"I make a horrible employee. I'm not a good employee at a big company."

That's how Nitin Bhandari, third-time founder and CEO of Planera, describes why he keeps starting companies instead of joining them.

In today's episode of Bricks & Bytes, we had Nitin Bhandari and we got to learn about his journey from wireless networks to construction tech, the critical mistakes first-time founders make, and why scheduling software has stayed stuck in the stone age while every other industry moved forward... and many more!

Tune in to find out about:

✅ Why he spent 9 months just learning construction before building anything

✅ How he landed customers who wanted to invest their own money in his company

✅ The real reason construction scheduling is broken (it's not what you think)

✅ Why hiring for culture fit matters more than most founders realize

Listen now on Spotify and discover how an outsider is transforming one of construction's most critical workflows.

"We don't want this data to exist because if the owner knows it exists, they'll be all over us."

This shocking confession from a contractor reveals the massive information gap plaguing the $2 trillion construction industry.

In today's episode of Bricks & Bytes, we had Ardalan Khosrowpour, CEO of OnsiteIQ, and we got to learn about why contractors intentionally hide project data from owners, how 95% of construction projects don't even use their BIM models, and the brutal reality of 3% profit margins that force underbidding... and many more!

Tune in to find out about:

✅ Why the construction industry suffers from deliberate information asymmetry

✅ How network effects can create monopolies in vertical markets

✅ The stark difference between contractor mindset ($1.5M profit) vs owner mindset ($150M asset)

✅ Why selling to capital allocators beats selling to contractors every time

Listen now on Spotify to discover how one founder is revolutionizing construction oversight by working with owners instead of contractors.

-------------------------

Chapters

00:00 Intro

01:45 The Power of Network Effects in Real Estate

04:47 Understanding the Construction Intelligence Platform

07:38 Data Capture and Its Impact on Project Management

10:40 Misalignment of Incentives in Construction

13:46 The Role of Transparency in Construction Projects

16:44 Challenges in Selling Technology to Owners

19:52 Monitoring and Analyzing Construction Progress

22:45 Quality Control and Data Comparison in Construction

34:14 Building a Data-Driven Construction Model

39:45 Challenges in Selling to Owners

43:13 Outbound Sales Strategies and Market Dynamics

48:59 Generating Demand Through Product Value

54:25 Defensibility and Competition in the Market

Could mobile factories revolutionize homebuilding and solve the housing crisis? One company thinks they've cracked the code.

In this episode of Bricks & Bytes, we sit down with Alex Gample, co-founder of Cuby, who's tackling America's housing shortage with a radical approach: containerized micro-factories that can be deployed anywhere to manufacture homes at $100-110 per square foot—significantly cheaper than traditional construction.

Key topics discussed:

How Cuby's mobile micro-factories work and why they chose a distributed model over gigafactories

The company's ambitious plan to deploy 275 factories over the next decade

Why construction productivity hasn't improved in decades while other industries have transformed

How they're using unskilled labor with advanced software guidance to replace skilled construction workers

The regulatory challenges that have killed previous housing innovation attempts

Their partnership model with local developers and the economics behind it

Why Eastern European engineering talent is giving them a 7-10x cost advantage

The three-phase master plan from factory deployment to vertical integration

"For every seven folks that now retire from the construction industry, only one replaces them... nine out of 10 times no one even has in their immediate circle someone that swings a hammer."

Discover how Cuby is reimagining homebuilding from the ground up, why their "antithesis" approach might succeed where others have failed, and what it could mean for making homeownership accessible again.

"Most software companies either get acquired or go out of business. If you start doing really well, they're either going to copy you or buy you."

In today's episode of Bricks and Bytes, we had Geoff Tarrant from Payapps and we got to learn about how a $600 million construction tech exit really happens, why Australian startups must expand globally, and the brutal truth about fundraising timing... and many more!

Tune in to find out about:

✅ Why construction tech companies never IPO and always get acquired instead

✅ The mistake founders make when expanding to new markets too early

✅ How to build relationships with potential acquirers years before selling

✅ Why raising money too late kills more startups than anything else

Geoff shared incredible insights from building PayApps from a CFO's monthly nightmare into a tens-of-millions revenue business that Autodesk couldn't ignore. His investment banking background gives him a unique perspective on what really drives acquisitions and why timing everything wrong can destroy even great companies.

Listen now on Spotify to discover the real playbook for construction tech exits and what founders get dangerously wrong.

=============

Chapters

01:41 – Intro & Acquisition Overview
04:34 – How Claims Are Evolving in Construction
07:41 – Market Dynamics & Competitive Landscape
10:30 – The Role of Independent Players in ConTech
13:45 – Inside the Acquisition: Strategy & Timing
16:49 – What Happens After: Post-Acquisition Integration
19:37 – Winning Customers: Acquisition Strategies That Work
22:31 – Going Global: Expansion & Market Entry
36:58 – Hard Truths: Challenges in New Markets
42:13 – Product-Market Fit: Why It Matters More Than Ever
47:58 – Team Building at Scale
52:55 – Raising Capital & Managing Dilution
01:00:39 – What’s Next: AI & The Future of ConTech
01:03:59 – Where the Opportunities Are: Shifting Construction Markets

Most insurance carriers use 5-10 different systems just to price one submission. One CEO figured out how to do it in 12 hours instead of weeks.

In today's episode of Bricks Bucks & Bytes, we had Justin Levine and we got to learn about how he's revolutionizing construction insurance by rewarding tech adoption, scaling to double-digit millions in revenue, and why reality capture tools reduce claims by 40-50%... and many more!

Tune in to find out about:

✅ How Shepherd shifts tech funding from contractors to insurance providers

✅ Why underwriters completely ignore technology when pricing policies

✅ The broken insurance process that takes weeks vs their 12-hour turnaround

✅ How construction tech partnerships create win-win scenarios for everyone

Justin's journey from civil engineer to risk manager to successful exit with TradeTap to building Shepherd shows exactly how deep industry knowledge combined with the right business model can disrupt billion-dollar markets.

Listen now on Spotify to hear the full conversation about transforming construction insurance.Chapters

---------------

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Shepherd and Its Business Model

04:53 The Evolution of TradeTap and Its Acquisition

10:08 Transitioning from Startups to Corporate Culture

14:52 The Unique Approach of Shepherd in Insurance

19:59 Understanding the Underwriting Process and Technology's Role

25:01 Shepherd's Market Position and Customer Base

35:40 Understanding the Enterprise Sales Model

43:41 Go-to-Market Strategy and Sales Dynamics

51:07 Organizing for Growth and Market Fit

01:00:28 Partnership Philosophy and Building Relationships

Lost $100,000 before even breaking ground on a construction project

It happens more often than you think in the construction industry.

In today's episode of Bricks, Bucks & Bytes, we had Victor Zhang from Trestle and we got to learn about the hidden profit leaks in construction, why phone calls still beat emails in B2B sales, and how AI is actually being used in construction tech... and many more!

Tune in to find out about:

✅ Why construction companies lose money before projects even start

✅ The real reason email marketing fails with general contractors

✅ How proprietary data creates stronger defensibility than AI algorithms

✅ Why now is the perfect time to start a construction tech company

Victor shared real examples from his 15 years as a civil engineer and how he built Trestle into an AI-driven risk management platform for general contractors.

The talent shortage in construction is so severe that if your startup fails, there will be more jobs waiting for you than when you left.

Listen now on Spotify to hear the full conversation about building in the construction tech space.

"Construction scheduling is completely broken. We're still using PDF files and sticky notes to manage million-dollar projects."

In today's episode of Bricks & Bytes, we had Patrick Hennessy from Harkins Builders and we got to learn about why traditional project management tools are failing the construction industry, how AI could revolutionize daily site operations, and the brutal truth about construction tech pricing... and many more!

Patrick runs planning and analytics for a $600M general contractor and shares unfiltered insights from the trenches of construction technology adoption.

Tune in to find out about:

✅ Why Primavera P6 and traditional scheduling software creates more problems than it solves

✅ How AI daily briefs could replace morning huddles and transform job site management

✅ The real reason construction software pricing is getting out of control and what contractors should demand

✅ Why construction tech websites are completely useless and how startups are losing millions in delayed sales cycles

Listen now on Spotify and get the inside perspective on where construction technology is actually heading from someone who evaluates and implements it every day.

----------

Chapters

00:00 March Madness and Personal Reflections

01:15 Understanding Project Controls at Harkins Builders

04:06 The Role of Technology in Project Management

09:17 Harkins Builders: Company Size and Structure

11:36 Innovation in Construction: VDC vs. Project Controls

13:01 Evaluating Scheduling Software: The Future of Collaboration

16:06 Traditional vs. Modern Scheduling Practices

20:14 Data Collection and Its Impact on Scheduling

25:28 Accelerating Tech Adoption in Construction

29:32 The Quest for Comprehensive Software Solutions

33:29 The Importance of Clear Messaging in Construction Tech

37:16 Navigating Cold Outreach and Sales Tactics

41:15 The Challenge of Point Solutions vs. Comprehensive Platforms

44:46 Understanding Pricing Models in Construction Software

55:32 The Impact of AI on Construction Processes

You may price a job for two years just to get the chance to build it."

That's the brutal reality Trey Darnell shared about construction sales today.

In today's episode of Bricks & Bytes, we had Trey Darnell, Director of Sales at Ediphi, and we got to learn about why construction tech sales is completely broken, how most salespeople get it wrong, and why the industry desperately needs a new approach... and many more!

Trey went from writing user guides on construction sites to becoming a sales leader at one of the hottest pre-construction tech companies. His journey reveals hard truths about our industry.

Tune in to find out about:

✅ Why 90% of construction salespeople fail at their job ✅ The hidden cost of pricing jobs for years without winning them

✅ Why platforms are becoming "jack of all trades, master of none"

✅ How to sell construction tech without being another annoying vendor

This episode will change how you think about buying and selling construction technology.

Listen now on Spotify and let us know what you think in the comments.

---------------

Chapters

# Chapters

00:00 Intro

00:03:00 Introduction and Background of Trey Darnell

00:06:02 Challenges in Construction and BIM Advocacy

00:08:50 Transition to Construction Tech and PlanGrid Experience

00:12:10 Sales as a Consulting Approach

00:15:14 Joining Edify and the Evolution of Pre-Construction Solutions

00:20:58 Go-to-Market Strategy for Edify

00:27:01 Building Relationships and Understanding Client Needs

00:33:07 Understanding Time to Value in Construction Tech

00:37:01 Successful Go-to-Market Strategies

00:41:10 Sales Cycle Dynamics and Compression Strategies

00:46:38 Navigating Small vs. Large Accounts

00:52:02 Pricing Strategies and Negotiation

00:54:29 Traits of Successful Salespeople in Construction Tech

00:57:36 Gaining Experience in the Construction Industry

00:59:13 Advice for Newcomers in Construction Tech Sales

01:00:41 When to Hire a Sales Leader