At the CREATE Conference in Nashville, surrounded by operators searching for practical solutions, Krish Sridhar is focused on a problem most people overlook. Not AI hype. Not elaborate software. Something much simpler. The checklist. The everyday tool frontline workers rely on to keep restaurants running the right way.
Sridhar is the founder and CEO of KNOW, a platform built around the belief that modern hospitality needs straightforward digital tools that actually help people. Not systems that add friction, but a clean mobile experience anchored in structure, clarity, and simple prompts. “You should not care whether it is AI or not,” he said. “You should just figure out, is this thing making my life better or not.”
KNOW began with a macro thesis. As smartphones became universal, frontline workers finally had the same technology in their hands as everyone else. But the software ecosystem ignored them. Restaurants and retail teams were left with laminated checklists, group chats, scattered training sheets, and daily tasks that lived nowhere central. “Why should there be this big digital divide,” Sridhar said. “We wanted to help people who were underserved.”
The Digital Checklist
The answer started with a digital checklist. A simple, structured tool that tells workers what to do, when to do it, and how to show it was done. That clarity opened the door to workflows, communication, training, attendance, and engagement. But the core remained the same. Organize the work. Prompt the work. Capture the work.
Today KNOW has 2 million monthly active users across 26 countries. The platform has supported billions of internal messages and hundreds of millions of training interactions. Yet one of Sridhar’s favorite reminders of KNOW’s purpose came from home. While packing for the trip, he asked his five year old to help. Without hesitation she said, “I think we should make a checklist.” To him, that instinct captures the heart of the product. When a system feels natural, people trust it.
Digital Evidence
Digital checklists unlock capabilities paper never could. “It gives you evidence,” Sridhar explained. Workers can attach live photos. Tasks can be scheduled or repeated. The app removes the burden of remembering when something must happen. For operators, it offers a real-time picture of what is completed and what is not. “It gives owners and operators confidence that the work is being done,” he said.
Invisible AI
AI enhances these workflows, but Sridhar believes it should remain invisible. “AI should just be invisible,” he said. “You care that it is trusted and that the job is done.” Instead of layering AI on top of old systems, KNOW is rethinking how people interact with software. The goal is to make action easier, not add complexity.
KNOW’s growth model is built on partnership rather than vendor relationships. Customers do not just buy the product. They influence it. A request from a brand led to the creation of peer to peer recognition. Another prompted deeper integrations with point of sale systems. And when Main Squeeze Juice adopted the platform, the KNOW team rebuilt workflows, codified systems, and helped leadership bring greater consistency across franchisees. The through line remained simple. Give teams digital checklists they will actually use. Adoption follows.
Sridhar’s leadership philosophy reflects the same simplicity and intention. He prides himself on deep customer obsession, but also on caring for the people building the company. Many team members never attended college. Many have grown with KNOW since its earliest days. “Every employee at KNOW is important,” he said. “Their life and family should grow with us.”
He is also honest about the setbacks. A recent team departure surprised him. Covid brought years of challenges and lessons. As a founder, he says he falls often. But the company stays focused on the next peak. Not a grand vision of changing the world, but the next milestone that brings more operators and frontline workers onto the platform.
Give Operators Clarity
What Sridhar wants most is a broader industry conversation. Hospitality is full of vendors and solutions, but not all of them move the frontline experience forward. “How do we create a differentiated way of helping the industry go forward,” he asked. “How do we make life better for the frontline person.”
For restaurants, retailers, and multi unit operators, KNOW delivers a simple message. Modern hospitality becomes stronger when frontline workers have clarity. Give them a checklist they trust. Give them a tool that prompts the work, supports the work, and documents the work. Build solutions with them, not for them. Because when teams on the ground have structure and support, everything else in the operation gets better.
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