Jody Collierdiscussed
Welding Tips and Tricks — training content + proprietary welding tools sold DTCSkilled trades (welding) — training media + proprietary tool e-commerce
Creator Fund Weekly — Sep 14, 2026Sam Lessin, Eddie DeDomenico, Jack Raines, Megan Lightcap, Caroline Singer
Jody Collier: welding tools, skilled trades, and the data-center angle
2:22
from 13:18 in the recording
Creator Fund call, Sep 14 2026 (Riverside)
Welding expert who produces training content, product demos and industry coverage while designing and selling his own proprietary welding tools through his e-commerce platform. Caroline brought him as part of her running skilled-trades thesis, this time sharpened by a conversation with Alan at Revival about welding in bike manufacturing that led to data centers: data-center construction is welding-intensive and only getting more relevant. Her core attraction is that he makes proprietary tools rather than reselling third-party equipment — owning the category as it grows while the content demos create a natural flywheel. Sam likes the area but flagged that welding is licensed and union/guild-organized and hard to do well, which is worth understanding before going deeper. Caroline admitted skilled trades has been her hardest category for actually getting anyone to respond or get on the phone, and will add a licensing/education filter to her search.
Things We Like
- Proprietary tools, not reselling: he designs and sells his own welding equipment through his own e-commerce platform — a chance to own the category rather than be a third-party channel
- Content-to-commerce flywheel: training videos and demos of his own tools are simultaneously the marketing and the product validation
- Macro tailwind Caroline traced from a Revival conversation: data-center construction is welding-intensive, and that build-out is accelerating
- Fits Caroline's running skilled-trades thesis — a category she feels 'really passionately about' and keeps returning to weekly
Key Questions
- Welding is licensed and union/guild-organized (Sam) — how does licensing and the guild structure shape what a creator-led business here can be?
- Why is skilled trades the hardest category to get responses in — is there a better way in than cold outreach? (Caroline: 'the category where I've had the hardest time actually getting anyone to respond')
- How big is the proprietary-tool business today vs the content, and does the data-center welding wave actually reach a creator-led tool brand?
Conversation Quotes
- “He's also producing proprietary tools, which I think is really interesting rather than just becoming a third party or selling third-party equipment... it's actually really interesting while also producing specific products and demos that becomes a natural flywheel.”Caroline
- “It's licensed, slash there are definitely guilds or unions for sure. And it's hard to do well. I like the area for sure... but that is worth understanding.”Sam
- “This has been the category where I've had the hardest time actually getting anyone to respond or get on the phone.”Caroline