How We Built Caddie: Our Journey from College Roommates to Business Partners

Every business has a story, and ours begins with a shared vision and a passion for doing things differently. Caddie wasn’t born out of a simple desire to create another company—it was the product of years of experience in the HVAC industry, a drive to challenge traditional processes, and the partnership between two friends who shared the same goal. Here’s how Evan Myers and I took our experiences, ideas, and insights to build Caddie.

College Roommates Turned Business Partners

Evan and I first met at Oklahoma State University, where we were roommates and fraternity brothers. After college, our friendship continued, and we decided to work together at my grandfather’s small warranty sales company, JB and Associates. This was our introduction to the HVAC industry, and while Evan was new to it, HVAC was in my blood—my family had been in the industry for generations.

Learning the HVAC Industry

At JB and Associates, we were the third and fourth employees of the company. The business was small, with just a handful of customers, but I took what I learned from working in wine distribution and applied it to JB’s sales strategy. We used manufacturer reps, distributors, and contractors to sell labor warranties. During this time, Evan and I spent countless hours with contractors, distributors, and manufacturers, gaining a deep understanding of the HVAC industry from the ground up.

The Birth of Fixd and a New Vision

In 2015, we founded a home warranty company called Fixd, and what started as a small business quickly grew to over 400 employees. We built our own service companies to handle warranty claims, and demand skyrocketed. Eventually, we sold Fixd to ANGI, the parent company of HomeAdvisor and Angie’s List. It was here, working alongside ANGI’s leadership, that we saw firsthand the impact that robust corporate support can have on a business.

At ANGI, we had access to financial analysts, human resource teams, marketing experts, and technology specialists. This back-office support allowed our company to grow rapidly and efficiently. That’s when we realized: every contractor should have access to these resources to succeed—and this realization became the seed for Caddie.

Building Caddie to Empower Contractors

Evan and I founded Caddie with one clear purpose: to give HVAC contractors access to the best-in-class tools and resources they need to thrive in an industry that’s evolving fast. Our experience with ANGI showed us the value of efficiency and expertise, and we wanted to bring those same benefits to contractors, many of whom still rely on outdated processes.

At first, our vision was broad—we wanted to be everything to all contractors. Over time, we narrowed our focus to make sure we were targeting the right customers and offering the most impactful products. Our goal is simple: to help contractors win by driving efficiency and making sure both consumers and contractors benefit from better pricing and improved processes.

Facing Challenges and Embracing Disruption

Of course, building something new isn’t without challenges. From the start, Evan and I have tried to do things differently, and that disruption has come with its share of critics. But we’ve learned to lean into our vision and purpose. For Caddie, that means embracing the idea that the HVAC market will eventually follow the auto industry’s path—where pricing transparency becomes the norm, and margins get tighter.

We believe this is a good thing. Consumers will benefit from better pricing, but contractors will also win if they have the tools to drive efficiency. At Caddie, that’s our mission: to create the resources contractors need to stay competitive and succeed in this changing landscape.

The Future of Caddie

Our journey from college roommates to business partners has been an exciting one, and we’ve faced plenty of challenges along the way. But Evan and I remain committed to our vision for Caddie. We believe in questioning the status quo, driving innovation, and empowering contractors to thrive in an industry that’s on the brink of transformation. Together, we’re building something special at Caddie—something that we believe will change the way contractors do business for the better.