Establishing Founder Authority in Construction SaaS
Client:
Rich Kane, Vergo
Field:
Construction SaaS + AI
Service:
Identity Consulting
The Challenge
S01
Rich Kane had just raised significant investment for Vergo, a B2B construction SaaS company powered by AI. The money was in. The product was real. His personal brand was doing nothing for either.
Construction is a sector that trusts people before it trusts software. When your buyers need to believe in the founder before they’ll believe in the platform, what happens if the founder is invisible?
The Approach
S02
One. A full LinkedIn audit, identifying the gaps between how Rich presented himself and where the company was actually going.
Two. Worked directly with Vergo’s internal brand team on a content strategy built to establish Rich as an industry thought leader rather than a founder posting about his own product.
Three. Published a niche thought leadership article in a leading construction publication - the piece that moved him from participant to authority in the eyes of the sector.
Four. Aligned all content with the ongoing SEO strategy, so Rich’s personal visibility and Vergo’s brand visibility compounded rather than running as separate efforts.
The Insight
S03
In sectors that buy on trust, founder authority isn’t a vanity project - it’s infrastructure. The personal brand and the company brand are not competing for attention. Built properly, each one makes the other easier to find.
THE
OUTCOMES
Deliverables and External Results
Full LinkedIn audit with gap analysis against company growth goals
Comprehensive content strategy developed with Vergo’s internal brand team
300%+ increase in industry-specific engagement
1 top-ranking thought leadership article in a leading industry publication
12 executive customer interviews secured for product positioning development
Content aligned to SEO strategy, improving visibility for both personal and company brand
Internal Shifts Behind the Scenes
Stopped separating his own credibility from the company’s
Gained a reason to publish beyond promoting the product
Found a voice in a sector that rewards people over platforms
