"Universities Are 15 Years Behind, We Don't Need More Degrees"

In today's episode of Bricks and Bytes, we had Gary Cowan, the head of digital construction at Kane Group and we got to learn about how MEP contractors are becoming technology companies, why the traditional education system is failing construction workers, and the real challenges behind construction automation that nobody talks about.

Tune in to find out about:

✅ Why breaking down buildings into modular components and prefabricating in factories is changing project delivery across the UK and Ireland

✅ The massive shift from siloed Excel files to cloud-based real-time data systems and what it takes to make that transformation work

✅ Why universities teaching 15-year-old methods are creating a skills gap and why we need more tradespeople who understand technology

✅ The hidden problems with construction robots that sound great in theory but struggle with real-world challenges like consistent finishes and quality control

Watch now to hear Gary break down how traditional contractors are evolving into digital-first service providers.

Our Sponsor:

Archdesk - “The #1 Construction Management Software for Growing Companies - Manage your projects from Tender to Handover” check archdesk.com

BuildVision - streamlining the construction supply chain with a unified platform - www.buildvision.io

Aphex is the multiplayer planning platform where construction teams plan together, stay aligned, and deliver projects faster – check out aphex.co

Chapters

00:00 Intro & Sponsors

04:26 Introduction to Digital Construction

07:21 Understanding the Role of Head of Digital Construction

10:12 Challenges in Existing Structures and Digital Verification

13:19 The Importance of Collaboration in Construction

16:13 The Evolution of Technology in Construction

19:25 Prefabrication and Its Integration in Design

22:20 The Digital Tool Tech Stack

25:05 Virtual Reality in Construction

28:19 Augmented Reality and Reality Capture Solutions

33:55 The Rise of XR Technology

34:11 AI: Hype vs. Reality

35:54 Navigating AI Adoption

38:15 The Challenge of Authenticity in Tech

39:44 The Importance of Expertise

43:08 Evaluating Tech Solutions

45:17 Frustrations with Vendor Solutions

47:19 Rolling Out New Technologies

50:07 Aligning Data Across the Business

52:26 Pain Points in Real-Time Data

56:12 Robotics in MEP

1:00:07 Expanding Digital Construction Services

1:02:05 The Future of Digital Construction

"Often it results in an almost Frankenstein technology stack where you may have different things for different reasons."

This is the reality of construction tech adoption today.

In today's episode of Bricks and Bytes, we had Josh Weyand from Trunk Tools and we got to learn about navigating the messy world of construction technology, why some solutions stay point solutions while others scale enterprise-wide, and the critical mistake vendors make when trying to sell to large contractors... and many more!

Tune in to find out about:

✅ Why building trust and credibility matters more than your product features when selling to contractors

✅ The real reasons technologies don't scale (hint: it's not always about the product)

✅ How to align your solution to business initiatives instead of hitting friction at every step

✅ What makes construction-specific tools win over generic software solutions

Watch now to hear Josh's insights from his time as Director of Emerging Technologies at Suffolk and his current role helping builders solve real problems.

Our Sponsor:

Archdesk - “The #1 Construction Management Software for Growing Companies - Manage your projects from Tender to Handover” check archdesk.com

BuildVision - streamlining the construction supply chain with a unified platform - www.buildvision.io

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Chapters

00:00 Intro

03:45 Navigating Construction Technology: Insights from the Field

14:36 The Challenges of Scaling Tech Solutions

25:37 Peer Groups and Shared Success in Construction Tech

30:14 Overcoming Frustrations with Tech Vendors

31:47 From Pilot to Scale: Best Practices for Adoption

36:46 The Value of Piloting Technology

40:38 Understanding Innovation Theater

44:56 Buying Technology in Construction

48:18 Core Technologies for General Contractors

51:57 Transitioning to Trunk Tools

56:16 The Role of an Enterprise Solutions Engineer

01:00:40 Winning the Market with Construction Specificity

"If I could do some things over, I would have hired marketing leadership earlier, even before sales."

That's what Document Crunch CEO Josh Levy told his VP of Marketing, Lori Peters.

In today's episode of Bricks and Bytes, we had Lori Peters from Document Crunch and we got to learn about why construction tech marketing is fundamentally different from other SaaS industries, how to scale from seed to Series B, and what's actually working in 2025.

Tune in to find out about:

✅ Why conferences are their biggest lead generation channel (while other SaaS companies avoid them)

✅ How they expanded nationally by going where their customers were, not just selling remotely

✅ The shift from marketing-led pipeline to fully integrated go-to-market teams

✅ Why LinkedIn still dominates and how AI is changing organic search forever

Watch now to hear how a 10-year construction tech marketing veteran built a winning strategy from the ground up.

Our Sponsor:

Archdesk - “The #1 Construction Management Software for Growing Companies - Manage your projects from Tender to Handover” check archdesk.com

BuildVision - streamlining the construction supply chain with a unified platform - www.buildvision.io

Chapters

00:00 Intro

03:26 Introduction to Document Crunch and Construction Tech

06:28 Evolution of Marketing in Construction Tech

09:23 Marketing Strategies Through Funding Stages

12:23 Challenges in Scaling Marketing Operations

15:11 Effective In-Person Marketing Channels

18:29 Community Initiatives: Built by Builders and Crunch Community

21:28 Targeting Customers and Tailoring Messages

30:03 The Costly Disruptions in Construction

30:58 Understanding Disputes and Their Impact

32:28 The Role of Customer Advisory Boards

34:43 Navigating the AI Landscape in Construction

37:39 Building Trust in AI Solutions

38:59 Leveraging Investor Relationships

40:17 Partnerships and Trust in Marketing

42:23 AI in Marketing Strategies

47:30 Marketing Nuances in the Construction Industry

49:19 The Importance of Thought Leadership

52:12 Structuring a Growing Marketing Team

53:49 Technology in the Marketing Stack

54:57 Future Predictions for Marketing in AEC