--- title: "Railblocks ⬩ How ODF handled 1000s of monthly applications with their custom CRM" description: "Learn more about ODF's Airtable application system" url: "https://www.railblocks.com/blog/odf/" --- Case study 2025.04.17 ⬩ 4 min # How ODF handled 1000s of monthly applications with their custom CRM [ [joinodf.com](https://joinodf.com) ] ODF - Applications a year: 15K+ - Saved a year on setup: $40K - Program capacity: 2x Lorenzo Castro Co-founder ## About ODF [ODF](https://www.joinodf.com/) (previously On Deck) helps ambitious founders start companies through online bootcamps. Founders from 1,000+ startups, including Traba, [Cal.com](http://cal.com/), and Luma, launched their ventures through ODF, collectively raising **$2B** from top VCs. ## System Mapping We focus here on ODF’s **application management system** (excluding bootcamp operations). Figure: ODF OS ⬩ Map of the ODF OS in four layers. Customer-facing tools (the Webflow website, Fillout forms and Luma events) feed Airtable, the central database. Internal tools read and write it: Slack for notifications and a bot, Stripe for invoicing and payments, Customer.io for email and Clay for enrichment and AI screening. Zapier and Trigger.dev automate them. System Overview: - Leads apply via Fillout forms, synced with Airtable via Zapier. - Data from Luma events flows into Airtable. - Airtable is the central hub, managing 80,000+ records for applications, screening, and reporting. - Zapier automates connections between Airtable, Slack, Stripe, and Customer.io. - Trigger.dev powers a custom Slack bot. - Clay enriches Airtable data and simplifies screening via AI. ## Before vs. After | Legacy System | After Optimization | | --- | --- | | One Airtable table with 20 duplicated Zapier workflows per cohort | 3-table structure (Pipeline, Contacts, Cohorts) completely remove the need for Zap duplication | | 2-5 days of setup per program (25 programs per year, 15,000+ applications) | 1 day per program setup (from 1 week), saving $40k per year | | 2 full-time employees managing the system | 1 part-time person (~5 hours per week) manages the entire system | | Complex funnel with optional steps, leading to inconsistent tracking | 2x program capacity & revenue potential without additional hires | ### Data restructuring Goal: Save time Impact: Estimated $40K/year saved in reduced setup overhead. Airtable data structuring (one to 3 separate tables): - Eliminated Zap duplication for program setup. - Enabled automation that wasn’t possible before. ### Zapier updates Goal: Save time Impact: Reduced setup time from 1 week to 1 day per program, saving $40K/year. Replaced standard Zaps with webhooks & custom scripts: - One URL to do setup instead of manual work. - Switched triggers from view-based (unreliable) to button-based (predictable, interactive UX, rich error tracking). ### Email params Goal: Save time & increase conversion Impact: Increased lead conversion rate by 5%, adding $375K/year (assuming 100 people/program, 25 programs, $3,000 per lead). Transition from Gmail to Customer.io: - Dates as variables for automated follow-ups & copy changes in emails before, after and during cohorts. - Implemented event-based email tracking → Conversion-focused analytics. - Added UTM-tracked unique links → No more mismatched email-to-contact issues. ### KPI tracking Goal: Increase conversion Impact: Improved funnel optimization, adding $250K/year in revenue by identifying and reducing drop-offs. Analytics are the most complete analytics you can dream of for a cohort-based system and are 100% automated: - KPI tracking table updates every Monday. - Weekly cohort-based performance dashboard. - Funnel cycle comparisons to optimize conversions. ### Custom interfaces Goal: Reduce training & screening time Impact: From 1 month of training → 0 training needed for 2 operators, saving $10K/year in onboarding costs Custom interfaces for application screening instead of raw Airtable DB that required tons of team training: - Automated team allocation for lead screening. - Multi-step screening. - Queues for decision submission emails to save button clicks & loading time (-90%) decreasing application review by 15%. ### Top-of-the-funnel Goal: Increase conversion & generate leads Impact: Minimum +5% lead conversion & tracking accuracy, adding at $375K/year in lead revenue. - Automated referral system (4 referral methods tracked), resulting in +10% referral conversion while referral represented 50% of customers. - Luma event-attendee mapping → Application completion impact analysis. - Automated Stripe payment follow-ups. - Clay enrichment → Fetches Fillout API data even for incomplete forms. ### Custom Slack bot Goal: Save time Impact: Reduced manual screening coordination by 20% ($15K/year saved in operational costs). Deep integration with Slack for notifications but also actions via a custom Slack bot we built to: - Extracts email data and suggests actions directly in Slack. - Auto-creates screening threads for interview feedback. ### AI implementation Goal: Save time Impact: 80% faster application screening, saving $100K/year in manual labor costs. AI research agent: - AI scores applications based on LinkedIn & application signals. - Tracks job changes on LinkedIn to measure bootcamp impact. - Slack-integrated AI bots extract & process email data for faster decisions. - Clay enrichment for people who don’t submit their apps. - Fetch partial application submission data even when they start but don’t submit. ## Highlights ### Impact With this OS, ODF achieved remarkable results: - **15,000 applications** are screened annually by one part-time person. - **$1.2M per year in estimated added value** through cost savings & revenue generation. ### Features The system’s greatest strengths include: - **Simplicity**: Centralized system in Airtable, pushing it to its limits resulting in an extremely simple OS for an organisation with such operational complexity - **Data viz:** Complete, automated data visualization giving in-depth insights into performance and conversion to optimize sales, marketing & ops decision-making - **Customization:** Completely custom on Airtable, with no noticeable limitations - **Centralized Data**: Clean, accurate and accessible information in Airtable - **Team Adoption**: Simple custom interfaces and actions from Slack [ Newsletter ] ## The secrets behind the best-run teams Discover the tools, systems and strategies top companies use to streamline their entire operations with AI.