#045 - Christoph Betz - Navigating Innovation in Construction: Challenges and Perspectives
Introducing today's guest, Christoph Betz, an independent innovation advisor and researcher. Christoph Betz explored the true meaning of innovation, effective teamwork through collaboration, and the impact of social science on innovation departments.
In this episode, we will explore the following topics:
Innovation is occurring on construction sites in various forms.
Collaboration and younger generations play a crucial role in driving innovation.
Clear goals and strategies are essential for successful innovation projects.
Integration of new technologies into workflows is key, while minimizing cognitive load.
Dedicated innovation teams are emerging in the industry.
Europe, particularly Germany, leads in innovation, including BIM.
Construction industry shows optimism and progress in its innovation journey.
If you find this podcast valuable, we kindly request that you share your review and show your support by giving us a thumbs up. Your feedback is greatly appreciated as we strive to deliver the most valuable content in the construction industry.
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Christoph Betz, Innovation & Venture in Construction
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Today’s Sponsor: beta – Construction and technology network platform
– connecting the tech industry with traditional partners.
Check www.the-beta.com
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Bricks & Bytes
#072 - Anton Marinovich - From A Mason’s Son To Becoming The VP of Sales at EverCam
In today’s episode of Bricks & Bytes, we have Anton Marinovich, VP of Sales at Evercam.
In this episode, we learn about the key metrics that investors look into startups before investing, sales strategies in construction and much more!
Tune in to find out about:
Unique challenges of selling to the construction industry, especially at the project level, where high churn rates are common.
The importance of building trust and relationships in sales, particularly in construction, where each day can bring new challenges.
The crucial role of patience and respectful persistence in construction sales.
Insights into the process of angel investing, focusing on the significance of the founding team, the story, and the unique elements of startups.
If you enjoy today’s episode, leave us a comment. And don’t forget to subscribe to our channel!
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Anton Marinovich | VP of Sales at Evercam
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Today’s Sponsor: beta – Construction and technology network platform
– connecting the tech industry with traditional construction partners.
Check www.the-beta.com
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Timestamps:
(00:00:00 - 00:02:10) - Intro
(00:02:10 - 00:08:15) - Key Lessons learned selling to the construction industry
(00:08:15 - 00:20:11) - Comparing Sales: Construction vs Other Industries
(00:20:11 - 00:26:40) - Key metrics that Investors look into startups before investing
(00:26:40 - 00:30:50) - Thoughts on Construction Industry
(00:30:50 - 00:31:12) - Outro
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Bricks & Bytes
#059 - Sarah Hodges - From Cashier to Chief Marketing Officer At Procore: Unveiling Key ConTech Marketing Strategies and Sarah’s Journey To The Top
In today’s episode of Bricks & Bytes, we have Sarah Hodges, the Chief Marketing Officer at Procore.
In this episode, we learn about Sarah’s journey, some key lessons Sarah learned as CMO at Procore, successful marketing strategies for startups, and much more!
Tune in to find out about:
Key lessons Sarah learned working as a Chief Marketing Officer at Procore
Different ways to test marketing strategies
How to develop confidence
Marketing strategies for startups
Procore’s marketing strategies
If you enjoy today’s episode, leave us a comment. And don’t forget to subscribe to our channel!
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Sarah Hodges | Chief Marketing Officer at Procore | ConTech
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Today’s Sponsor: beta – Construction and technology network platform
– connecting the tech industry with traditional construction partners.
Check www.the-beta.com
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Timestamps:
(0:00-2:05) - Intro
(2:05 -03:50) - Key Lessons you learnt as a CMO
(3:50-7:00) - Ways to Test Marketing Strategies
(7:00-08:50) - How to develop confidence
(8:50-18:40) - Groundbreak and its marketing strategies
(18:40-20:40) - Advice for Marketing team at Startups
(20:40- 21:30) - Outro
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Bricks & Bytes
#057 - Rohan Jawali - How LLMs And AI Will Shape the Next Decade Of Construction Tech
In today’s episode of Bricks & Bytes, we have Rohan Jawali, the Co-Founder of Joist.ai
In this episode, we learn about the key lessons Rohan learned while building an AI-based startup, the significance and capabilities of LLMs in construction, how to write better prompts, and much more!
Tune in to find out about:
How LLM’s will change construction
How to write better prompts
Limits and the future of LLMs
The key areas that LLM’s disrupt
If you enjoy today’s episode, leave us a comment. And don’t forget to subscribe to our channel!
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Rohan Jawali | Co-Founder of Joist.ai | ConTech
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Today’s Sponsor: beta – Construction and technology network platform
– connecting the tech industry with traditional construction partners.
Check www.the-beta.com
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Timestamps:
(0:00-3:28) - Intro
(4:40-8:05) - Key lessons Rohan learnt while growing Joist.ai
(8:05-13:19) - Introduction to Joist.ai
(13:19-17:30) - What are LLMs and why they are useful
(17:30-20:40) - How LLMs are changing construction drawings
(20:40-25:01) - Why Rohan prefers LLMs
(25:01-29:00) - Importance of prompting
(29:00-32:40) - Use of AI for Drawings In Construction
(32:40-35:25) - Limits of LLMs
(35:25-40:00) - Future of LLMs
(40:00-43:40) - Introduction to On Deck
(43:40-44:16) - Outro
Building Materials Marketplace vs Cloud Manufacturing: What Works Where?
Building my own house made me realize how broken construction supply chains are - Saudi BRKZ founder's story sounds familiar?In today's episode of Bricks, Bucks and Bytes, we explored how Saudi BRKZ secured $17M Series A funding for their construction materials marketplace, bringing their total raise to $22.5M in just two years.We discussed how emerging markets like Saudi Arabia present unique opportunities for construction tech marketplaces that wouldn't work in Western markets, due to their concentrated demand and fragmented supply.We also got fascinating insights from Patric on why having 1,100 suppliers might not be the most efficient strategy for a construction materials marketplace, and why the "cloud manufacturer" model could be more effective.Tune in to learn about:✅ Why Saudi Arabia's construction tech scene is heating up✅ The difference between managed marketplaces and cloud manufacturers✅ How venture debt can be smartly used in profitable marketplace models✅ Why expanding to 40 cities quickly might raise questions for investorsListen to the full episode on Spotify to hear our deep dive into construction tech marketplaces and emerging market opportunities.----------------Chapters00:00 Introduction and Personal Insights01:55 Exploring Construction Tech Opportunities05:01 Understanding Bricks and Its Business Model09:56 Supply Chain Dynamics in Emerging Markets15:08 Funding Strategies and Market Expansion20:06 Debt Financing and Working Capital Management23:51 The Role of Debt in Business Growth24:18 Evaluating Investment Metrics25:10 Understanding Unit Economics26:31 Investment Opportunities in Saudi Arabia28:11 Optimism in the Construction Industry29:39 Navigating Customer Relationships in Startups30:00 The Challenge of Custom Solutions35:34 The Importance of Long-Term Relationships36:18 Technology Integration in Construction39:02 The Future of Construction Technology----------------Sign up to the #1 Newsletter In Construction Tech. Join over 1,000 like-minded Founders, Investors and Techies disrupting the way we build. Forever : https://bricks-bytes.beehiiv.com/subscribe---------------LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bricks-bytes/X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/bricksbytespodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmNbunUTIIQDzbJgGJt9_ZgInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/bricksbytes/—---------------------------------------------------------- #podcast #construction #constructionindustry #bricksandbytes #startups #architecture #design #civilengineering #engineering #constructiontechnology #engineer #architect #civilengineer #concrete #podcaster #podcasting #entrepreneur #podcasts #podcastlife #startups #entrepreneurship
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Bricks, Buck$ And Bytes
Invoice reconciliation, AI automation, Material data infrastructure & CFO-driven adoption
From calling suppliers to schedule deliveries to manually typing data into Excel - this German startup secures €12.5M to fix construction's paper problem.In today's episode of Bricks, Bucks and Bytes, we had Henric Meinhardt from comstruct walk us through how they're digitizing the material delivery and invoice reconciliation process between suppliers and contractors.We got to learn about how they're using AI to process unstructured data from thousands of suppliers, replacing manual data entry with automated workflows.And interestingly, we heard an investor's perspective on why focusing on financial processes can be the best entry point into construction companies, starting with the CFO rather than on-site teams.Tune in to find out about:✅ How comstruct automates invoice matching and material tracking✅ Why large language models are making traditional EDI interfaces obsolete✅ Their unique go-to-market strategy targeting CFOs first✅ How they convinced World Cup winner Mario Götze to investListen to the full episode on Spotify to hear how comstruct is building the infrastructure for construction's digital future.-----------Chapters00:00 Introduction to Constrakt and Funding Success03:06 The Evolution of Construction Processes06:07 Agentic AI and Its Impact on Construction09:01 Future of Invoicing in Construction12:11 Optimizing Procurement Processes15:08 Supplier Engagement and Automation17:48 Competition and Market Landscape20:59 ESG Considerations in Construction24:07 International Expansion and Future Plans24:37 Technical Difficulties and Humor25:09 Go-to-Market Strategy Insights28:57 Understanding Customer Needs and ROI29:59 Investment and Growth Plans31:44 Navigating the Construction Tech Landscape32:38 Pre-Construction Processes and Challenges36:54 Prioritization in Business Strategy39:14 Engaging Investors in Unique Niches
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Bricks, Buck$ And Bytes
Why European Construction Tech Could Outperform US Startups: A 5X Cost Advantage Revealed
In today's episode of Bricks, Bucks and Bytes, we learn about the story of an AEC start-up that raised $25M from a prestigious investor only to shut up shop shortly after announcing their round.We got insights into late-stage funding challenges in construction tech, with a seasoned investor highlighting why businesses struggle to raise Series B rounds when earlier rounds were overvalued.Also, we learned why Europe might offer better returns for construction tech investors than the US, despite the US potentially delivering bigger individual outcomes.Tune in to find out about:✅ Why listening to non-VC entrepreneurs is crucial for sustainable growth✅ The mechanics of construction tech startup valuations across funding rounds✅ How to navigate down rounds and recapitalization✅ Why European construction tech startups have a 4-5x cost advantage----Chapters00:00 Introduction and Light Banter01:49 Challenges in Construction Tech Funding04:27 Strategies for Raising Capital09:20 Profitability vs. Growth in Construction Tech12:56 Late Stage Funding Trends15:24 Avoiding Overvaluation in Funding Rounds17:28 Valuation Mechanics in Funding Rounds21:16 Equity Dynamics in Down Rounds23:06 Anecdotes from the Industry25:42 Reflections on Construction Tech Investing29:25 Comparative Analysis: Europe vs. US in Construction Tech33:00 Future of Point Solutions in Construction Tech
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Bricks, Buck$ And Bytes
First Principles & Founder Success: Lessons from Scott Wolf's Levelset Journey
"20 years of experience or 1 year repeated 20 times?" - This profound question from Scott Wolfe (Levelset) captures why some founders achieve extraordinary success while others stay stagnant.
In today's episode of Bricks, Bucks and Bytes, we explored how compound experience and non-linear career paths shape successful founders in construction tech.
Tune in to learn about:
✅ How Scott Wolfe's diverse background (software, retail, law) led to Levelset's success
✅ Why non-linear experiences often lead to breakthrough innovations
✅ The truth about choosing the right capital structure for your business
✅ Why your customer should be your best source of capital
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Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Context Setting
01:08 Scott Wolf's Impactful Insights
02:15 The Concept of Compound Experience
04:17 Nonlinear vs. Linear Experiences
10:38 The Importance of Curiosity
12:20 Applying Compounded Knowledge
16:33 The Role of Blogging in Business Growth
25:50 Choosing the Right Capitalization Method
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