"Bringing in a CRO too early is the death of any business. It's like bringing in Lewis Hamilton and saying drive my Fiat in a school zone."

In today's episode of the Bricks & Bytes, we had Ricky from Deep Space and we got to learn about why most founders hire the wrong sales leadership at the wrong time, how to scale from zero to unicorn status, and the brutal reality of go-to-market in construction tech... and many more!

Ricky took simPro from $10M to over $1B valuation as their first CRO. Now he's doing it again with Deep Space while running his own venture fund.

Tune in to find out about:

✅ The exact revenue stage when you should hire a CRO (hint: it's not when you think)

✅ Why construction sales still requires picking up the phone in 2025

✅ How to build repeatable sales processes that actually work in AEC

✅ The real difference between good and bad revenue leaders

Listen now on Spotify and learn from someone who's actually built the playbook.

Chapters

00:00 Intro

01:50 Introduction and Guest Background

05:48 Ricky's Journey in Tech and Venture Capital

09:56 The Role of a Chief Revenue Officer (CRO)

13:56 Sales Strategies and Market Adaptation

17:51 Building Trust and Value in Sales

21:46 Hiring Sales Reps and Team Dynamics

25:38 Identifying the Right CRO for Your Business

29:49 Metrics for Evaluating a CRO

33:55 Advice for Early-Stage Founders

36:01 Marketing and Content Strategy in AEC Tech

37:54 Navigating Domain Expertise in Marketing

41:15 Understanding the Sales Cycle Touchpoints

43:49 Essential Tools for Early-Stage Businesses

45:51 Deep Space: The Future of Construction Management Software

52:52 Transparent Pricing in Software Solutions

53:46 The Evolution of Product Management

55:50 Balancing AI Adoption with Business Strategy

57:52 Analyzing Ricky's LinkedIn Insights

"We're in an industry that loves ROI calculators... but the industry has built some sort of skepticism to these ROI calculators."

This reality check from David Horesh hit different.

In today's episode of Bricks and Bytes, we had David Horesh and we got to learn about why construction marketing is still a blue ocean, how to avoid the handshake trap, and why memes might be your secret weapon... and many more!

Tune in to find out about:

✅ Why understanding construction jargon is make-or-break for tech marketers

✅ The leaky bucket problem killing your sales funnel

✅ How AI agents can replace entire marketing teams

✅ Why construction professionals want memes with their morning coffee

David spent 7 years helping construction tech companies go from zero to serious ARR. His insights on digital marketing in a traditional industry will change how you think about go-to-market.

Listen now on Spotify and discover what most construction tech founders get wrong about marketing.

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Chapters

00:00 Intro

01:52 Introduction to David Horesh and His Journey

04:50 Understanding Go-To-Market Strategies

07:52 The Importance of Knowing Your Customer

10:52 Defining Go-To-Market Team Structures

13:50 Navigating Change in the Construction Industry

16:54 Building Relationships and Network Effects

19:43 The Role of ROI in Marketing Strategies

22:54 Marketing Channels in Construction

26:00 Leveraging Digital Marketing in Construction

28:42 Creating Engaging Content for the Industry

38:22 Building Relationships in Marketing

40:37 From Traffic to Sales: The Conversion Process

43:27 The Importance of Awareness and Trust

48:52 Understanding the Marketing Funnel

55:58 Recruiting the Right Marketing Talent

01:01:51 Leveraging AI in Marketing

01:04:51 Measuring Marketing Success

"Pen and paper is still one of the largest competitors that construction tech has."

That's what Kalyn Lengieza, owner of Grindstone Consultants, told us during our latest conversation. And honestly, it hit different.

In today's episode of Bricks & Bytes, we had Kalyn and we got to learn about why authenticity beats fancy tech features, how relationships still drive deals in our industry, and the real secrets behind successful construction tech marketing... and many more!

Tune in to find out about:

✅ Why deals still get done on golf courses and job site trailers

✅ The time, talent, treasure framework for resource allocation

✅ How to use AI and tools like Gong to understand your customers better

✅ Why most construction tech companies are positioning themselves wrong

This episode is packed with actionable insights for founders, marketers, and anyone trying to crack the construction tech code.

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

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# Podcast Timestamps

00:00 Intro

01:56 Introduction and Unique Connections

05:10 The Importance of Authenticity in Construction Tech Marketing

07:46 Kalyn's Role and Daily Involvement in Grindstone

10:55 Building Relationships and Customer Acquisition Costs

14:00 Leveraging AI and Tools for Marketing Efficiency

16:41 Time, Talent, and Treasure Framework for Startups

19:53 Prioritizing Marketing and Sales Initiatives

22:47 Testing and Iterating Marketing Strategies

26:03 Maintaining Customer Touchpoints and Nurturing Relationships

28:54 Final Thoughts on Marketing in Construction Tech

32:50 Creating a Cohesive Marketing Strategy

34:58 Winning at Product Marketing

36:07 Understanding Your Customers

37:48 Common Positioning Mistakes

41:08 Effective Messaging Frameworks

42:57 Tailoring Messaging for Different Personas

47:59 Key Metrics for Success

52:33 Generating Qualified Leads

55:53 The Best Channels for Customer Engagement

59:17 Radical Changes in Go-to-Market Strategies