Where Are They Now: Crafted
Crafted is a Denver-based software consultancy founded by Adam Oliver in 2018 to help teams build high-value, quality products fast. They do this by bringing people together in highly collaborative Balanced Teams that are laser-focused on delivering tangible business value.
As Crafted approached a new stage of growth, Adam came to the BEN Signature Program in late 2023 seeking support with three core challenges:
Pipeline to support 40 billable team members
Operational maturity to support 40-50 people
General advice and stories around economy, and funding, what are these advisors hearing and seeing?!
The BEN Team brought in Advisors Alex Metz, Glenn Russo, Al Rosabal, Manny Ladis, , Barb Stevens, Kristy Nordmann, and Dan King to help the Crafted team tackle exactly that. Here’s how Adam reflects on the experience and its impact on Crafted’s evolution.
The BEN network and my journey through the BEN Signature Program showed up at a moment when I needed them most. Crafted was at a pivotal point. I was driven by vision and passion, but I had blinders on, and our passion was prohibiting us from seeing the bigger picture.
The Advisors that BEN brought into my orbit weren’t investors or board members. They weren’t friends or family who likely can’t shoot you straight! That’s what made their guidance so powerful. Their ability to give radically candid feedback, ask hard questions, and help us grow was only possible because they had nothing to gain or lose. It also couldn't work without BEN's ability to build a network of people who genuinely care about the success of fellow entrepreneurs.
They helped me let go of what I wanted Crafted to be and start listening to what our customers needed it to become. My ideal vision for the business was not what was resonating with the market during these important years. Without the blunt questioning and feedback from my Advisors, I likely still would have ignored the signals. That shift was hard, but it was essential. It helped us weather a tough 2024 and positioned us for a stronger, more successful 2025.
I’m forever grateful to BEN and the Advisors who stood beside us. Their only agenda was our success, and that kind of generosity is rare. But BEN made it real, and it made all the difference. This network helped us weather a storm and chart a better path forward. It’s the kind of support any entrepreneur would be lucky to have.
