TradeCraft, a mobile guidance app for apprentice tradies, is now live on the App Store, Google Play and the web. It was built by Hyper alumnus Luke Chiocci through our Accelerate and Launch Ready processes, and it solves a problem he lived through for years on site.
The gap on site
Luke spent 17 years in construction and 12 years running his own building business. In that time, he watched the same scene play out again and again: an apprentice hits a task they have not done before, the leading hand is flat out, and the job either waits or gets done wrong.
It is a bigger problem than it looks. 17% of trade apprenticeships in Australia end within the first 12 months, and supervisors lose hours every week answering the same repeat questions instead of running the job. Luke had lived the supervision gap from both sides, as an apprentice once and as the person training them since, and he had the trade credibility to actually fix it.
Building TradeCraft
TradeCraft is built around one moment: an apprentice stuck on a task, mid-job. They type, speak or snap a photo of what they are stuck on, and TradeCraft returns a short, site-ready video with the method, key checks and safety cues, aligned to accepted trade methods. No scrolling through hour-long tutorials, no guessing.
For the business side, it works the other way too. Leading hands can see what their team is searching for most, which shows exactly where the training gaps are before they turn into rework.
Turning the idea into a live product
Luke went through Hyper’s Accelerate process to structure the idea and validate demand, then Launch Ready to build and ship the product using an AI-assisted development approach. Here is how he described the experience:
I’ve been working with Hyper for the past six months, building TradeCraft from concept to a market-ready product, and the experience has been genuinely impressive. Leah and Connor have been across every detail the whole way through, sharp, responsive, and they actually care about what you’re building. No hand-holding required, no fluff, just good people who know their stuff and push you to stay on track.
We’re hitting the market next month, and I can say with confidence that the product is where it needs to be because of the work these two put in. If you’re a founder who wants a team that treats your business like it matters, Hyper is the real deal.
– Luke Chiocci, Melbourne
TradeCraft today
Since finishing Launch Ready, Luke has secured 5 pilot businesses and early partnerships with Carpentry Australia and RSEA. In validation surveys, 92% of apprentices said they would use TradeCraft, and 69% said they would pay a monthly subscription for it.
Get TradeCraft here:
TradeCraft was built through Hyper’s Accelerate and Launch Ready processes, the safest way for a first-time founder to take an idea from concept to a live product. Not sure where to start? Find your path.
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Sam Cust is Managing Director at Hyper and a Founding Partner at Hyper Ventures. He works with founders from idea through product, traction and capital, leading Hyper’s commercial strategy and founder support. Sam writes about startup growth, commercial strategy, founder partnerships and preparing an early-stage business for investment.
