Scaling Systems and Living Adventurously: How Jonathan Ronzio Built Trainual from the Ground Up
- vince santos
- 11 minutes ago
- 4 min read
Most SaaS founders don’t start as mountain climbers and adventure filmmakers. But Jonathan Ronzio isn’t most founders.
From producing cheerleading competition videos in his basement to filming feature-length documentaries across South America, Jonathan's early ventures were fueled by a desire to create, explore, and tell stories. And those same instincts—curiosity, systems thinking, storytelling—would later drive him to co-found Trainual, a software platform that now powers onboarding and operations for over 10,000 small businesses.
But it didn’t start in tech. It started with a green screen wall in his basement, a flip cam, and an old-fashioned entrepreneurial grind.
From Adventure Films to Operational Efficiency: How Jonathan Ronzio Built Trainual
Before Trainual, Jonathan and his brother Chris built a successful video production company, filming everything from cheerleading events to action sports content. That business required them to train dozens of contractors across the country to capture events the same way—effectively creating a systemized process before they even had a word for it.
When that business hit its ceiling, Chris transitioned into consulting and Jonathan dove deeper into adventure filmmaking. He even won an Old Spice internship that sent him to the Matterhorn, and later maxed out his credit cards to produce a passion project documentary called Between the Peaks.
Why?
Because as Jonathan puts it: “I live for collecting experiences.”
Building Trainual: From Side Project to Scalable SaaS
Trainual was originally a small internal tool Chris built inside his consulting company. It helped clients document their processes, SOPs, and onboarding materials. But when a Neil Patel blog casually mentioned Trainual as a top onboarding tool, it started gaining organic traction.
Jonathan—who had just returned from a glacier expedition in Alaska—used Trainual to delegate tasks for his media agency while he was off-grid. It was a lightbulb moment, which started the ball on how Jonathan Ronzio built Trainual.
“I realized I could replicate how I do things, assign them to someone else, and the work would still get done.”
Soon after, he packed up and moved from Boston to Phoenix to help Chris launch Trainual in earnest.
What started as a side project exploded into a fast-growing SaaS company with over 140 employees and a customer base spanning multiple continents.
What Is Trainual? And Why Should Entrepreneurs Care?
Trainual is a digital training manual—a centralized system for documenting your business playbook.
It combines the structure of an SOP wiki with the engagement and accountability of an LMS (learning management system).
Companies use it to:
Onboard new hires faster
Standardize repeatable processes
Protect institutional knowledge
Reduce training costs
Improve consistency and culture
Trainual is ideal for growing teams with 10+ employees who are beginning to experience the pain of scale—missed communication, redundant training, and inconsistent execution.
As Jonathan puts it: “You don’t need to document everything—just enough to get your forks clean before the sink piles up.”
Document Now, or Pay Later
Most businesses procrastinate systemization. But Jonathan likens it to preparing for a marathon or mountaineering expedition: if you skip the prep, you suffer later.
“Documentation isn't glamorous,” he admits, “but it empowers your team. It frees up your time. It protects your culture. And it pays off tenfold.”
And Trainual makes it easier than ever, with:
400+ plug-and-play templates
Built-in testing and tracking
Org charts and role-based access
Mobile access for field teams
Integration with existing tools
Trainual in Action: Real Use Cases
Here are just a few ways businesses use Trainual:
HVAC & Plumbing: Train field techs on safety, tools, and compliance—even while they’re on the job site
Creative Agencies: Onboard remote designers quickly and consistently, regardless of timezone
Ironman Races: Standardize volunteer training for aid stations and race-day logistics across global events
Growing Startups: Build a living playbook that evolves with your team, making scale smoother and culture stronger
Whether it’s a two-person team or a global organization, Trainual supports growth with structure.
From SOPs to Stories: Protecting Culture Through Systems
Jonathan’s biggest insight? Your playbook isn’t just procedures—it’s your story.
That’s why Trainual encourages founders to start with their “why”—documenting the company’s origin, mission, values, and vision. Every employee, no matter where they’re based, should know what the company stands for and how they fit into it.
“Culture is easy when it’s five people,” Jonathan says. “But at scale, your playbook protects it.”
Who Should Use Trainual?
Businesses with 10+ employees
Fast-growing teams with repeatable roles
Remote or hybrid companies
Founders who want more time, clarity, and consistency
Any entrepreneur tired of re-explaining everything
You don’t need to systemize everything overnight. But if you’re feeling the pain of scale—it’s time to get organized.
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