Jeremy Bernier has spent years fixing clogged pipes. Now he’s trying to fix another everyday frustration: shopping local.
The U.S. Navy veteran and owner of Nerd Plumbing and Drain has founded MODRA, a Seattle-area startup that is designed to let shoppers browse inventory from nearby retailers and have purchases delivered the same day.
The 46-year-old says the idea struck him earlier this year after he needed a collared shirt in Portland and discovered there was no easy way to find one nearby and get it delivered.
MODRA’s AI-powered shopping assistant, “Savvy” — named after his firstborn daughter — is designed to learn customers’ sizes, style preferences and budgets to recommend products that fit their tastes. It is working on securing retail partners, with plans to launch in the Seattle area in September. MODRA plans to contract with local independent drivers, similar to marketplaces like Uber Eats or DoorDash.
He’s carving out a niche in a larger market that includes some big players, such as Amazon with its 30-minute Amazon Now delivery service for grocery and convenience items. And Bernier acknowledges he’s an unlikely tech founder. “I’m a blue-collar guy by trade,” he said.
While his Navy background taught him discipline, accountability and how to perform under pressure, his plumbing background also is helping him run MODRA. The experience “taught me that customers do not care how complicated the operation is behind the scenes,” he said. “They care whether you solve their problem and keep your word.”
We connected with Bernier for this latest installment of GeekWire’s Startup Spotlight.
In 50 words or less, give us your startup’s elevator pitch.
MODRA is an on-demand retail marketplace that lets customers shop nearby stores, boutiques, malls, and national retailers through one app, then have purchases delivered quickly. Savvy AI learns each customer’s style, size, budget, and preferences to create a faster, more personal shopping experience.
What problem are you obsessed with solving?
I’m obsessed with making local retail as convenient as ordering food. People should not have to search five websites, call stores, drive across town, and hope an item is available. MODRA is meant to bring all of that into one experience.
What surprised you after talking to customers?
What surprised me is that speed is only part of the problem. People also want confidence.
They want to know what is actually available nearby, whether it will fit, whether it matches their style, and whether they are making the right choice. Convenience gets people interested, but personalization and trust are what make the experience valuable.
How has AI changed the way you build your company?
AI has allowed me to move much faster than I could have with a traditional startup team.
I’m a blue-collar guy by trade. I know how to build businesses, solve problems, market, and create the vision, but I’m not a backend engineer. My founding engineer is actively building the technical side of MODRA from that vision, while AI helps me with research, strategy, operations, communication, and testing ideas.
What’s one thing people misunderstand about your startup?
People may hear “fast retail delivery” and think MODRA is simply DoorDash for clothing. Delivery is only one part of it.
MODRA is a retail marketplace, discovery platform, logistics network, and personalized shopping experience. The larger vision is to help retailers compete in the same-day economy while giving customers one place to discover and buy what is available around them.
What’s the toughest decision you’ve made in the past year?
The toughest decision has been committing fully to building a technology company while continuing to run Nerd Plumbing and Drain.
A plumbing company generates revenue today. A startup requires you to invest time, money, and energy into something that is still being built. I had to decide whether this idea was worth taking seriously enough to act on it. Two weeks after getting the idea, I started building. On May 16, MODRA became a Delaware C corporation.
What’s the one piece of advice you give to other entrepreneurs?
Do not wait until you feel qualified.
I came from the Navy and the plumbing industry, not Silicon Valley. I’m an idea guy and a problem solver. When I do not know how to do something, I find the right person, learn what I can, and keep moving.
You do not need to know everything. You need a clear vision, the willingness to work, and enough humility to bring in people who are stronger where you are not.
We’ll know our company has made it when…
Opening the app to find and receive something from a nearby store feels as normal as ordering dinner. I also want retailers to see MODRA as an essential sales and delivery channel, and I want Savvy to become a shopping assistant people genuinely trust.
