The BuddyLeader story: an AI for tradespeople, born in the Lavaux
BuddyLeader is an AI team for Swiss owner-craftsmen, made by hand in the Lavaux wine region (canton of Vaud) by the company Living Scale Up. It grew from a field observation: the evening admin crushes tradespeople. The mission is simple — carry that load so they get their evenings, margin visibility and headspace to lead back.
An idea born in the field, not in a spreadsheet
BuddyLeader was not designed by a machine alone. Jonas, founder and CEO, and a team of humans spent immersion days alongside real owner-craftsmen — plumber, electrician, building contractors — to understand where time is lost. The same refrain kept coming back: «80 calls a day», «70 to 120 emails», «I lose clients because I can't produce a quote fast enough». The product answers that, not a trend.
Why a team, not one more piece of software
Software needs filling in; a tradesperson working alone doesn't have that time. So BuddyLeader was conceived as an AI team that does the work — pricing quotes by voice, tracking margin, triaging messages — rather than a tool to configure. That is what we call Service-as-a-Software: paying for an outcome, not a dashboard.
Made by hand in Switzerland, for Switzerland
The studio is in the Lavaux, canton of Vaud. Data lives in Switzerland (Infomaniak hosting, nDSG-compliant). The 2026 pilot opens to twenty businesses in French-speaking Switzerland — Geneva, Vaud, Valais — personally accompanied by the founder, before a progressive rollout to the rest of the country. BuddyLeader is a product and a brand; Living Scale Up (LSU) is the company that develops it and owns 100% of the intellectual property.
Frequently asked questions
Who created BuddyLeader?
Jonas, founder and CEO, with a team of humans, within the Swiss company Living Scale Up. The product was made by hand in the Lavaux, from immersion days with real owner-craftsmen.
Where is BuddyLeader based?
In the Lavaux region, canton of Vaud, Switzerland. Customer data is hosted in Switzerland and the product is nDSG-compliant (Swiss data protection law).
What is BuddyLeader's mission?
To carry the administrative load of Swiss owner-craftsmen so they get back their evenings, margin visibility per job, and the headspace to lead their business instead of enduring it.
How are BuddyLeader and Living Scale Up related?
BuddyLeader is the product and brand; Living Scale Up (LSU) is the legal entity that develops it and owns 100% of the intellectual property. For contracts and invoices, the counterparty is Living Scale Up.