, human support isn't just nice to have—it's essential for adoption and success.

Looking Forward: Sustainable Growth and Industry Impact

As Skimmer continues to grow, they face the challenge that many successful companies encounter: maintaining their personal touch while scaling to serve more customers. Their approach of investing heavily in both technology and human resources suggests they understand this balance.

The upcoming Orenda integration represents more than just a new feature—it's a model for how industry partnerships can create value that neither company could achieve alone. By focusing on their core competencies and integrating with best-in-class solutions from partners, Skimmer is building a platform that truly serves as the central nervous system for pool service businesses.

For pool professionals, this evolution means access to increasingly sophisticated tools without the complexity typically associated with enterprise software. The combination of Skimmer's operational management capabilities and Orenda's water chemistry expertise creates a powerful solution that addresses the two most critical aspects of pool service: efficient operations and technical accuracy.

As the pool industry continues to professionalize and customers expect higher levels of service and communication, platforms like Skimmer become essential infrastructure. Their success demonstrates that even in traditional industries, the right technology implemented with a customer-first philosophy can create tremendous value for businesses and their customers alike.

Episode Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction and Guest Introductions
• 03:00 How Niki Joined Skimmer
• 06:00 Jack's Path to Skimmer and Acquisition Story
• 12:00 Skimmer's Growth and Customer Success Philosophy
• 18:00 The State of Pool Service Report
• 25:00 Finding Orenda and Partnership Development
• 30:00 Integration Commitment and Industry Impact
• 40:00 Future Features and Community Building