Handwerk digital: mandatory e-invoicing, digitalisation and AI · 29 October 2026 · Chamber of Crafts, Regensburg

The Chamber of Crafts Lower Bavaria-Upper Palatinate sent out the invitations, and every seat was taken. After the talks, visitors moved on to the exhibitor stands – including ours.

At our stand we showed live how a protocol is created on a tablet, how AI reads photos and measurements, and how the Hero Agent prepares quotes that you simply review and approve.

What we talked about most

• What does mandatory e-invoicing mean for my business?
• How do I stop retyping notes and photos in the office?
• Can AI really take work off my plate when writing quotes?
• How do I get my team on board without long training?

Our answer is usually the same: fast quotes and invoices start with clean data captured on site. What your team documents digitally once never has to be retyped in the office.

Thank you to the Chamber of Crafts for organising the evening and to every business for the great conversations and feedback. The full recap with video, the e-invoicing deadlines and answers to the most common questions are on our Handwerk digital page (in German).

Good software matters. The people who work with it matter even more.

That is why we care a lot about getting to know our customers in person – especially when we are nearby anyway. This time we went to Worms to visit Schrinner, a master craftsman business for plumbing, heating and air conditioning.

An honest conversation, a photo with Kevin – and once again lots of insight into what really counts in the daily work of a heating and plumbing business.

What connects us is people. Software is the tool that grows out of that: to make work simpler and leave more time for what matters.

Thank you to Kevin and the whole Schrinner team for the warm welcome!

On 8 October, Metallbau Pesch in Hürth hosted “Hands-on AI for the trades”. Instead of just talking about artificial intelligence, businesses showed live where AI is already at work for them – with three stage demos, 13 exhibitors and expert talks from the field. WDR was there and reported on it.

We joined with a booth and a talk: “From chat window to colleague”. The core question: what does AI in the trades really mean? For us, it is not about opening a chat window and asking questions. It is about digital teammates that check reports, prepare quotes and hand them over for approval. People keep the decision.

Why it matters: every job comes with documentation – inspection reports, readings, photos, signatures. Too often it gets done in the evening at a desk. With ProtocolHero it happens right on site on a phone or tablet, with a clean PDF at the end.

That is exactly what visitors tried out at our booth. The questions were almost always the same: how much time does this really save – and how fast is my team up and running?

My takeaway: AI in the trades does not convince on slides, but when you can get your hands on it. Our goal stays the same: less bureaucracy, more time for the craft.

Thanks to Metallbau Pesch for hosting, to everyone who made the day happen – and to WDR for stopping by. You can find the full feature with video and photos on our WDR page.

In our new video, we show you how to:

• share submissions directly via link or email

• secure shared documents with a password and expiration date

• individually enable PDF downloads and comments

• allow customers to ask questions directly within the protocol

• manage shared links centrally

• automatically send a shared link after a submission, if desired

Ideal for handover protocols, acceptance reports, inspection protocols, or documents shared for review – and much easier than repeatedly exporting PDFs and sending them back and forth via email.

Oktoberfest 2026 · Munich

After three days of Bits & Pretzels we added one more: together with selected partners and customers, we spent a day at the Wiesn.

No presentations, no agenda – just time together. Moments like these remind us how much the people behind ProtocolHero mean to us. And the best ideas often come out of exactly these conversations.

Thank you to everyone who joined us – for a wonderful day, great conversations and your trust. Prost, and see you next year!

Bits & Pretzels 2026 · 28–30 September 2026 · Munich

At the end of September we were at Bits & Pretzels in Munich, one of Europe’s largest founder festivals. For three days we listened, discussed and made plenty of new connections.

The exchange with other AI companies was especially valuable: How do they use AI day to day, what really works, and what comes next? Conversations like these keep us up to date – so the AI in ProtocolHero takes real work off trade businesses’ plates.

We also had interesting conversations with potential new investors. ProtocolHero is growing fast, and we are expanding our team so we can personally support even more businesses.

Thanks to everyone for the great conversations – see you next time!

I was invited by Fluke to 🇺🇸 Everett / Seattle, Washington, to experience the company from a completely different perspective.

This Influencer Day was about so much more than just new products or a behind-the-scenes look at manufacturing.

Above all, it was about people.

Over those few days, I met so many fascinating people, connected with influencers who have over 10 million followers, and built relationships that quickly turned into genuine friendships. It is truly an honor to be part of this group—people who share important messages with the younger generation.

Combined, the 10 of us reached nearly 20 million followers. To put that into perspective, that's equivalent to 25% of the entire German population — absolutely mind-blowing!

Fluke plays an incredibly vital role today. In an era of energy transition, expanding solar power, advancing technology, and massive AI server infrastructure, grid stability and protecting lives through precise measurement and maintenance are paramount to ensuring safety. This is exactly where Fluke shines as the global leader in test and measurement tools.

What stood out to me the most was the incredible attention to detail Fluke put into planning these days for us.

From exclusive insights into new products and their development, to touring the local manufacturing facility, visiting the Fluke Lab at the University of Washington, and sharing experiences like a Seattle Seahawks 🏈 football game—it was clear at every turn that this wasn't just about checking off an agenda.

It was about building relationships and creating shared memories.

And to me, that is the foundation of any great partnership.

Thank you to the entire Fluke team for the invitation, the warm hospitality, and these unforgettable days in Washington.

I am definitely taking home much more than just product insights. Every experience eventually comes to an end, but the memories remain. Thank you to Miki Mok, Alex Chillman, Parker Burke, and the rest of the team at Fluke Corporation.

This question is no longer just on the minds of SaaS founders like me; it’s also engaging many skilled trade businesses. From small shops to large enterprises, entirely new doors are suddenly opening. That’s because AI-assisted software development creates a fascinating effect.

Tangible results appear astonishingly fast. What used to require days of development work can now often be ready as a clickable interface after just a single afternoon. Tools like Claude, Codex, Cursor, Lovable, and Replit are built on precisely this principle: delivering rapid, visible success—the "quick win." An interactive prototype that sparks immediate enthusiasm.

However, from a practical standpoint, that doesn't go far enough. The crucial question for you isn't "Does the software work today?" but rather "What happens when your business becomes completely dependent on it for day-to-day operations tomorrow?" Who maintains the code when interfaces change or errors occur?

You can find my specific experiences and a more in-depth analysis in the detailed article below:

Scheduling jobs in the trades is often a balancing act between the calendar and documentation. Many businesses use separate tools for appointments and the actual protocols. However, our observation shows that operations only run truly smoothly when tasks and reports are directly linked.

With the "Calendar & Tasks" module in ProtocolHero, you can coordinate your daily tasks. You have three views at your disposal: list, calendar, and Kanban board. You can assign tasks to team members, set deadlines, and filter everything by status, person, or timeframe. The biggest advantage is that you can link tasks directly to the corresponding protocols and submissions.

Our practical takeaway: This module is already included in the free "Gründer" plan. It is specifically designed for documentation planning. If you are looking for a lean solution to connect your reports with appointments, rather than introducing an overloaded, complex project management tool, this feature is definitely worth a closer look.

New help video: in a few minutes we explain what reference points are in ProtocolHero and how to use them day to day — using a service report as the example.

Reference points tell you instantly which customer, asset or job a report belongs to, without opening every protocol. You set primary, secondary and optional extra references in the editor, values fill in while completing a submission, and later you filter the submissions list by customer or object.

Whether you work in plumbing, HVAC, electrical, construction, painting, metalwork, vehicles, wood or service & compliance: once jobs recur, clear assignment pays off — and your team finds history faster.

No account yet? Start for free and set up reference points on your first protocol.